If I could get back the hours I spent trying to master winged eyeliner in 2016, I could watch the Stranger Things finale 10 times over. Because now, I don't even really wear a cat-eye like that, as I've found so many other eyeliner styles that look better on my eyes (and are, admittedly, way easier to do). In fact, I've learned so many tips and tricks in my time as a beauty editor that make eyeliner easier, like tightlining to add depth, tweaking the flick so it shows up on hooded eyes, and positioning your placement for a smokey eye.
But I won't keep all my info to myself. Cosmo tapped makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran to get her insights on all the best eyeliner looks depending on your eye shape. If you want to make your eyes look bigger, rounder, more pronounced, or a combo of all of the above, you've come to the right place. But keep in mind: There is no right or wrong way to do any makeup look, nor is there any dream, desirable eye shape you should aspire to. For us, it's about the end result reflecting how you want it to, whether that's a more defined lid, a sharper style, or a wide-awake glow.
Jump to your eye shape: Almond, Downturned, Wide-set, Asymmetrical, Round, Big, Small, Monolids, Hooded, Close-set, and Deep-set.
If you look in the mirror and the top and bottom of your irises are covered by your upper and lower lids (along with the traits mentioned in the graphic), you have almond eyes.
To accentuate your eye shape:
Opt for a creamy gel eyeliner (this will glide better) and trace your lash line before slightly smudging it out with a brush for a soft, dreamy finish. Since this eye shape tends to be most symmetrical, it can handle any liner look, but the easiest technique is to follow the natural shape of the eye, while building thickness towards the outer third half, Jaikaran explains.
Not sure if your eyes are downturned? Imagine an invisible horizontal line going through the center of them. If the outer corner drops lower than the "line," you have this shape.
To accentuate your eye shape:
Using a bright pencil liner and draw on a very thin cat-eye, flicking the end up toward your temples to create a little lift at the outer corners of your eyes. Keeping the tail short also helps the look remain visible when you smile. Oh, and leave your lower lash line bare, so it doesn't compete with the liner on top.
If the space between the inner corners is larger than the width of one of your eyes, you have wide-set eyes.
To accentuate your eye shape:
Keep the color concentrated at the inner corners on your top and bottom lash lines, minimizing any product applied at the outer corners to help create more balance and draw the focus inward.
Asymmetrical eyes can often be slightly different in shape, as in one might be larger than the other (this is a common trait, since everyone's face is asymmetrical to some degree, so don't worry).
To accentuate your eye shape:
Using a light-brown eyeliner pencil (Jaikaran used a taupe shade here), trace along your lash line from your inner to outer corner. Then, if (and only if!) you want to create more balance between your eyes, on the eye that is smaller, apply a thicker amount of that same liner to the outer corner to make your eye appear a little bit wider.
With round eyes, look to see if the whites of your eyes along the bottom of your irises are visible when you're looking straight ahead. Another indicator is that you'll definitely be able to see your crease clearly when your eyes are open.
To accentuate your eye shape:
Opt for an elongated look (to keep your shape from looking too circular), which you can achieve with an extended wing liner. One way to do this easily (and save yourself lots of time and Q-tips) is to draw on a tiny wing in the outer corner, directly under your top lashline, then gently swipe the edge of your fingertip toward your brows to softly extend the line outward.
Big eyes are typically larger in proportion to the other features on your face, like your nose and mouth.
To accentuate your eye shape:
Since big eyes can pull off a lot of different liner looks because of their size and shape, you can experiment with more unconventional looks, like this double-winged eye. To recreate it, make one flick that extends out from your upper lash line, and then draw a second tail from the corner of your lower lash line. (Just opt for liners with depth, versus super light shades, to keep from altering your shape, making it appear even larger.)
Small eyes, you guessed it, will appear smaller in comparison to the rest of the features on your face. You may also notice a short amount of space between the tips of your lashes and your brow bone.
To accentuate your eye shape:
With small eyes, opt for a lighter color or even a metallic hue, like gold, which reflects light and makes your eyes look brighter. And skip liner on the lower lash line, which can shrink your eye shape.
With monolids, you'll typically have no discernible crease and also notice that your eyelid is on the flatter side, Jaikaran explains. Your brow bone will typically look less prominent as well.
To accentuate your eye shape:
When lining your top lash line, start off with a thin line, using a liquid liner at the inner corner, making it significantly thicker as you extend past your outer corner. That way, the look remains fully visible when you open your eyes.
Hooded eyes tend to have less eyelid space, but you also might notice that your upper eyelid covers your crease when your eyes are open too.
To accentuate your eye shape:
Go for a thicker liner toward the outer corners, making sure the liner is as close to your lashes as possible. Thin, simple lines can get easily lost when your eye is open (due to less eyelid space), and any liner that's too heavy may make the eye look small. If you're creating a cat-eye, like Jaikaran did here, it's important to make the wing look thicker at the outer corner before filling it in, so it keeps its flick shape when your eyes are open.
If the space between the inner corners is less than the width of one of your eyes, close-set is your shape.
To accentuate your eye shape:
The secret for close-set eyes is to start your eyeliner at the middle of the lid and extend it out further than your eye in a straight line, which you can do on both the top and bottom lash lines. Then, dab a shimmery eyeshadow on the inner corner and on your brow bone to brighten them.
It's less about shape with deep-set eyes and more about their positioning, which happens to be set further back in your socket. Because of this, your brow bone can often appear stronger and overshadow your eyes, hiding your lids a bit.
To accentuate your eye shape:
Trace a thin line as close to your lashes as possible, keeping any of the liner's thickness toward the outer half of the eye. Then, create another thin line along your bottom lash line—again, thickening the liner slightly toward the outer half, since applying liner in a thick manner at the inner corners can create the illusion that your eyes are even deeper set.
Makeup: Jaleesa Jaikaran; Assts: Shaleira Smith and Lakeisha Dale; Nails: Kayo Higuchi, Asst: Marie Barokas; Hair: Jerrod Roberts; Photographer: Ruben Chamorro; Fashion Stylist: Kathy Lee; Beauty Director: Carly Cardellino; Creative Director: Abby Silverman; Senior Visuals Editor: Raydene Salinas Hansen; Designer: Katie Buckleitner; Videographer: Robert Mroczko; Camera: Rob Mroczko; Editors: Emily Wilson and Olivia Akien; Production Assistant: Scott Kidwell
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
Carly Cardellino is a seasoned beauty expert and the former beauty director at Cosmopolitan.
