15 Makeup Tips for Almond-Shaped Eyes From Pro Makeup Artists

December 22, 2022

By: Maddy Sims | Makeup.com by L'Oréal

Applying makeup is a fun way to enhance your facial features and highlight your natural beauty — from your lips to your gorgeous eyes. In fact, your eye makeup can accentuate your natural eye shape. Applying eyeliner a certain way or using a specific color of eyeshadow can draw attention to your eyes and give them the center stage. If you have almond-shaped eyes, there are some tried-and-true tricks to make them really stand out. We spoke to professional makeup artists to find out the best makeup tips for almond eyes. Read on to see what they had to say.

What Are Almond-Shaped Eyes?

Almond-shaped eyes look like an almond that is turned length-wise. “Typically, they are wider in length than they are rounder in width,” explains Shanie Crosbie, a professional makeup artist in California. “The inner and outer corners of the eyes come to more of a prominent point.”

Another defining factor? Eyelid space. “Eyelid space can vary but almond-shaped eyes usually don’t have an endless amount of room like you would see on a more rounded shaped eye,” explains Crosbie. Because of the smaller eyelids, being strategic with your makeup can help maximize the space and enhance the pretty almond shape.

15 Makeup Tips for Almond-Shaped Eyes

Enhance your pretty eye shape with these expert-approved tips.

1. Curl Your Lashes

When it comes to enhancing your eyes, curling your lashes is an absolute must (regardless of your eye shape). “It gives an instant lift and makes your eyes appear more open and awake,” Crosbie says. Starting with clean lashes, open the curler and place it around the base of your eyelashes. Then, close the curler and gently pulse it open and closed for 10 seconds. When you’re done, your lashes will look long and lifted. Crosbie’s pro tip? Replace your eyelash curler every four to six months.

2. Gradually Build Up Eyeliner

Eyeliner is a great way to accentuate and exaggerate almond-shaped eyes. “I like to keep the liner thin towards the inner eye area and lash line,” says Crosbie. “I follow the natural shape of the eye and gradually make the eyeliner a bit thicker in the mid-to-outer area — this will give the eyes a slightly larger appearance.”

3. Add a Wing

Winged eyeliner looks much more natural with almond-shaped eyes because of their natural curve. “Almond-shaped eyes are the best type in creating a winged liner look, so have fun with it,” says Crosbie. Try the trend of siren eyes, which is a soft, smudgy liner look that elongates and enhances almond-shaped eyes.

4. Load Up on Liquid Liner

Since almond eyes lend themselves to dramatic eyeliner wings, Flynn Pyykkonen, a professional makeup artist in New York, says it’s best to use black liquid liner. One of our favorites is the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Grip Precision Felt Eyeliner. If you’re nervous about making a mistake, she suggests using a brown pencil liner first to create the shape and then going over it with black liquid eyeliner.

5. Try a Bright Eyeliner

Dark eyeliner can define your eyes, but it can also make them look smaller. If you want to make your almond-shaped eyes look bigger, use bright-colored eyeliner instead. Try bright blue, purple, pink, or white to create a fun, playful look. We love the neon shades of the Maybelline New York TattooStudio Sharpenable Longwear Eyeliner.

6. Apply a Neutral Eyeliner to Your Lower Waterline

One small makeup tip that makes a big difference? Open up your almond-shaped eyes by using a beige-colored eye in the lower waterline, says Pyykkonen. The color will instantly make your eyes appear wider and brighter — and it will make your gorgeous eye color pop.

7. Highlight Your Inner Corners

Almond-shaped eyes sometimes look a little smaller than round eyes, but with this trick you can make them look bigger. “Using a shimmery or glowy shadow or highlighting product on the inner corners, near the tear ducts, can open the appearance of the eyes,” says Crosbie. “This will reflect and catch the light, adding a nice luminosity.”

8. Smudge-Out the Lower Lash Line

Lining your lower lash line is a simple way to make your eyes appear larger and more defined. “To make a piece of art look larger, you frame it — same goes for the eyes,” says Crosbie. “I love to make the lower liner super smudged out with a softer pencil or eyeshadow that I can blend out. This really gives the eye some drama.”

9. Lift Your Brow Bone

Exaggerate the almond shape of your eyes by applying a highlighter underneath your brow bone. Crosbie says placing a highlighter underneath your eyebrows will give a lifting effect and draw attention to your gorgeous eyes. We love doing this with a cream or liquid highlighter, like the Valentino Beauty V-Lighter Face and Base Primer and Highlighter, to create a dewy, glowy look.

10. Open Up Your Eyes With Bright Eyeshadow

Pyykkonen says one of the best makeup hacks for almond-shaped eyes is to swipe a bright, shimmery eyeshadow all over the eyelid. This will give the illusion of a wider eye. Apply the sparkly color with your finger for extra color payoff.

11. Massage Your Mascara Into Your Lashes

If you want to define and enhance your eye shape, Crosbie says mascara will make a serious impact. “The most important part of applying mascara is to really massage it into the roots of the lashes,” she says. “This gives lift and deepens the base of the lash line, which will give definition.” Make sure to replace mascara every two to three months — mascara can harbor a lot of bacteria and dries out quickly. If you’re in need of a restock, reach for the Lancôme Le 8 Hypnôse Serum-Infused Mascara. The TikTok-famous volumizing mascara is formulated with amino acids and shea butter to promote lash health.

12. Add Light Eyeshadow Underneath Your Eye

Bring attention to your pretty almond eye shape by applying bright or shimmery eyeshadow underneath your eyes. This will show off the curve of your eyes, open them up and add an unexpected touch to your overall look.

13. Consider a Cut Crease

A cut crease can accentuate almond-shaped eyes. What exactly is a cut crease? It involves a sharp line of eyeshadow in the crease of your eyelid (right above the fold of the eyelid). Apply color a little at a time and try not to blend too much to keep the lines crisp. If you need to sharpen the lines, go around the lines with concealer.

14. Keep the End of Your Brows Light

Heavier brows can sometimes make your eyes look smaller. So if you have almond-shaped eyes, keep your eyebrows thin and light on the ends of your brows. Not only will it make your eyes look bigger, it will also give a subtle lift.

15. Do What Makes You Feel Best

The best makeup look is the one that makes you feel your best. “I don't believe there have to be rules when it comes to makeup,” says Crosbie. “I always encourage people to have fun, experiment, play and do what feels good to you. Makeup is personal and it's a great way to show off your style and individuality."

Photo: Mackenzi Straub