You’ve (Probably) Been Applying a Winged Eye Wrong All This Time
I have hooded eyes, which means that I have a little bit of excess skin on my eyelid and around my eyebrows. It’s a genetic condition, which as detailed by Medical News Today, is likely because one of my parents also had hooded eyes, though I’m not sure which one.
Regardless of how I got the hooded eyelids (sometimes they just develop with age), I was shocked to recently find out that I’ve been doing a winged eye wrong for the past 15 years! If you also have hooded eyes, chances are…you have been, too.
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How I Learned I’ve Been Using the Wrong Eyeliner Technique
It all started with this TikTok from TikToker nikkiajoy. In the video, she demonstrates the correct and incorrect way to apply eyeliner and do a winged eye if you have hooded eyelids.
@nikkiajoy Eyeliner for hooded eyes!😱 The easiest way to get a perfect straight wing when your lids are droopy like mine👏🏼 #makeup #beauty #hoodedeyes #hoodedeyesmakeup #makeuphacks #hoodedeyesmakeuptips #hoodedeyeseyeliner ♬ original sound – Nikkia Joy
When the winged eye started getting popular again in the late 2000s, and early 2010s, I was obsessed. Then again, so was everybody around that time. Social media and beauty influencers weren’t really a thing back then. Any tutorial I had to do a winged eye stemmed from beauty magazines.
Based on their tutorial and what I learned from friends, I would take the eyeliner to my lid and line as close as I could to my lashline. Then, I’d drag the liner out and upward so it was on an angle.
Though I would apply this method every time I did my makeup, I usually hated it. Why? Because only a small portion of the wing could actually be seen once I was finished! Apparently, this is because I have hooded eyes and this is the wrong technique to use if you want to apply a winged eyeliner. Seriously who knew?
How to Apply a Winged Eyeliner if You Have Hooded Eyes
To correctly apply a winged eyeliner on hooded eyes, the secret is to draw and drag the line straight across your eyelid instead of up. Check out these two photos for comparison:
As you can see, the wing on my right eye is basically hidden. Because my eyelids are hooded, the eyeliner ends up blending in with my crease, making it impossible to see. It also just looks a little awkward. This placement has always caused me to try and extend the wing further and further, which also made it difficult to get even with my other side.
In comparison, the wing on my left eye is prominent. Best of all, it can still be seen even when I smile. Typically, whenever I smile my eyes tend to squint. As to be expected, my eyes end up just hiding whatever wing I created. But as evident in this photo, you can still see the wing on my right eye, even when I smile.
Learning this has been so cool because I love a winged-eye look but have never been able to get it to look right. Like mastering any type of makeup technique, knowing this and seeing a major difference is a huge confidence boost. I also feel like I can now fully immerse myself in the makeup styles of the 1970s.
My Favorite Eyeliners for Hooded Eyes
In these photos, I’m wearing e.l.f. brand eyeliner. Though I love it for how cheap it is (I scored this one off Amazon for only $4.00), it’s not really my favorite when it comes to quality and staying power.
Ever since moving to Florida, my eyelids have been greasier due to sweat and the e.l.f. the brand easily melts off. As such, I’ve been playing around with some more expensive brands, and here’s what I’ve discovered are my two favorites:
CLINIQUE Quickliner For Eyes Intense Eyeliner
All the women in my family have used CLINIQUE and for good reason: it’s top quality! And, their eyeliner is no different.
It’s an automatic pencil, creamy without being smudgy, and great for anyone with eye sensitivity. My eyes tend to water often, which makes it easy for eyeliner to smudge and this one doesn’t budge. Plus, the soft tip makes it easy to just glide across my lid and the excess skin around my eyelids.
Stila Waterproof Eyeliner
Another top brand for me is stilla, especially their waterproof eyeliner. It comes in a variety of colors, so I have options to play around with. It’s also incredibly long-lasting. I’ve worn it all day, along with an eyelid primer to prevent it from smudging.
You’ll notice that these two brands are smudge sticks and that’s because I’m not a huge fan of liquid eyeliner. I haven’t really mastered the proper application technique. However, now that I know I’ve been applying a winged eye wrong, I might go back and give it a go.
If you have hooded eyes, go ahead and try this technique. It makes such a big difference and draws attention to your eyes. Plus, it makes getting an even wing on both eyes a lot easier.
