Hooded Eyes? Then You’ll Love These 4 Simple Tricks!

Eye makeup is all well and good, but what are we supposed to do if you can’t actually see anything after applying it? Eyes open and go for it – we’ll show you four simple eyeliner tricks for eyelids over 40.

Hooded eyes are actually a gift. Because now you have the exclusive opportunity to learn four eyeliner tricks for women over 40 that look absolutely fantastic on every eye. They’re so simple that anyone can implement them immediately, we promise! We’ll even turn a blind eye if you’re not over 40. 

Eyeliner for over-40s: Hooded eyes love these 4 simple makeup tricks

Either you’ve been blessed with hooded eyes your whole life , or you’ve acquired this gift only with advancing age. Of course, this has absolutely nothing to do with whether you’re over 30, over 40, or over 50 – hooded eyes can develop for many reasons. Besides genetic predisposition, the collagen structure of your skin plays a crucial role. Natural collagen production decreases with age, which is directly correlated with skin firmness. External factors such as sun exposure, smoking, and the like can accelerate this process. Even careless rubbing of the eye area can damage the elastin and collagen fibers around the eyes , leading to hooded eyes. Whatever the cause, the tricks for applying eyeliner remain the same. And we simply can’t keep them from you any longer. So, let’s get started!

1. Eyeliner on the upper waterline

Traditionally, we used to simply apply eyeliner to the lower waterline for a smoky eye effect. That would actually be a faux pas for hooded eyes – we prefer to go higher. With our brown or black eyeliner pencil, we, as women over 40, love to adorn the upper waterline . 

Tightlining has a major advantage over applying eyeliner to the lower waterline: it thickens the upper lash line by filling in the gaps in the skin-toned areas , thus creating a fuller lash line. You can enjoy its thickening benefits without needing any magical eyeliner skills. 

Here are our ultimate tips for a long-lasting eyeliner application on the upper waterline:

• For anything you do on your upper waterline, here’s a tip: Position a mirror below your face so you’re looking down at it. Then, gently pull up your eyelid with your non-dominant hand to expose your waterline. Now you can begin applying the makeup.
• Sharpen your eyeliner pencil , but don’t make it too sharp . Otherwise, the tip will tickle you and you’ll cry. We can’t be responsible for that!
• It all depends on a good, waterproof eyeliner . For this step, you don’t want to use a creamy product, but rather a firmer pencil that won’t smudge. However, it shouldn’t be too firm, otherwise it won’t deposit any color and you’ll have to go over the same area too often, which can irritate your eyes and make them water.
• If you struggle with watery eyes, before applying eyeliner, gently dab your upper waterline dry with a cotton swab. This will help the eyeliner adhere better to your skin and prevent it from running.
• Once you’ve applied the eyeliner, hold your eyelid still for a moment longer so the product on your upper waterline has time to dry without immediately coming into contact with your tears. A few seconds are sufficient.
• Please apply the eyeliner all the way to the inner corner of your eye ! The same applies to the outer corner. Only then will you create that irresistible lash line you dream about at night.
• A few minutes after application, you can use a cotton swab to wipe away any excess product that may have accumulated in the inner corner of your eye. You can also repeat this on your lower waterline. 

Wow, those were quite a few tips! Finally, we can’t forget the cliché: practice makes perfect. You think you can’t do it? Think again. Just keep trying, trying, and trying some more. 

2. Emphasize the inner corners of the eyes

The great thing about eyeliner is that it comes in so many colors. A light beige, for example, is perfect for adding a pop of color to your inner corners . For this, choose a very creamy eyeliner – quite the opposite of trick number 1. Now it’s super quick: simply draw a horizontal “V” in your inner corner , lightly dab it with your ring finger to blend, and BAM! Your eyes look open, awake, and bigger. 

3. Accentuate the lower lash line

We’d rather skip the dark eyeliner on the lower waterline, but that creamy one from just now… Bring it on! But that’s not all you can do to accentuate your eyes. Take your brown eyeliner pencil and apply it below your waterline , along your lash line. Brown instead of black , because it looks more natural. The lighter your hair, the lighter your eyeliner should be. 

We’re not just drawing a simple line here, no. We’re accentuating our eyes and giving them definition. Simply follow your lower lash line and work like an artist sketching with a pencil: small, soft strokes. Finally, smudge everything slightly with your finger so that no lines are visible. If our hooded eyelids are already limiting our options up top, then we’ll just focus on the lower lid. 

4. Eyeliner with kohl pencil

A thick winged liner disappears when we open our eyes if we have hooded eyelids. Applying makeup isn’t easy either when your skin gets in the way. And what do you do with the tip? Too many stumbling blocks, let’s just forget about it. Luckily, we have our kohl pencil, which simplifies the whole process considerably. Because we’re not creating a sharp, precise eyeliner here , but a beautiful, soft kohl eyeliner.

1. As explained above, apply the brown or black eyeliner pencil to your upper waterline. Once that’s done, we’ll go a step further: Now we’re not afraid to tightline your eyelid as well. In other words, we’ll fill in everything up there without hesitation until there’s no skin-colored gap left. You might have to stop and blink a few times – that’s (exceptionally) allowed!
2. Now we’ve finished the lower lash line, so let’s move on to the upper lash line. Remember to position your mirror below the lash line. Hold the eyeliner pencil almost horizontally, so you’re applying it from above. This makes the whole process much easier, you’ll see. Now, as discussed earlier, simply draw small, soft strokes along your upper lash line, like an artist sketching with a pencil. It doesn’t matter at all if it looks perfect. Just go for it! You can gently pull or smooth any loose skin out of the way with your other hand. And always work from the outer corner to the inner corner .
3. Now it’s time to use your little finger. Gently blend the strokes to create a smooth, soft line. Of course, you can also use an angled eyebrow brush, but you don’t have to. 

That’s really it! Of course, you can also try a small wing at the outer corner of your eye . If you have hooded eyelids, it definitely needs to be at a relatively straight angle. And one more tip: Don’t pull the wing out of the way while you’re stretching the skin. Work precisely with what you have, because that’s how it will look later. 

About The Author

Calin Van Paris

Calin is the beauty Editor-in-Chief of George V Magazine and a staff writer at Vogue Magazine.

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