The One Eyeshadow Trick for Hooded & Monolid Eyes That Actually Makes a Difference

For as long as I’ve been wearing makeup, I’ve always looked for different ways to emphasize my monolid eyes. Being a beauty editor has definitely helped me with this quest, but even a decade later, I’m still learning new tricks.

This was brought to my full attention when I took a makeup class in Korea earlier this summer. There were a few takeaways from the class that have completely changed the way I apply my makeup (like my contour placement), but by and far, the most useful tip I picked up was that I should apply my eyeshadow in a horizontal gradient, as opposed to a vertical one, the way I’d been taught for years.

Think: More hot dog, less hamburger. Or to expand on that visual with actual instructions, rather than apply the darkest eyeshadow closest to your lashline and gradually lighten the shades as you move up your lids, you should apply the darkest shadow just along the outer thirds of your lids and lighten up the colors as you move toward the inner corners. The same applies for wearing a vibrant accent color; concentrate it to the outer corners only.

Again, you’re still going for a gradient of colors, you’re just switching up the placement and saturation of where you put the darker and lighter shades. Applying darker shadows all the way across your lids horizontally can actually overwhelm them and make your eyes appear heavier, whereas just adding a pop of it along the outer corners can add some definition to your eyes, where it’ll be most visible.