What Are the Different Types of Eyelids? How to Determine Yours + Easy Eye Makeup Tips

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The eyes can say a lot about people. After all, they aren’t called the windows to the soul for nothing.

They are beautiful, and each pair is unique!

It’s true! Our eyes have beautifully diverse characteristics in various shapes, colors, and sizes. And no two people have the exact same eyes.

We know that our eyes can be different from everyone else’s eyes.

But did you know that different eyelid types also have distinct makeup tips that help accentuate them?

If you don’t know about the different types of eyelids and are unsure about your eye shape, we’ve got you covered!

We’ll help you determine which eyelid type you have and different types of eyelids makeup tips that best suit your eye shape as recommended by professional makeup artists.

This article serves as a guide for those who want to identify and highlight the unique characteristics of different kinds of eyelids. 

But remember that anyone can rock any makeup look as they please, no matter their eye shape. We just take a closer look at what may work best!

So let’s get this started!

Different Types of Eyelids

Monolids

A monolid, also called an epicanthic fold, is an eyelid shape that does not have a crease separating the eyelid into two parts.

The skin fold appears like a single eyelid extending to the brow area.

Monolids are the most common eye shape among people of East Asian descent, such as Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.

Double Eyelids

Double eyelids have that visible skin fold that monolids do not usually have. This crease doubles over the eyelid, which creates a natural lining on the eyelid. 

With this type of eyelid, the eyelid looks as if it’s divided into two sections; hence the name double eyelids.

Compared to monolids, double eyelids usually appear heavier. Moreover, when you have double eyelids, you have a larger eye makeup canvas.

Hooded Eyelids

This type of eyelid is characterized by a noticeable amount of skin over an eyelid crease.

This skin covers the eye crease either entirely or partially, making your eyelid look petite and giving that “hooded” look.

Hooded eyelids are primarily genetic, although some people have this eyelid type naturally. Plus, you can also possibly develop hooded eyelids as you get older.

Tapered Eyelids

Tapered eyelids are characterized by a well-defined eyelid crease that goes parallel to the upper lashes and tapers off by merging into the inner eye corners. 

This type of eyelid has two types: the tapered eyelid crease with lateral flare and the nasally tapered eyelid crease. 

The tapered eyelid crease with lateral flare appears a bit higher in the outer part of the eyelid than in the middle part. Meanwhile, the nasally tapered eyelid crease follows the eyelashes and merges with the inner corners of the eyes.

The nasally tapered eyelid can make you look doe-eyed and innocent. Meanwhile, the lateral flare tapered eyelid tends to give off a more flirtatious look. 

Partial Eyelids

When it comes to partial eyelids, the crease can be visible but is not that prominent.

Commonly, its crease can be seen slightly in the outer corner of the eye and is non-existing in the inner part. Hence, partial eyelids are similar to double eyelids but only show half of the double eyelids.

People with partial eyelids tend to have excess skin and fat on their upper eyelids, which gives the impression that their eyes are narrower and smaller. 

As people age, the partial eyelid’s upper skin loosens, eventually defining the crease. But in most cases, this eyelid type resembles monolids. 

Triple Eyelids

Triple eyelids, also known as multiple eyelids, happen when the upper eyelid has two or more folds rather than one. This eyelid type may form due to several reasons like weakness of eyelid muscles, loss of fat caused by aging, or extra skin on the eyelids.

Some of the signs and symptoms if you have triple eyelids include thinning of soft tissue under the upper eyelid skin, loss of elasticity, weakened connections between the muscle and skin, and loss of fat volume in the eye socket area. 

Moreover, multiple eyelids can occur after an eyelid surgery known as blepharoplasty, especially when the new crease doesn’t coincide with previous creases.

If you want to merge the creases and create a single eyelid crease, you may undergo double eyelid surgery to fix that.

How to Identify Your Eyelid Type?

Have problems identifying which eyelid type you have? Once you know what to look for to determine each type, it’s pretty easy to tell.

To help you with that, here are the distinct characteristics of the three kinds of eyelids.

Grab your mirror and determine what eye shape and eyelid type you have based on these indicators:

Characteristics of Monolid Eyes

• Little to no crease
• Eye crease, if there’s any, sits close to the lash line
• Less defined brow bone
• Large lid space perfect for multiple looks

Characteristics of Double Eyelids

• Visible crease
• Prominent eyelid crease
• Eyelid creases don’t taper into the inner eye corners
• Creases have a parallel length with the eyes
• Arc-shaped creases between your eyebrows and eyelashes

Characteristics of Hooded Eyes

• Less visible lid
• Natural crease appears hidden
• Crease covers all or the majority of the lid

Characteristics of Tapered Eyelids

• Eyelid crease is parallel to the upper eyelash
• Crease tapers and is merged with the inner eye corners
• Well-defined eyelid crease
• Wider toward the outer eye corners
• Innocent-looking eyes

Characteristics of Partial Eyelids

• Crease is present but not well-defined
• Crease does not totally extend across the eyelid
• Crease doesn’t show on the inner eye corners
• Upper eyelids usually have excess skin and fat
• Makes eyes look narrower and smaller

Characteristics of Multiple Eyelids

• Two or more eyelid creases
• Deepened or hollowed upper eyelid groove
• Uneven-looking eyelid creases

Now that you’ve determined your eyelid type, you are one step closer to finding the best eye makeup techniques that work for your eye shape and eyelids.

So let’s start a quick tutorial on using makeup on various eyelids to enhance and define their beauty. 

Eyelid Crease Height

Did you know eyelids can also be classified based on crease height?

The eyelid crease’s height indicates the position of the crease relative to the base of the eyelashes. It is the distance from the upper eyelid margin to the lid crease. 

Lid crease heights differ among age, genes, and/or ethnicities. For instance, males usually have 6 mm to 8 mm above the eyelid margin. Meanwhile, women have a slightly higher lid crease, roughly 8 mm to 10 mm. 

There are three common categories of eyelid crease height: low, medium, and high crease. 

If you want to undergo blepharoplasty or double eyelid surgery, you can refer to this eyelid crease guide below to help you achieve the eyelid shape you’ve ever wanted.

Low Crease

The height of a low crease usually ranges from 5 mm to 6 mm above the eyelash line.

Among Asian people born with creases, the low crease is the most naturally-occurring crease. Thus, it’s the most natural-looking if done surgically.

Moreover, oculoplastic surgeons disclosed that a low crease is one of the highly selected creases for people who undergo eyelid surgery.

Medium Crease

Medium creases commonly extend from 7 mm to 9 mm above the lashes. 

Unlike the small crease, the height of the medium crease is less commonly seen among Asian people. Instead, it is usually found in white people. 

Therefore, this crease may look unnatural for some Asian people with naturally small eye shapes when done surgically. For Asians with rounder eyes, on the other hand, a medium crease height may look natural.

Regardless, people with medium creases have a more prominent crease and a more open-eyed appearance. 

High Crease

High creases reach up to 9 mm or more above the eyelash line, which can also be observed among white people. 

So if you have Asian eyes, requesting your surgeon to set your upper eyelid crease too high may also look unnatural on you. 

Importance of Knowing Eyelid Types for Makeup

Knowing your eyelid type is a game-changer when it comes to applying makeup. When you know, you can choose colors and looks best suited to you.

While there’s makeup for everyone, that does not always mean that every eye makeup style suits every eye shape.

How you do your eye makeup can dramatically enhance and improve your eyes. However, the wrong colors and techniques can also do the opposite.

Learning the types of eyelids for makeup and what looks good for your eyes gives you a better understanding of how to experiment and find the best looks to make your eyes pop.

Makeup Tips for Monolid Eyes

These makeup tips can bring out the best of your monolid eyelid shape:

Go for A Shimmery Eyelid

You can define your monolid eyelids by creating a gradient lid.

If you want to brighten your eyes, you can blend a bright shimmering shade toward your eyes’ inner corners.

Make A Faux Crease

You can actually make a faux crease with eye makeup.

To do this, help create a shadow on your eye with your eye makeup where the crease would naturally go. Then sweep your crease on a matte pigment wherever you want to create that “faux crease.”

After that, you may now use your new carved crease as your baseline and blend more eyeshadow in to complete the look.

You can also use eye eyelid tape to create a crease.

Extend Your Eyeshadow to Your Brow Bone

If you don’t want to create a faux crease on your monolids, another way you can enhance your eyes is by extending your eye makeup to the brow bone.

Apply your eyeshadow and extend it all the way up to your brow bone with bold upward strokes which are naturally lifting.

Add a soft, ombre effect by focusing the color on the center of your eyelids and then buffing it upwards.

Doing this will offer you more canvas where you can be creative with your pigments.

One of the best eyeshadow palettes you can use to play around with and create this look is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Palette.

Finish this look off with a dramatic winged liner for the full effect.

Go for a Monochromatic Look

You can select and apply one eyeshadow shade on your entire eyelid for a minimal, effortless, and striking eye look.

Concentrate the bulk of the eyeshadow shade in the center of your eyelids and then achieve a smooth, diffused effect by blending it upward to your brow bone area. 

You can use eyeshadow palettes with bright neon, electric hues, or bold colors to make it even more fun.

If you stick to a single shade, your eye makeup can look minimal yet sophisticated at the same time!

Makeup Tips for Double Eyelids

If you have double eyelids, try out the following tips to make them pop!

Get A Good Eye Primer

Do you have oily double eyelids?

If that’s the case, you should add a good eye primer like the Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Eye Primer. Primer can help lock your eye makeup in for all-day wear!

Before putting anything on your lids, lightly apply the eye primer and set it with a setting powder. This step is key to preventing your eyeshadow from creasing or caking throughout the day.

If you start with a good primer, your eye makeup will stay in place without smudging and smearing.

Apply Gradient Eyeshadow Horizontally

Double eyelids look great with a gradient horizontal look.

To achieve this look, apply the lightest shade in your eyeshadow palette to the inner corners of your eye. Then, continue to use darker colors as you blend your shadow to the outer corners.

Usually, makeup artists use three gradient eyeshadow shades of the same color to create the depth of this look: light, medium, and dark.

You can also experiment with various shades and try it out for yourself!

Apply Eyeliner Along Your Upper Lash Line

If you have deep eye creases, you don’t need to carve out your eyelids since you already have natural eye depth.

A simple and effortless look with light shadow would be beautiful.

Just sweep a soft color on your lids and add definition to your eyes by applying eyeliner along your upper lash line.

Use Metallic or Light-Colored Eyeliner

If you want to add fun eye makeup, you can accentuate your eye shape using an eyeliner with a lighter color or a metallic hue, such as this FOCALLURE Chameleon Liquid Eyeliner.

This technique will make your eyes appear brighter as it reflects light. However, you should skip putting eyeliner on your lower lash line if you don’t want to make your eyes shrink and look smaller. 

Go for Shorter Lash Extensions Length

Remember that very long or large false lashes can only overwhelm your eyes, making them appear even smaller. 

You should avoid wearing lashes longer than 12mm as much as possible. Instead, you should only go for shorter lengths.

But if you want to achieve a little longer than 12mm, you can opt for lashes with a wispy or very fluttery design that has different length distribution. 

Makeup Tips for Hooded Eyelids

For hooded eyelids, here are makeup tips you should remember: 

Tightlining Is Key

If you have deeply hooded eyes, your lid space can be limited. Applying eyeliner and covering that limited space may not be a good idea.

Instead, opt for tightlining. Tightlining is a makeup technique that will give your eyes definition without losing any lid space.

You’ll still have the benefits of eyeliner and leave space on your lid for color if you want.

To do this, you need an eye pencil to color your upper waterline. Make sure to apply it very thinly, and don’t make the wing too long.

A fantastic pencil eyeliner for tightlining is the Urban Decay 24/7 Waterline Eye Pencil, thanks to its demi-matte, long-lasting, and waterproof formula that can last all day. 

This look requires precision, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t get it on your first try. Just keep practicing!

Here are 9 different eyeliner styles for hooded eyes:

Keep the Hood Light

You can compensate for a hidden eye crease with the right makeup technique. Apply a light eyeshadow shade to your lids to help brighten the hood.

Using too much dark eyeshadow on your hooded eyes can make your eyes look sunken or drooping, which can be unattractive.

So, be mindful of the eyeshadow shade you choose. A little bit of a dark hue is okay closer to the lashline but compensate this with a light shade to keep eyes bright.

You can go darker if you choose to create a faux crease.

Make Eyes Look Bigger with White Eyeliner

Aside from tightlining your upper eyelid, you can also tightline the bottom lids with white eyeliner.

Using white eyeliner can instantly make your eyes look bright.

White eyeliner is a favorite among makeup artists to make eyes brighter and more prominent.

So if your hooded lids make your eyes appear small, this makeup tip can give the illusion of bigger eyes.

Makeup Tips for Tapered Eyelids

Invest in Lightweight Lashes

If you have tapered eyelids, the criss-cross false lashes are the most flattering as they open up the eyes and add volume without looking too bulky for your eye shape. 

Also, if you want eyelash extensions, choose a lightweight style like a classic C-curl eyelash extension, which can help open up your eye and create the illusion of a larger lid.

Avoid Dark Eyeshadows on Your Eyelids

People who have tapered eyelids usually have small eyes. Because of that, you should avoid dark eyeshadows to keep your eyelids from looking closed and heavy. 

Instead, use shimmery, light eyeshadow shades to bring out the best in your eyes and make them more alive. 

Only use darker colors to emphasize the shadows or the hollows of your natural crease.

Makeup Tips for Partial Eyelids

Make Your Eyeshadow Even

When creating an eye makeup look, you should consistently achieve symmetry. Always check the shape of your eyeshadow and make your partial eyelids even and stunning.    

Also, blend the outer edges of your eyeshadows well to create an even shape to make your eyes symmetrical. Use a clean, medium-sized, fluffy brush to blend the perimeter of your eyeshadow. 

Use Waterproof Eyeliners

Since partial eyeliners have a visible crease, your winged eyeliner might smudge. No one wants to get panda eyes in the middle of the day. 

So if you want to put eyeliners on your partial eyes, you should invest in good waterproof eyeliner. 

The Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner is the best waterproof eyeliner on the market yet. So, you better purchase this product right now!

Makeup Tips for Triple/Multiple Eyelids

Create Your Own Crease

Because triple eyelids usually make both of your eyes look uneven, you can forget about all those eyelid folds and just create your own vivid cut crease!

Use a trusty eye primer all over your lids. Choose your desired eye crease height and apply a transition color eyeshadow. Define this faux crease by adding darker or more vivid colors on it using smaller brushes.

Do this on both your eyes. Once done creating your own crease, “cut” the crease using high-quality concealer and a flat concealer brush from the crease down to the eyelid area closest to your lashes. 

Now you have a blank canvas for you to get creative on the eyelid area! You can add a glitter, shimmer, or matte eyeshadow there; define the crease with glitters or colored eyeliner; add more than one color — you name it!

This technique hides away your multiple eyelids, creates a balanced look, and allows for creative freedom.

Here’s a tutorial to walk you through the basics:

Avoid Applying Eyeliner on Your Triple Eyelid

When drawing your eyeliner, especially if you love wearing winged liners, avoid drawing on your multiple eyelid folds at all costs. This is so the eyeliner doesn’t distort when you open your eyes and look straight.

Keep the eyeliner as close to your lash line as possible and taper this in thickness once you reach the outer corners of your eyes.

At times, applying makeup for triple eyelids may be similar to applying makeup on hooded eyelids. Check out our makeup tips for hooded eyelids above.

Try Eyelid Tapes

Eyelid tapes are highly popular in Asian beauty and are mostly available in Asian stores. These stickers are also used by people with hooded eyes and monolids.

What these transparent stickers do is stick sagging skin up and hold it in place.

Since triple eyelids usually create uneven folds on both eyes, you can either stick an eyelid tape on the eye with fewer creases or you can stick an eyelid tape on each eye to create new creases for both eyes.

Apply your usual eye makeup before or after sticking the eyelid tape and watch your eyes open wider than usual and your lid make more space for eyeshadow!

There are also invisible eyelid tapes like the Cuticuter Waterproof Invisible Double Eyelid Tape that are way easier to hide with makeup.

FAQs

What is the difference between double eyelids and hooded eyelids?

The difference between these two eyelid types is the visibility of the upper eyelid crease.

Hooded eyelids have that extra skin on the upper eyelids, while double eyelids do not have skin and fat around the eyes.

Because of this, the double eyelids’ crease is much more visible than that of hooded eyelids.

Can your eyelids change over time?

Yes, eyelids can change with time for various reasons. One of the main reasons is that we all change as we grow older.

As we age, the skin on our eyelids gets increasingly thin and loose. Sometimes, it gets puffier over time, making the lids look heavier and the face more tired.

Moreover, excess fat and sagging skin can make your eyelids droop. They might even lose their crease when this happens.

Try Different Makeup Techniques for Your Eyelids

And that’s the bottom line (pun intended!)

We hope this has helped you determine which eyelid type you have and has provided you with some fun ideas to try depending on which eye makeup tips suit you best!

However, remember these are just suggestions and not hard and fast rules. After all, makeup is fun and meant to be enjoyed.

At the end of the day, it comes down to your preference about which eye makeup you are most comfortable wearing, regardless of the type of eyelids you have.

So feel free to be creative with your makeup, try the recommended eye looks, and let us know which tips worked for you in the comments below!

Are you searching for more makeup tips?

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