How To Apply Eyeshadow for Different Eye Shapes
Discover how to apply eyeshadow for different types of eye shapes and unlock your most flattering, eye-catching eyeshadow placement.
- 4th June 2026
- By Charlotte Tilbury
5 minute read
Discover how to apply eyeshadow for different types of eye shapes and unlock your most flattering, eye-catching eyeshadow placement.
5 minute read
Darlings, once you have discovered what type of eye shape you have, you can use this knowledge to inform the best way to apply eyeshadow for your eye shape. An eyeshadow placement that works in harmony with your facial architecture will accentuate the look of your eyes and make sure your eyeshadow always pops!
The tips and tricks in this guide will help to get the best out of your eye makeup so all the work you’ve put into creating a beautiful eyeshadow look isn’t getting lost on your eye shape. If you want to know how to make your round eyes appear lifted, hooded eyes appear more open, or deep-set eyes appear brighter, you’re in the right place, darling.

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The beauty of almond eyes is that they naturally have a lifted, feline look to them that works flawlessly with eyeshadow. When you’re applying your eyeshadow, blend through the crease then buff upwards and outwards – almond-shaped eyes have a naturally upturned outer corner which makes this especially easy to do. You can use a darker shade to create a smokey look, darlings, but remember you want the outer portion of your eyeshadow to sit diagonally from the edge of your eye up towards the tail of your brow to create that winged, cat-eye effect.

People with round eyes have a naturally doe-eyed look that you can enhance with eyeshadow. Following the curvature of your crease will accentuate the roundness of your eyes, but if you want to get that eye lift effect, try blending the outer edges of your eyeshadow upwards and outwards towards the temples to get a more sculpted look. Another way to manipulate your eye shape is to utilise your bottom lash line; running a soft, smokey shade along the bottom lid and subtly extending it towards the tail of your brow creates the illusion of a winged eye shape. This gives round eyes a more sultry look and is useful for lifting the look of your eye area.

A trick for applying eyeshadow to downturned eyes is to place eyeshadow slightly above the actual outer corner of your eye. Downturned eyes point downwards at the corners, so applying eyeshadow along their natural shape can result in your eye makeup dragging your eye area down. The aim with eyeshadow is to lift and extend the look of your eyes; to get this effect on downturned eyes, take your eyeshadow just above the outer corner of your eye and blend it out in upward circles. This will create a winged effect that seamlessly lifts the look of your eye area.

It’s a myth that people with hooded eyes shouldn’t wear eyeshadow, darlings… You just need to know the right tips and tricks! The problem people run into when applying eyeshadow for hooded eyes is they spend time and care creating a beautiful look that then disappears underneath the hood of their eye. When applying eyeshadow, look directly into the mirror with a natural expression (you don’t walk around with your eyes shut or with permanently raised eyebrows!) Doing this will let you know how your eyeshadow will look in real life. As for eyeshadow placement, placing matte eyeshadow above your eyelid on the hooded area of your eye will make sure your eyeshadow is always visible. Blend your eyeshadow slightly higher, darlings, and all eyes will be on you!

With close-set eyes, you have slightly less space in the inner portion of your eyes for eyeshadow which gives you less surface area to work on… On the other hand, there is plenty of space on the outer corners to create a blown-out, cat-eye effect! To make close-set eyes pop, I recommend applying a brightening shimmer shade to the inner corners – this will help to open the look of your eyes and make them appear bigger and brighter. For the rest of your eye, apply a matte shade to 2/3 of your crease, starting just shy of the front portion of your brow and blending out towards your temples. This creates the illusion of an elongated eye shape with a super-flattering lift effect.

The defining characteristic of wide-set eyes is a more prominent gap between the eyes, and this provides plenty of real estate to apply eyeshadow. To make wide-set eyes appear more sculpted, take a matte eyeshadow and blend from the inner corner into the crease to sculpt and define the look of your eyes. Creating a rounded shape is a beautiful way to diffuse the space between your inner eye and the side of your nose and it looks particularly harmonious on wide-set eyes with a prominent eye area.

Eyeshadow is all about light and shade, and this is particularly important to consider for deep-set eyes. The defining feature of deep-set eyes is their naturally sculpted architecture; when eyes sit deeper back, your brow bone and eye socket can appear sharper and more prominent which negates the need for excessive eye contouring. A light wash of eyeshadow through the crease can be just as effective for deep-set eyes as an intricate look using multiple shades. Keep it simple, darlings, and reach for brightening shades like golds and champagnes that add luminosity to your deep-set eyes.
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Darlings, don’t be afraid of eyeshadow! You can wear a beautiful eyeshadow look whatever your eye shape! Just follow my tips and tricks to apply eyeshadow in a way that flatters and enhances your natural beauty.
Need a helping hand, darling? My Exagger-Eyes Easy Eyeshadow Sticks are like mini makeup artists in a stick! They apply and blend so effortlessly… Your eye makeup has never looked better!
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With over 30 years experience, Charlotte Tilbury MBE is the world's number 1 makeup artist and British beauty entrepreneur. Charlotte established Charlotte Tilbury Beauty in 2013, which is now a record-breaking beauty brand that has won over 400 awards.