Deep Set Eyes Makeup: Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, and Tips That Work
Deep set eyes makeup works best when you put light on the lid, keep dark shades on the outer edge only, and keep eyeliner thin. The brow bone already shadows deep set eyes, so heavy dark color makes them look smaller, while a light base and a touch of shimmer pull them forward. Both Bobbi Brown's deep-set guide and L'Oréal Paris's tutorial build their looks around brightening the lid.
Not sure your eyes are deep-set? Look at them from the side: the eyeball sits well behind your brow bone and cheekbone. Our guide to deep set eyes shows how to check yours in a few steps.
Makeup changes how deep your eyes look, not where they sit, and eye depth is just one trait among many. To see how it fits with the rest of your face, try the attractiveness test.
Makeup for Deep Set Eyes: The 5 Rules
Makeup for deep set eyes follows five rules: brighten the lid, keep depth soft, save dark shades for the outer corner, keep eyeliner thin, and skip dark liner on the lower lash line. These tips come from makeup artists, not studies, so treat them as a starting point.
Brighten the lid. Start with a matte base slightly lighter than your skin tone, then add a touch of shimmer to the center of the lid. Shimmer catches the light and makes the eye look more forward, according to Bobbi Brown's makeup artist.
Keep depth soft. Deep set eyes already have natural depth, so a light wash through the crease can be as effective as a multi-shade look, says Charlotte Tilbury. If you add a deeper shade, blend the edges until no hard line is left (L'Oréal Paris).
Save the darkest shade for the outer corner. Blend it onto the outer corner and keep the edges diffused, as in the same L'Oréal Paris tutorial.
Keep eyeliner thin. A thin line along the lash line makes the eyes look more prominent, and starting it near the inner corner can make them look smaller (Maybelline). If you add thickness, add it toward the outer corner.
Skip dark liner on the lower lash line. It exaggerates the shadow already under the eye. Makeup artist Andrea DiSabatino suggests white liner on the waterline instead (Allure).
Why Deep Set Eyes Need Different Makeup
Deep set eyes need different makeup because the brow bone already shadows the lid, so the goal is to bring the eye forward, not add more shadow. Eyes that sit farther back in the socket can look smaller once eyeshadow goes on, which is the problem L'Oréal Paris's makeup tutorial is built around.
The same shadow can sit under the eye. Makeup artist Danessa Myricks says the darkness under deep-set eyes can come from the natural curves of the face, not true dark circles (Allure).
Makeup changes how deep your eyes look, not how they sit, and it washes off. For the bigger picture, see our looksmaxxing guide.
Best Eyeshadow Colors and Finishes for Deep Set Eyes
The best eyeshadow for deep set eyes is a light matte base, shimmer in champagne or gold on the center of the lid, and a deeper shade only on the outer corner. Matte keeps an area quiet and shimmer catches the light, so use each where you want that effect.
Where | Finish and shade | Why |
|---|---|---|
Whole lid (base) | Matte, slightly lighter than your skin tone | Reduces shadow on the lid (Bobbi Brown) |
Center of the lid | Shimmer, such as champagne or gold | Catches the light and brings the eye forward (Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury) |
Inner corner | Light shimmer, blended toward the middle of the lid | Brightens the eye and makes it look more open (L'Oréal Paris) |
Above the crease and lower lash line | Matte | Helps open up the eye (Bobbi Brown) |
Outer corner | Deeper shade, blended with no hard edge | Adds dimension without a harsh look (L'Oréal Paris) |
How to Apply Eyeshadow on Deep Set Eyes (Step by Step)
To apply eyeshadow on deep set eyes, prep the lid, lay down a light matte base, add shimmer to the center and inner corner, blend a matte shade above the crease, put depth only on the outer corner, and finish with curled lashes. The whole look is built from light to dark.
Prep the lid and the under-eye.
Lids: use an eyeshadow primer, or blend a little concealer on the lid instead (L'Oréal Paris).
Under the eye: tap in a light moisturizer first, then an orange color corrector if the shadow reads blue or purple.
Concealer: medium coverage, creamy, one to two shades lighter than your skin, swept outward with a fluffy brush (Allure).
Lay a light matte base. Pick a shade slightly lighter than your skin tone and blend it over the whole lid with no harsh lines (Bobbi Brown).
Add shimmer. Put it on the center of the lid. On a matte base, you can also blend shimmer from the inner corner toward the middle of the lid to make the eye look more open (L'Oréal Paris).
Blend a matte shade above the crease. Add the same kind of matte shade along the lower lash line to help open up the eye (Bobbi Brown).
Add depth on the outer corner. Blend a slightly deeper shade onto the outer corner and diffuse the edges so it doesn't look harsh (L'Oréal Paris).
Finish with lashes. Apply mascara to the upper and lower lashes, wiggling the wand at the roots for a seamless line with your liner (Bobbi Brown).
Eyelash Curler for Deep Set Eyes
Curled lashes make deep set eyes look more open and brighter, according to L'Oréal Paris, which also suggests a curling mascara that holds the curl so lashes don't droop during the day. Curl first and add mascara after: Charlotte Tilbury says to curl clean, dry lashes with no mascara on them, because curling over mascara can break lashes. Clamp the curler as close to the lash base as is comfortable, hold for about 5 seconds, then apply mascara.
Eyeliner for Deep Set Eyes
Eyeliner for deep set eyes works best as a thin line along the upper lash line, extended slightly past the outer corner, with no dark liner on the lower lash line. A thin line makes the eyes look more prominent, and a dark lower line exaggerates the shadow already under the eye.
Makeup artists don't agree on where to start the line, so here are the two approaches:
Approach | Where the line starts | Who suggests it |
|---|---|---|
Start partway along the lid | Skip the inner corner, since a line there can make the eyes look smaller | |
Line the whole lash line | Start thin at the inner corner and build thickness toward the outer corner |
Try both and keep the one that leaves more of your lid visible. If the liner disappears when you look straight ahead, Bobbi Brown says a thicker line keeps makeup visible from the front (MasterClass).
On the waterline, makeup artist Andrea DiSabatino suggests white liner. The Allure writer, who has deep-set eyes herself, swapped black for soft brown to avoid emphasizing the darkness under the eye (Allure).
Winged Eyeliner for Deep Set Eyes
For a wing, use liquid liner: a thin line just above the lash line, slightly thicker at the outer corner, then a thin wing pointing up (Yahoo Life's eyeliner guide). The same guide warns that thick liner can make eyes look more deep-set. Extending the line slightly past the outer corner elongates the eye shape (Bobbi Brown).
Makeup for Hooded Deep Set Eyes
Makeup for hooded deep set eyes works best when you place color where it stays visible with your eyes open, usually just above the natural crease, and keep the lid itself light. Deep set eyes need light on the lid, but a hood hides the lid, so the placement moves up while the light-to-dark logic stays the same.
To see which one you have, look in the mirror: if the crease is visible but the lid looks short, that comes from depth; if skin covers the crease, that's a hood. Our guides explain what hooded eyes are and cover the full hooded eyes makeup routine.
We found no major guide written for the combined shape, so the points below combine hooded-eye and deep-set advice:
Map your placement first. Look straight ahead and put color where you can see it with your eyes open, which is often above the natural crease (VE Cosmetics, a brand blog).
Use matte above the crease, shimmer on the lid. Chanel makeup artist Marco Antonio suggests matte just above the natural crease, not on the fold, with shimmer or satin on the center of the lid or the inner corner (Marie Claire UK, written for hooded eyes). Shimmer can disappear where the lid folds heavily, so check it with your eyes open.
Put deeper shades toward the outer corner. For deep set eyes, VE Cosmetics suggests deeper shades at the outer corner or just above the socket, with the lid kept lighter.
Keep liner thin. Marco Antonio recommends a thin line close to the lash line with a small upward flick, and VE Cosmetics advises against thick liner along the whole upper lash line.
Common Makeup Mistakes on Deep Set Eyes
The most common mistakes on deep set eyes are dark liner on the lower lash line, unblended shadow edges, liner that starts at the inner corner, and skipped under-eye prep. Each one adds shadow or looks heavy instead of bringing the eye forward.
Mistake | Why it backfires | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Dark liner on the lower lash line | Exaggerates the darkness under the eye (Allure) | White liner on the waterline, or soft brown |
Hard, unblended shadow edges | Looks harsh (L'Oréal Paris) | Blend until no line is left |
Liner that starts at the inner corner | Can make the eyes look smaller (Maybelline) | Start partway along the lid, or keep the inner part thin |
Concealer on dry skin | Product settles into the creases (Allure) | Tap in a light moisturizer first |
Too much setting powder | More product is more likely to crack when you smile or talk (Allure) | A thin layer of powder, built up only where needed |
Makeup for Men With Deep Set Eyes
Men with deep set eyes can use the same principles in a lighter way: the point is usually to cut the shadow under the eye, not to add color. The under-eye steps from Allure's makeup artists apply to anyone: a light moisturizer, a medium-coverage concealer one to two shades lighter than your skin, and a thin layer of setting powder.
In looksmaxxing communities, deep-set eyes under a low brow are often called hunter eyes, a community term rather than an anatomical one. Our breakdown of what hunter eyes include explains where the term comes from.
FAQ
What makeup looks good on deep set eyes?
A light matte base, shimmer on the center of the lid, a deeper shade only on the outer corner, and thin eyeliner. Brightening the lid is the idea behind most artist-written guides, including Bobbi Brown's.
How do I make deep set eyes look bigger with makeup?
Brighten the lid, keep dark liner off the lower lash line, and curl your lashes. L'Oréal Paris says curled lashes make the eyes look more open. If your eyes are also almond-shaped, our almond eyes makeup guide covers that shape.
How do I make deep set eyes look less deep set?
Makeup can't change how far back the eye sits, only how it looks. Shimmer on the lid and a matte shade above the crease make the eye look more forward.
Does eyeliner go on top or bottom to make eyes look bigger?
On deep set eyes, put it on top: a thin line along the upper lash line. Skip dark liner on the lower lash line, since it exaggerates the shadow under the eye (Allure).
What eyeshadow colors are best for deep set eyes?
Light, luminous shades like champagne and gold, according to Charlotte Tilbury, with a deeper shade only on the outer corner.
Can deep set eyes also be hooded?
Yes. Deep-set describes how far back the eye sits, and hooded describes a skin fold over the crease, so you can have both.
What counts as deep set eyes?
Eyes that sit farther back in the socket than average, so the brow bone shadows the lid. Our guide shows how to check from the side. If the depth is new, or one eye looks deeper than the other, that's a question for an eye doctor, not a makeup one.
Is shimmer or matte better for deep set eyes?
Use both, in different places. Matte goes on the base and above the crease, and shimmer goes on the center of the lid and the inner corner, where it catches the light (Bobbi Brown, L'Oréal Paris).
