By Jia Lissa 
For months, I debated whether to get an upper blepharoplasty to address my increasingly heavy, hooded lids. Before committing to surgery, I tried a lineup of less-invasive in-office treatments—including energy-based devices, a neuromodulator—brow lift—and regenerative treatments—to tighten the skin and subtly lift my brows. In my opinion, the combination worked. Maintaining it, however, would cost as much as buying a used car… every single year. That’s when I started wondering whether I could fake that lifted look using makeup alone. A few good brushes and a tube of mascara are far more palatable than a needle or a device—zero pain, zero downtime, and a much lower recurring bill.
I called one of my favorite makeup artists, Nick Barose, whose celebrity clients include Lupita Nyong’o, Rachel Weisz, and Brie Larson, to walk me through a full eye-lifting makeup routine. His approach to hooded lids isn’t about camouflage—it’s about creating the illusion of structure where skin has started to flatten or fold. "Adding definition opens up the areas where extra skin is hanging over," he explains. "You can create the illusion of depth by playing with light and dark, as well as contrasting matte and soft-shimmer textures." In other words: Think less eye shadow, more contour.
Here’s exactly what he taught me, so you can try it, too.
Understanding Hooded Lids and the Impact of Aging
Hooded eyelids are a common genetic trait characterized by an extra layer of skin that hangs over the crease, often obscuring it when the eyes are open. This can give the appearance of a smaller eye or make the eyelids look heavier. As individuals age, the natural loss of collagen and elasticity in the skin can exacerbate the appearance of hooded lids. This is often accompanied by a subtle descent of the brow bone, further contributing to a less-lifted and potentially tired look.
The desire to address these changes has fueled a significant market for both surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, remains a popular option for a more permanent lift, with global market revenues projected to reach billions in the coming years. However, the recurring costs, potential for downtime, and inherent risks associated with surgery have led many to explore less invasive alternatives. This includes a range of in-office treatments such as radiofrequency, ultrasound therapy, and neuromodulators like Botox, which can temporarily lift the brows and tighten the skin. While these treatments offer visible results, their maintenance often involves significant financial commitment, mirroring the initial cost of more intensive procedures.
This financial and logistical reality has spurred a renewed interest in the power of makeup as a sophisticated tool for achieving similar aesthetic outcomes. With advancements in makeup formulations and application techniques, it’s now possible to create the illusion of lifted, more open eyes without needles or scalpels.
The Makeup Artist’s Strategy: Creating Illusion and Structure
Nick Barose, a sought-after makeup artist renowned for his ability to enhance celebrity features, emphasizes that the goal for hooded lids is not to hide the natural structure but to redefine it. His philosophy centers on creating the illusion of depth and dimension where the skin’s natural contours have softened or folded.
"The key is understanding how light and shadow interact with the skin," Barose explains. "By strategically placing darker shades to mimic natural contours and lighter shades to highlight, we can sculpt the eye area, making it appear more lifted and awake." He likens the process to facial contouring, where specific shades are used to define and reshape.
The challenge with hooded lids lies in the way makeup can disappear when the eyes are open. A shadow applied directly into the natural crease can become hidden by the overhang of skin, rendering the effort invisible. Barose’s techniques focus on working with this reality, rather than against it, by strategically placing color and texture to create a more desirable visual effect.
Step-by-Step: A Makeup Routine for an Uplifted Gaze
Barose’s approach is systematic, building dimension and lift through a series of precise steps:
1. Prime Under the Eyes with a Tightening Gel
The first line of defense against the appearance of heavy lids is often a primer designed to temporarily tighten the skin. Film-forming gels, often containing silicates and polymers, create a flexible "second skin" effect. As these ingredients dry, they contract subtly, much like shrink wrap, smoothing skin texture and providing a temporary tightening sensation.
How it works: These ingredients form a temporary, invisible film on the skin’s surface. When this film dries, it contracts, pulling the skin taut. This can effectively smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, and create a more lifted appearance in the under-eye area and on the lid.
Application: For optimal results, apply a thin layer to clean, dry skin. It’s crucial to allow the product to set completely, ideally without making exaggerated facial expressions, before applying any further makeup. This ensures the film forms correctly and doesn’t crack or flake.
Key Ingredients to Look For:
- Silicates and Polymers: These are the active film-formers that create the temporary tightening effect. Examples include various forms of silica, acrylates copolymers, and similar synthetic compounds.
Product Recommendations:
- L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Triple Power Eye Bag Instant Eraser: This product is known for its rapid action in smoothing and tightening the under-eye area.
- StriVectin Hyperlift Eye Instant Eye Fix: Another popular option that aims to visibly reduce the appearance of puffiness and lines.
- Dr. Loretta Tightening Eye Gel: This gel utilizes advanced formulations to deliver a temporary lifting and smoothing effect.
2. Lift Your Crease: Redefining the Eye’s Architecture
The most significant adjustment for hooded lids involves redefining the crease with eyeshadow. Instead of following the natural fold, the color needs to be placed higher, on the brow bone, to create the illusion of a deeper socket.
The Technique:
- Higher Placement: Apply your chosen darker eyeshadow shade slightly above your natural crease, or even higher, depending on the amount of skin overhang. This is best done while looking straight into a mirror.
- Strategic Blending: Use a small, tapered crease brush for precision. The goal is to create a sculpted shadow effect, not to color in the entire brow bone.
- Distance Check: Step back three to four feet from the mirror to assess the effect. What might look exaggerated up close will appear as natural definition from a normal viewing distance.
Color Choice is Crucial:
- Matte and Cool-Toned: Opt for matte shades that are cooler in tone. Warm or reddish browns can emphasize puffiness.
- For fair to medium skin tones, cool taupes or gray-browns are ideal.
- For deeper skin tones, cool espresso, charcoal-brown, or soft black shades work well.
- Avoid Red Tones: Barose strongly advises against shadows with red or pink undertones, as these can make hooded eyes appear swollen.
Product Recommendations:
- Make Up For Ever Aqua Resist Smoky Shadow: This offers blendable, long-wearing color perfect for creating depth.
- Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Easy Eyeshadow Stick: Designed for creating a lifted effect, this stick simplifies the application of definition.
- Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Matte Neutral Eyeshadow Palette: This palette provides essential cool-toned matte shades perfect for sculpting.
- Ilia Beauty Blending Brush: A precise brush is key for controlled application in the crease area.
3. Create Strong Outer Corners: Sculpting Depth and Lift
Just as the crease is redefined, the outer corners of the eyes require specific attention to enhance the lifted appearance. This involves building definition and avoiding over-blending that can diminish the sculpted effect.
The Technique:
- Controlled Blending: Instead of blending eyeshadow out until it disappears, Barose suggests keeping the definition more concentrated. This means applying darker shadow a bit higher and more deliberately at the outer corner.
- Building Dimension: The aim is to create the appearance of a deeper eye socket and a more lifted outer V. This doesn’t necessitate a full smoky eye but rather strategic placement to enhance the natural shape.
- Precision Tools: A smaller detail blending brush is recommended to build definition precisely without diffusing the contour too much.
Product Recommendations:
- Colourpop That’s Taupe Eyeshadow Palette: Offers a range of taupe shades ideal for cool-toned contouring.
- Jones Road Beauty The Best Eyeshadow: Known for its sophisticated, blendable formulas that create natural-looking definition.
- Dior Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette: This palette offers a range of shades that can be used to create depth and dimension.
- Morphe M331 Tapered Blender Eyeshadow Brush: This brush is designed for precise blending in the outer corner and crease.
4. Go Matte, but Brighten Strategically
Matte eyeshadows are the workhorses for creating definition without emphasizing skin laxity. However, strategic use of light can further enhance the open-eyed effect.
The Matte Principle:
- Definition Without Accentuation: Matte finishes absorb light, creating shadow and thus definition. This is ideal for hooded lids, as it avoids highlighting any crepiness or excess skin.
Strategic Brightening:
- Addressing Dark Corners: If redness or darkness is present at the inner or outer corners of the eyes, a light-reflecting concealer or a subtle shimmer can counteract this and make the eyes appear more awake.
- Placement: Apply a small amount of brightener to the inner corners, the center of the lids, or the highest points of the brow bones.
- Precision Application: A small pencil brush allows for precise placement of this brightening effect, ensuring it enhances rather than overwhelms.
Product Recommendations:
- Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer SPF 27: A high-coverage concealer that can effectively brighten and conceal.
- Iconic London Radiant Concealer & Brightening Duo: Offers both coverage and a luminous finish for targeted brightening.
- L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Waterproof Concealer: A full-coverage option that can be used to brighten specific areas.
5. Thicken Eyeliner Strategically
For hooded lids, eyeliner application requires a departure from the typical thin line. The goal is to create a visible line even when the eye is open.
The Thickening Technique:
- Increased Width: Apply eyeliner significantly thicker than you might normally, potentially doubling the usual width. This compensates for the amount that will be hidden by the hooded lid.
- Upper Lashline Focus: Concentrate darker liner on the upper lashline to create the illusion of a lifted lash base.
- Softer Lower Line: Avoid black liner on the lower lashline, as it can visually pull the eye shape downwards. Instead, opt for softer shades like gray or taupe-brown to define the lower lashes subtly.
Product Recommendations:
- Dior Diorshow On Stage Crayon Kohl Liner: Offers intense pigment and blendability for creating definition.
- MAC Pro Longwear Fluidline Eyeliner: A gel formula that provides long-lasting, precise application.
- Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Longwear Eyeliner: Known for its creamy texture and excellent staying power.
- NYX Professional Makeup Epic Wear Waterproof Eyeliner Stick: A budget-friendly option that delivers strong pigment and waterproof wear.
6. Focus Mascara on Outer Corners
The final step involves maximizing the impact of lashes to further open up the eye.
The Mascara Strategy:
- Curl First: Always curl your lashes to expose more of the sclera (the white part of the eye), which inherently makes the eyes appear larger and more awake.
- Targeted Application: Concentrate mascara application on the outer third of the upper lashline. This creates an outward-pulling effect, contributing to a lifted appearance.
- Tubing Mascaras: These formulas are particularly beneficial for hooded lids. They create "tubes" around each lash that won’t smudge or flake, even when lashes brush against sagging lids throughout the day.
Product Recommendations:
- Tartelette Tubing Mascara: A popular choice for its effective tubing technology and lash-lengthening capabilities.
- Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky Tubes Tubing Mascara: Offers a budget-friendly yet effective tubing formula.
- Merit Beauty Clean Volume Mascara: This mascara provides volume and definition with a clean formula.
The Tangible Results: A Transformative Approach
The practical application of these techniques can yield significant visual improvements. By strategically redefining the eye’s structure with shadow placement, creating a more prominent outer corner, and utilizing liner and mascara to enhance the lashline, the appearance of heaviness and overhang can be substantially reduced. This is not about achieving the same dramatic effect as surgery, but rather about using makeup as a powerful tool to sculpt and lift the eye area, making it appear more open, awake, and youthful.
For individuals who have explored more invasive options, the realization that makeup can achieve similar aesthetic goals without the cost, downtime, or commitment is often liberating. The ability to reverse the look, experiment with different shades, and adapt the technique to evolving facial changes offers a dynamic and empowering approach to beauty. The journey from contemplating surgery to mastering these makeup techniques represents a shift towards a more accessible and personalized approach to addressing common concerns associated with aging and genetics.
The impact of mastering these techniques extends beyond mere aesthetics. It can foster a renewed sense of confidence and enjoyment in the daily ritual of applying makeup. When the process shifts from feeling like a chore to a creative and effective expression of self-care, the benefits ripple through one’s overall well-being. The visual enhancement achieved through these methods can subtly transform one’s appearance, leading to a more refreshed and vibrant look that can be maintained with a simple makeup routine.
