An eyeliner for hooded eyes tutorial is something almost every hooded-eye beauty lover has searched for at one point, usually after spending ten minutes drawing the perfect winged liner, blinking once, and watching half of it stamp itself onto the upper lid. Or worse, opening your eyes and finding the line you just drew has disappeared into the fold. Sound familiar? You are not alone, and the good news is there is nothing wrong with your technique. You just need a method built specifically for your eye shape.
Here is what this guide will walk you through:
By the end, you will have a clear plan for liner that looks crisp, lifted, and long-lasting. No more disappearing wings, no more frustration, just a routine that finally works with your eyes instead of against them.
Hooded eyes are eyes where the brow bone sits a little lower and a fold of skin partially covers the crease and the outer part of the eyelid. When you open your eyes, you might notice that very little of your mobile lid (the smooth area right above your lashes) is actually visible. That extra skin is called "the hood," and almost everyone develops a bit of it as they age, though many people are simply born with it.
Want a quick test? Look straight ahead in a mirror. If you cannot see most of your eyelid space when your eyes are open, or if your crease is hidden by skin from above, you likely have hooded eyes. Some people have lightly hooded eyes, while others have deeply hooded eyes where the lid is almost entirely covered.
This shape is beautiful and common, but it does change how makeup sits on your eyes. Because the hood touches your lid when your eyes are open, anything you put on that lid, including eyeliner, has a real chance of transferring upward. That is exactly why a regular tutorial does not always work for you.
Most eyeliner tutorials are filmed by people with almond or upturned eyes, where the entire lid is visible when their eyes are open. They draw a line, flick a wing, and it stays exactly where they put it. For hooded eyes, the rules are different.
Here is what tends to go wrong:
Once you understand why these issues happen, the fix becomes obvious: draw with your eyes open, lift everything upward, and choose products built for staying power.
Before you start, gather the right supplies. The products you choose matter just as much as the technique.
If you can, skip the creamy, slick formulas. They look gorgeous in the pan but tend to slide right into the hood within an hour.
Skipping prep is the number one reason eyeliner fails on hooded eyes. Your lids produce natural oils, and those oils break down liner faster than anything else. A two-minute prep routine can be the difference between liner that lasts an hour and liner that lasts all day.
Here is the routine:
Once your lid is primed and powdered, you are ready to draw.
This is the heart of the tutorial. Take your time the first few times you try it. Muscle memory builds quickly, and within a week or two it will feel completely natural.
Step 1: Map your wing with your eyes open. This is the golden rule for hooded eyes. Look straight ahead in a mirror and place a small dot where you want your wing to end. Aim it upward and outward, toward the tail of your brow. If you draw with your eyes closed, the wing will hide under your hood the moment you open them.
Step 2: Tightline your upper waterline. Use a waterproof pencil to gently fill in the upper waterline (the strip of skin right at the base of your top lashes). This adds definition without taking up any of your precious lid space, making your lashes look thicker.
Step 3: Draw a thin line along the lash line. Starting from the inner corner, trace a thin line as close to your lashes as possible. Keep it skinny through the first two-thirds of the eye.
Step 4: Build the wing upward. Around the outer third of your eye, gradually thicken the line and start lifting it up toward that dot you placed in Step 1. The angle should feel like it is climbing, not dropping.
Step 5: Connect the wing to the lash line. Draw a line from the dot back down to your lash line, creating a small triangle. Fill it in completely so it reads as one solid shape.
Step 6: Open your eyes and check. This is critical. With your eyes open, look in the mirror. Is the wing visible? Is it lifted? If the line disappears under the hood, extend it slightly higher until you can see it clearly when your eyes are open.
Step 7: Clean up and sharpen. Dip a cotton swab or a flat brush in a little concealer and trace along the bottom of your wing to create a crisp edge.
That is it. The whole process takes about three minutes once you have it down.
Now that you have the basic method, you can play with different looks. These styles all work with your eye shape rather than against it.
Styles to avoid include long, low wings that drag downward, heavy lower lash lining all the way across, and anything that disappears into your natural crease.
Even with great prep, hooded eyes can be tough on liner. These extra tricks add hours of wear:
A few habits can sabotage even the best products. Watch out for these:
What do I do if my wing keeps transferring to my upper lid?Re-prime, re-powder, and switch to a more transfer-resistant formula. If it still transfers, try setting your liner with a matching dark eyeshadow pressed on top.
My eyes are slightly uneven. How do I balance them?Most eyes are uneven, even on faces that look perfectly symmetrical. Map both wings with your eyes open, end them at the same angle relative to your brows, and trust the mirror more than the measurements.
Do I have to wear black liner?Not at all. Brown, deep plum, navy, and forest green all flatter hooded eyes and can actually make your eye color pop more than black. Save black for evenings or dramatic looks.
I have very deeply hooded or mature eyes. Anything different I should do?Yes. Stick with smoked-out, smudged liner rather than sharp wings. A soft pencil line blended upward gives definition without drawing attention to creasing or fine lines. Always lift the outer edge upward, and avoid heavy lower liner.
How long does it take to get good at this?Most people feel comfortable after about a week of daily practice. Give yourself permission to be a little messy at first. That is what cotton swabs are for.
Hooded eyes are not a problem to fix. They are a beautiful eye shape that simply needs a different approach. Once you understand the rules, prep your lid, draw with your eyes open, lift everything upward, and set your work, eyeliner becomes one of the easiest parts of your routine instead of the most frustrating.
Remember the key steps: prep, map, line, wing, and set. Practice the technique a few times in the mirror before you wear it out, and feel free to adjust the angles and thickness until they feel right for your unique eyes. The best eyeliner look is the one that makes you feel confident and looks like you.
Once your liner is on point, you might want to round out the rest of your eye look too. Our eyeshadow for hooded eyes guide walks you through placement tricks that keep your shadow visible all day. It pairs perfectly with everything you just learned and takes the guesswork out of your full eye routine.
Ready to take your skills even further? Learn directly from professional artists in our makeup and hair classes in Columbus, Ohio, where you will get hands-on practice with techniques tailored to your unique eye shape. Walk in curious and walk out confident, with skills you will use for every special occasion to come.
