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Eye shapes
Shape, tilt, lid and spacing. Most eyes are a mix of all four.
The design starts from the eye it is for. Look straight into a mirror in daylight and read four things: the shape of the opening, the tilt from the inner to the outer corner, how much lid shows, and the space between your eyes. Most eyes combine several, almond, a little hooded and slightly downturned for example, and the map answers each one.
11 topics below. Open any of them.
Shape
- Curl
- C · CC
- Length
- 8–13 mm gradient
- Fibre
- 0.05–0.07 mm fans
How to tell
The opening is longer than it is tall, the corners taper, and the iris touches or nearly touches both lids.
The most adaptable shape: almost every look sits well on it, so the choice is about the effect you want rather than a correction.
What suits it
- Natural, wispy and cat-eye looks
- C or CC curl, 8 to 13 mm in a gradient
- A little extra length at the outer third, where it reads as lift
What to avoid
- Heavy outer corners that drag the tilt down
Ask your artist
“Which look keeps my balance, and which one changes it?”
- Curl
- C outer · CC centre
- Length
- 9–14 mm, longest at the outer third
- Fibre
- 0.05–0.07 mm
How to tell
The opening is nearly as tall as it is long, and white often shows above or below the iris when you look straight ahead.
A round eye already looks open, so the design usually lengthens rather than opens: longer lashes toward the outer third draw it out into an almond line.
What suits it
- Cat-eye and squirrel looks
- C curl at the outer third, CC at the centre
- 9 to 14 mm, longest at the outer third
What to avoid
- Doll-eye maps, longest at the centre: they make a round eye rounder
- Very strong curls across the whole eye
Ask your artist
“How will you lengthen my eye without weighing down the corner?”
Tilt
- Curl
- C · CC
- Length
- 8–13 mm
How to tell
Draw a line from your inner to your outer corner: if it rises toward the temple, the eye is upturned.
The tilt already lifts the eye, so the map keeps it and softens it with an even gradient rather than pushing it further.
What suits it
- Natural, wispy and doll-eye looks
- C or CC curl
- 8 to 13 mm, evenly graded
What to avoid
- Extreme length at the outer corner, which exaggerates the tilt
Ask your artist
“Can the outer corner stay soft so the tilt reads natural?”
- Curl
- D · L outer
- Length
- Longest at the outer-centre, shorter at the corner
How to tell
The line from inner to outer corner drops toward the temple, and the outer corner can look tired even when you are not.
Length at the very corner pulls the eye down further. Curl and a peak just before the corner lift it instead, so the map is longest at the outer-centre and shortens at the corner.
What suits it
- Squirrel and doll-eye looks
- D or L curl at the outer third
- The longest lashes just before the corner, not on it
What to avoid
- Cat-eye maps, longest at the corner: they drag the tilt down
Ask your artist
“Where will the longest lashes sit on my eye?”
Lid
- Curl
- L · M · D
- Length
- 8–12 mm
- Fibre
- 0.05–0.07 mm
How to tell
With your eyes open, a fold of skin from the brow bone covers part or all of the crease and some of the lid.
Soft curls tuck under the hood and vanish. A curl that lifts from the root clears the fold so the lashes are seen, which is also why a lash lift suits hooded eyes so well.
What suits it
- L, M or D curl
- 8 to 12 mm: length only helps once it clears the hood
- Doll-eye or squirrel looks that open the centre
- A lash lift, if you prefer no extensions
What to avoid
- Long lengths with soft curls, which disappear under the fold
- Heavy volume that pushes against the hood
Ask your artist
“Which curl clears my hood with my eyes open, not only closed?”
- Curl
- L · M
- Length
- 8–12 mm
How to tell
There is no visible crease, or it sits so low that it hides when the eye is open. Some eyes also have a fold of skin over the inner corner.
Natural lashes on a monolid often grow straight or slightly down, so a curl that bends only at the base can point back into the lid. L and M curls have a flat base that bonds along the lash and a lift at the end that clears the lid. Where a fold covers the inner corner, the lashes there stay short and soft.
What suits it
- L or M curl, flat at the base
- 8 to 12 mm in a clean, even line
- A lash lift with a flatter shield for straight lashes
What to avoid
- Weak B or C curls that flatten against the lid
- Long, heavy inner corners
Ask your artist
“Will the curl bond along my lash, or only at the base?”
- Curl
- C · CC
- Length
- 10–14 mm
- Fibre
- 0.07 mm
How to tell
The eye sits back under the brow bone, and the lid can look shadowed even without makeup.
Length brings a deep-set eye forward; density mostly adds shadow. The map uses length with a moderate curl so the lashes reach out of the brow's shadow.
What suits it
- C or CC curl
- 10 to 14 mm: length over density
- Natural, wispy or cat-eye looks
What to avoid
- Very tight curls that shorten the visible lash
- Dense, dark volume that deepens the shadow
Ask your artist
“Can we use length rather than density?”
- Curl
- B · C
- Length
- 8–12 mm
How to tell
From the side, the eye sits forward of the brow bone and cheek, and the whole lid is visible.
Strong curls and long lashes make a prominent eye look larger still. Soft curls frame it, and a gentle gradient keeps the profile calm.
What suits it
- B or C curl
- 8 to 12 mm
- Natural and wet-look looks
What to avoid
- D, L and M curls, and doll-eye maps, which increase the projection
Ask your artist
“Which curl frames my eye without opening it further?”
Spacing
- Curl
- C inner · D outer
- Length
- Short inner third, long outer third
How to tell
Your eyes sit noticeably closer together than on most faces. The old rule of one eye-width apart is a rough guide: most faces measure wider than that.
Weight at the outer third draws the eyes outward and widens the look of the spacing; the inner corners stay short and light.
What suits it
- Cat-eye looks
- C curl on the inner half, D on the outer
- A short inner third, the longest lashes at the outer third
What to avoid
- Dense or long inner corners
Ask your artist
“How short will my inner corners be?”
- Curl
- CC centre
- Length
- Longest at the centre
How to tell
Your eyes sit noticeably further apart than on most faces. The old rule of one eye-width apart is a rough guide: most faces already measure wider than that.
Weight at the centre and inner half draws the eyes together; a long outer corner would widen them further.
What suits it
- Doll-eye and natural looks
- CC curl at the centre
- The longest lashes at the centre, a little fuller on the inner half
What to avoid
- Cat-eye maps and long outer corners
Ask your artist
“Can the fullness sit toward the centre of my eye?”
Balance
How to tell
One eye is a little more hooded, more open or differently tilted, or one lash line is fuller than the other.
Most faces are slightly asymmetric. The map is drawn for each eye separately, with a shorter length, a different curl or a little more density on one side, so the two read as a pair.
What suits it
- A separate map for each eye
- Small differences in curl, length or density between the eyes
What to avoid
- One map copied onto both eyes regardless of the difference
Ask your artist
“Will you map each eye separately?”
Next step
Natural lashes.
What your own lashes can carry decides the set: its weight, its curl and how long it lasts.