Lash lifts enhance all sorts of eyes. Round, almond-shaped, up or downturned, long lashes or short. It’s all good! But what about different types of lids? Looking at yours, you see a fold of skin that goes from your brow to your lash line (called hooded eyes), and you wonder whether this skin fold will get in the way of a lash lift. You want to know: Do lash lifts work on hooded eyes?

Lash lifts are safe and effective on hooded eyes when done by a certified lash professional experienced in working with this eye shape. A professional lash artist can do a lash lift to open up and brighten hooded eyes, accentuating their unique beauty.

Lash lifts can bring out the best in all eyes, including hooded. All that’s needed is to tweak the procedure here and there, and hooded eyes can have their lashes lifted and curled to perfection! I’ve worked with hundreds of hooded eyes during the decade I’ve been lashing, and I’ve got many tips and a few warnings to share.

Let’s get into it!

Can You Get a Lash Lift With Hooded Eyes?

Lash lifts work on hooded eyes. The procedure has special perks for this eye type! Hooded eyes are characterized by excess skin folding down from the brow bone. It is often associated with aging.

Many of my clients with hooded eyes tell me they think the skin flap on their lids shrinks their eyes and shortens their lashes. Some clients feel their hooded eyes also make them look older or forever tired.

Lash lifts tackle all these concerns:

• Lifting lashes at the root makes them look longer.
• Curling lashes brightens the eyes for a wide-awake, fresh-faced look.
• Lifting and curling lashes make the eyes look bigger and rounder.

Something else that excites my clients with hooded eyes is that lash lifts can banish the mascara smudge. Mascara has an incredibly annoying way of getting onto hooded lids – not the smoky eye you wanted!

Here’s how a lash lift and tint can help: lashes are darkened for a long-lasting mascara-like effect (after they’ve been lifted and curled). The tint creates the lash definition you love without the messy mascara marks.

How to do a Lash Lift on Hooded Eyes

You follow the same basic steps when doing a lash lift on hooded eyes as with other eye shapes. However, it helps to tweak parts of the procedure.

When customizing a lash lift for hooded eyes, focus on 2 areas:

• #1: Choosing the shield
• #2: Positioning the shield

#1: Choosing the Shield

The right shield for hooded eyes depends on what the lid looks like.

Sometimes excess skin covers only the outer part of the lid, and other times skin folds over the entire lid. The skin can also touch the lashes or come close.¹

Eyes with lots of excess skin need a bigger shield for a looser curl.

Tight curls are more dramatic and have more eye-opening power, but they’re more likely to poke into or go underneath the skin and can feel uncomfortable on lids with bigger hoods.

#2: Positioning the Shield

One of the secrets to successful lash lifts is positioning the shield against the lash line. However, getting the positioning right is challenging when a skin fold hides the lash line.

There’s a trick to help! You can use Micropore tape to gently lift the loose skin so you can place the shield where it needs to be.

Watch LaseBase put this trick into action.

All lid skin is sensitive, but loose lid skin is extra delicate. Here’s another brilliant Micropore trick to drop the risk of discomfort and irritation when doing a lash lift on hooded eyes: stick a strip of Micropore tape on the lid and then stick the shield to the tape. Micropore tape is gentler on the skin than glue – and there’s no clean-up after you remove the shields!

Again, LashBase shows us how it’s done.

Alert! Working with hooded eyes takes more expertise than a standard lift. Only licensed & certified, experienced lash pros are right for the job.

How to Enhance Hooded Eyes Even More After a Lash Lift

Lash lifts (with or without a tint) create the illusion that hooded eyes have grown and give them fluttery lashes – now that’s something to make eyes sparkle!

Here are 3 ways to use makeup with your lash lift for a bigger boost.²

#1: Create an Eyeshadow Cut Crease

Apply a light-colored eyeshadow (a shade close to your skin tone) to your entire lid. Then imagine an invisible line that splits your lid into two equal horizontal parts and apply a dark brown shadow at this point, blending upward towards your brow bone.

Effect: A defined brow bone and bigger-looking eyes.

#2: Try White Eyeliner

Apply white or nude eyeliner to your lower waterline (the part of your lid between your lashes and eye). If you’re giving this a go, take care not to poke your eyes with the liner!

Effect: Brighter, rounder-looking eyes.

#3: Make Magic With Concealer

Apply a vertical concealer line from your eye’s inner corner to about halfway down the length of your nose. Add a touch of concealer next to the outer corner of your eye. Blend the concealer line out and up toward your eye, and work the bit at the outer corner up toward your brow.

Effect: Eyes look lifted and larger.

Alert: Wait 24 hours after your lash lift before wearing makeup; only use oil-free, easy-to-remove products; and gently remove your makeup before you go to sleep.

Lash Lifts on Hooded Eyes – Key Takeaways

Having a fold of skin (or hood) on your lids doesn’t mean you can’t flaunt long-lasting lifted lashes! Lash lifts can work well for older ladies who have hooded eyes, making them look refreshed, bigger, and bolder. Although tighter curls have a stronger eye-opening effect and are a good choice for slightly hooded eyes, looser curls work better on eyes with big hoods.

Lash lifts highlight the beauty of your natural lashes and eye shape (whatever they are), so get into lash-fluttering mode and show off what you’ve got!

– Asako

References

1. Belinda Weber – medically reviewed by Grace Zhang, MD (2022). What to Know About Hooded Eyes. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hooded-eyes (Accessed on 8 September 2022)
2. Jamie Schneider (2021). How To Tell If You Have Hooded Eyes & 9 Makeup Tips To Make Them Pop. Retrieved from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/hooded-eyes (Accessed on 8 September 2022)