Article written by Zakiyah Shani
Image by Winnie Harlow
Have you ever picked up a pair of lashes that looked perfect in their case, but the moment you put them on, you felt like you had been deceived or misled? There is nothing worse but you are not alone! Lashes are like my personal armour for when I look and feel tired. They’re part of my external personality and they pick me up when I want to feel confident and sexy.
As a makeup artist, choosing the right lash style for my clients is a crucial part of the process. Believe me when I say, you can definitely get it wrong but knowing what styles suit specific eye shapes will help to create shape and define your eyes and face in a way that compliments it best.
Whether you prefer a natural or bold eye look, false lashes can be extremely versatile and have the ability to transform and elevate any eye shape. Below is my guide on how to find the perfect false lashes to flatter and accentuate you depending on your eye shape.
Hooded eyes
Hooded eyes are when you have a prominent brow bone, with excess skin above your crease that folds down and hides your upper lid when your eyes are open. Lashes that feature increased length in the mid to outer section of the lash band will help to enhance your eyes, by creating more depth. This lash style creates an eye-opening effect that will make your eyes appear larger. Avoid dramatically long or voluminous lashes as they tend to overpower your eye shape.
Recommendation: Dose of Lashes – Antidote, Tatti Lashes – TL4
Round eyes
You will know that you have round eyes if you can see the white around your iris when you look directly into a mirror. Round eyes are an incredible feature with lots of dimensions, so you’ll want to find lashes that elongate and balance them out. Curly, wispy lashes with multi-layers, volume and length towards the outer corner will create the illusion of a longer eye, giving you a seductive cat-eye effect. Avoid heavy, voluminous lashes that overwhelm your lash line or make your eye appear smaller.
Recommendation: Prima Lashes – Peachy, Tatti Lashes – TL6
Monolid eyes
Monolid eyes are when there is no established crease which means you don’t have a prominent brow bone and your lids appear flatter. It’s important to choose lashes that are fluttery and curly, longer towards the outer edges, and have a criss-cross pattern to help open and widen your eyes. Be careful not to choose heavy lash styles that may weigh down on your lash line and overwhelm your eyes. A lash curler will also help with ease of application as people with monolid eyes tend to have shorter, straight lashes.
Recommendation: Prima Lashes – Sunkissed, Doll Beauty – Chloe Elizabeth
Almond eyes
Almond eyes are slightly pointed at the ends and show no white above or below the iris, creating a wider centre. This eye shape is extremely versatile and suits almost every lash style! The length of the lash will depend on your preferred look, but the best way to accentuate almond eyes is with voluminous lashes that are feathered and evenly distributed along the lash band.
Recommendation: Prima Lashes – Shine or Angelic, Dose of Lashes – Fever
Deep-set eyes
Deep-set eyes are set deeper in the eye socket and sit under a prominent brow bone. Increased visibility is important when choosing lashes for deep-set eyes – the aim is to create depth and the illusion of a brighter, less shadowed eye to accentuate and open them. With this eye shape, you have the freedom to be bold and dramatic without overpowering your other features, so don’t be afraid to play around with fuller lash styles! Extra volume, density and an upward curl, away from the eye, will help give you the perfect flutter.
Recommendation: Prima Lashes – Peachy, Dose of Lashes – Sativa
Wide-set eyes
Wide-set eyes are when the distance between both eyes is more than one eyeball width apart. Luckily, most lash styles suit this eye shape but there are a few styles in particular that will really compliment them! Wear lashes that help to balance out your face and work to bring your eyes closer together. Full and wispy lashes are the perfect combination for wide-set eyes are, as they will help to mask the space between them. If you wish to conceal the width between your eyes, avoid lashes that are longer in length towards the outer edges (particularly cat-eye lashes).
Recommendation: Doll Beauty – Anastasia, Ardell Faux Mink Wispy Lashes
Prominent eyes
Prominent eyes usually appear big and bright which is created by protruding lids from the eye socket area. An excessively long lash style can cause a very unnatural and overstated look. Lashes with varying short to medium-length lash strands, that are clustered and spiky are great options for prominent eyes. They provide a lightweight flutter that brings attention to the eyes in a subtle way. It’s also best to define and draw as much attention to the lash line as possible with added volume at the base of the lash band.
Recommendation: Ardell 110, Doll Beauty – Khloe Faux
Downturned eyes
Downturned eyes have a slight downwards tilt towards each outer corner which creates more space between the brow bone and makes the upper lid appear much larger. Downturned eyes are perfect for creating gorgeous cat-eye looks which can be achieved with false lashes that have a dense lash line that is tapered towards the outer edges. You can counteract and extend the outer corners of your eyes by creating an upwards illusion and subtle lift with dramatic, elongated lashes. This will draw attention to your eyes by opening them.
Recommendation: Doll Beauty – Stephanie, Tatti Lashes – Side Hustle
Upturned eyes
Upturned eyes have a more prominent lower lid and similarly to almond eyes, they suit most lash styles but, this eye shape gives you room to play around with length. Opt for a smaller natural lash with shorter strands in the inner corner and similar length strands across the mid-outer section of the eye. A flared half lash with a few longer strands at the end would be the perfect fit if you want to exaggerate your natural eye shape.
Recommendation: Doll Beauty – Kimberley, Ardell Wispies – Demi Lashes
Close-set eyes
Close-set eyes are when the inner corners are positioned close to your nose bridge or in most cases less than one eye width apart. They also tend to look smaller than most eye shapes. The main aim when choosing the perfect lashes for close-set eyes is to widen and accentuate them. Lash styles that have increased length in the centre and outer section will help to elongate, lift and open close-set eyes. Corner lashes will be a perfect fit for this eye shape as they will create space between your eyes and take the attention away from the inner corners!
Recommendation: Tatti Lashes – Side Hustle, Eyelure – Fluttery Light No. 008
Good luck on your pursuit of the perfect lash!
