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8 Tips To Accentuate Almond Eyes & Make Them Pop, From Makeup Artists
All eye shapes and sizes are stunning and unique, and at the end of the day, any shape can score any makeup look (as we've said time and again, makeup has no rules). That being said, different shapes do require different techniques to achieve various end goals (read: A sharp, cat-eye liner doesn't have the same 1-2-3-step guide for everyone), and there are more than a few methods to accentuate the natural beauty of your lid structure.
We'll start with almond eyes: Ahead, makeup artists weigh in on how to make those orbs look even more striking.
How to tell if you have almond eyes
Before diving into beauty tips, it's helpful to know whether you do, in fact, have a set of almond eyes. Typically, with this eye shape, the iris (aka, the colored part of your eye) touches both the top and bottom waterlines—meaning, you can't see any white above or below. The outer corners may also be slightly lifted, you know, just like an almond. It's also a bit easier for those with almond eyes to find their natural crease, as the fold is likely visible on the lid.
See here for more details on all the eye shapes and how to figure out which one you have.
8 makeup tips to make almond eyes pop
Onto the beauty tips: If you have almond eyes, read on for expert tricks to enhance the shape.
Highlight the inner corners
An oldie, but a goody. Take it from Savannah St. Jean, makeup artist and owner of Savannah Rae Beauty: "To brighten and widen an almond shape, highlighting the inner corner is a great technique." You can either tap on a straight-up highlighter with your fingertip or brush on a shimmery, light shadow.
Use a nude liner on the bottom waterline
Those with almond eyes, allow us to introduce you to the ever-flattering nude liner. To make the eyes appear larger and brighter, a bit of nude liner along the bottom waterline goes a long way. "You can even use white if you really want to brighten the bottom waterline," notes St. Jean, but any nude shade should work wonders. Similar to how you'd highlight the cheekbones to make them pop, brightening up the eye area has a wide-eyed effect.
Tightline the upper lash line
To make almond eyes look wide-awake, Alexandra Compton, product development manager at clean beauty retailer Credo, suggests tightlining the upper lash line with shadow or liner. "This will open up your eyes and make them appear larger and brighter," she previously told mbg about the eye shape.
While you can, of course, choose any colored liner you please, an inky black will contrast perfectly against that nude pigment on the bottom waterline: "It solidifies the lash line and helps accentuate the shape of the almond eye," says St. Jean.
Try floating eyeliner
For a fun, sophisticated beat, this graphic look can really enhance an almond shape (since you're literally tracing the shape of the eyelid). Here's a quick guide:
- With a fine, angled liner brush, outline where your crease meets the bottom of your brow bone with a darker shadow. Start from your inner corner and sweep the line until you reach the tail of your eyebrow.
- With that same shadow, draw a winged liner from the outer corner of your eye, flicking outward toward the previous line. Continue to fill in both lines until the ends meet, closing off the shape.
- Build intensity by tracing your outline with a liner of your choice (feel free to play with bold hues or stick to a kohl-colored number).
- Clean up any jagged edges with a micellar-water-soaked cotton swab, and dab some concealer around the edges to enhance the sharpness.
A full tutorial for your viewing pleasure, here.
Use a light-colored shadow
As a general rule, darker shadows define and recede, while lighter shades tend to bring forth the area. That said, a wash of paler shadow can make your almond eyes pop; especially if your eyes are more deep-set, St. Jean explains; those lighter shadows can help pull the area forward.
You can even "add a pop of shimmer to the center of the lid," Compton suggests, as the metallic will catch the light and make them look striking. For a halo effect, you can also flank the inner and outer corners with richer hues to create contrast.
Try a cat-eye
As we alluded to above, different eye shapes require targeted techniques to achieve various looks. Almond eyes are no different: To create a sharp cat-eye, St. Jean recommends drawing from the outer corner and working your way in. "Create that even line, and bring it forward inside your eye," she says. After painting on that quintessential flick, you can then follow right along the lash line—since the outer corners on almond eyes are slightly lifted already, it makes the process a bit easier.
And if you mess up? No biggie: Here are some clever tricks to revive a jagged wing.
Don an ombre smoky eye
Technically, this handy little trick looks stunning on all the eye shapes (it's universally flattering, says Compton), so of course, it works for almond eyes. Plus, it's an incredibly low-lift way to create a moody beat.
All you need to do is grab a soft, smudge-able eyeliner and draw a line very close to your lash line, take a clean brush (or use your fingertips), and blend the pigment up and out across the entire eyelid. Repeat with more lines until you reach your desired smokiness (see here for a full tutorial).
Curl those lashes
Another tip that applies to all the eye shapes: "Curl your lashes before applying mascara for mega-doe eyes," says Compton. Just make sure not to clamp down too hard on those flutters, lest you pluck a few precious hairs; a few seconds of hold is all you need to keep them lifted and spidery.
The takeaway
Understanding your own eye shape can be super helpful when it comes to painting on eye makeup like a pro. If you have almond eyes, bookmark these tips the next time you want to accentuate the orbs. Most of these tips are pretty minimal, anyway, yet they add an extra oomph to your look.
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