OPENER EYE
Tricks to pop your peepers no matter what their shape
What is a hooded eye?
It’s when skin droops from the brow bone onto the lower, movable part of the eyelid and there’s very little visible e lid space or obvious crease.
Using makeup
Do you ever carefully apply eyeshadow, only to open your eye and find you can’t see where you’ve put it? Or perhaps you find eyeliner and mascara transfer onto the upper part of your eyelid? These are two common makeup challenges faced by women with hooded eyes.
To overcome this, try blending an eye primer over your entire lid to help lock colour onto the skin. Then take a fluffy blending brush and, with your brow relaxed and your eyes wide open, look straight ahead and apply your eyeshadow in a backwards-and-forwards motion onto your socket line, creating definition.
Aim to have the eyeshadow high enough to see with your eyes open, but not so high that it goes all the way up to your eyebrow. This will help to create the illusion of a crease.
In terms of eyeliner, because hooded eyes have less lid space, keep the line as thin as possible and draw it right into the lashes. Or use the tight-line method, where you look up and line the inside of your upper eyelid. Adding a light shade of eyeshadow in the arch of your brow will also give your eye more of a lift. Finish with mascara to lift and enlarge your eyes.
Use a waterproof mascara and eyeliner such as (1) Clinique High Impact
Waterproof Mascara $39 to help prevent smudging. A neutral, satin or matte eyeshadow like the ones found in (2) Max Factor Smokey Eye Drama Kit in Opulent Nudes $20.95 are flattering shades to create the illusion of a crease. Additionally, a primer such as (3) Nude By Nature Perfecting Eye Primer $19.95 will help lock makeup onto your lids. Is Botox the answer?
Botox can be used to subtly lift the outer tail of the eyebrow, but master cosmetic injector Matty Samaei of The Medispa by Matty in Sydney says it’s important to use an experienced practitioner.
“Small amounts can be injected into the lower forehead and outer tail of the eyebrows, paralysing the depressor muscle responsible for the brow drooping, while keeping the elevator muscles, which raise the brow, intact,” she says. sa But remember, this isn’t a fix-all. “B “Botox in these areas requires a top-up ev every six to 12 weeks, so you’ll need to ha have it done over and over,” Matty adds. Serious surgery?
If the eyes look hooded because of e excess eyelid skin, Matty says that B Botox or other toxins can be partially o or totally ineffective. “No injectable p product can reduce or tighten the skin ar around the eyelid – the only solution is to have it surgically excised.” Upper eyelid surgery (or blepharoplasty) tweaks the deep structures of the upper eyelid to give eyes a more youthful appearance. “The operation involves removing excess eyelid skin, repositioning fat and tweaking the muscles to flatten and firm the lids.”
If this sounds like you, consult a plastic surgeon or ophthalmologist with training.