The Best Makeup for Hooded Eyes, According to a Celeb Makeup Artist

Reported by Harper's Bazaar.

Hooded eyes have a reputation problem they don't deserve. Yes, your carefully blended crease look disappears the second you blink — but that's a placement issue, not a you issue. Jennifer Lawrence, Zendaya, and Selena Gomez all share the shape, and none of them are rushing to the surgeon. What they're doing instead: working with the architecture, not against it.

Celebrity makeup artist Christian Briceno breaks down the core challenge, according to Harper's Bazaar: "Shadow can disappear once the eyes are open because the lid space becomes partially hidden," and the natural fold presses directly against product all day, causing creasing and transfer. The fix isn't a different product lineup — it's about rethinking where everything lands. Placing shimmer too high or depositing depth right at the natural fold are the two most common errors, both of which make the eye look heavier rather than more open. The actual goal, per Briceno: lift, definition, and visibility, achieved by adjusting placement until the makeup reads correctly when your eyes are relaxed.

The Technique Shift That Changes Everything

Start with an eye primer — non-negotiable for this eye shape. If oiliness is a recurring issue, set it lightly with translucent powder before touching any color. From there, take your matte shades slightly above the natural crease so the color stays visible once your eyes open. Briceno's method: pat shadow onto the lid first, then soften edges — excessive back-and-forth blending erodes the shape entirely. For definition, a soft elongated wing (even rendered in shadow rather than liner) creates the lifted effect hooded eyes respond to best. A smudged lower lash line adds balance without depending on lid space you don't have. Briceno specifically calls out the Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil Eyeliner for its staying power along that lower line.

Shimmer and metallics belong on the movable lid and inner corners only — pressed in with your fingers for a smoother, more reflective finish. Keep mascara directional: upward and outward, not loaded onto every lash, which drags the eye down. And then — critically — set everything. Briceno recommends both Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray and Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray to lock in wear without stiffness. For a shape prone to transfer, this step isn't optional.

Hooded eyes don't need a workaround — they need a strategy, and once you have one, the smoky eye you've been mourning is absolutely back on the table.

Read the original at Harper's Bazaar.