Doing eye makeup with my hooded eyes has been a bigger struggle than I'd like to admit. For years, I thought the problem lay in the products I used rather than my application and placement. After learning more about my eye shape, I played around with the angles of my eyeliner and payed extra attention to what worked best for the look I wanted to create. But when it came to determining the best eyeliner pens and pencils for the job, I was at a loss.
So with the help of celebrity makeup artists Mali Thomas and Ash K Holm (Ipsy's newest chief makeup artist), I've put together an edit of the best eyeliners for hooded eyes to make your hunt for the perfect pen or pencil that much easier. With the right products and a little bit of patience, it's easier to apply eyeliner for hooded eyes than you may think. Keep reading to learn their go-to tips, tricks, and favorite eyeliners for hooded eyes.
What Are Hooded Eyes?
Determining the shape of your eye can give you a better idea of how to go about doing your makeup in an effective way. Hooded eyes are the extra layer of skin that droops slightly over the crease, making the eyes appear smaller than they actually are. "This can create many challenges when using eyeliner due to limited lid space and smudging or transferring due to the folding of the upper lid," Holm explains.
Before we dive into the dos and don'ts of creating your eyeliner look with a pen or pencil, let's talk shopping. "When shopping for eyeliner for hooded eyes, look for products that offer long-lasting results and a fine tip for precision. The formula should dry quickly to minimize transfer to the upper lid," Thomas explains. The last thing you want is for your eyeliner to smudge, shift, or transfer during the day, resulting in an eye look that's the farthest from your original goal. No matter the formula, one quick way to test your eyeliner is by giving it a quick swipe on the back of the hand, allowing the product to dry, and then running a finger over it.
How and Where Should Eyeliner Be Applied?
Now, for the tricky part. According to Thomas, there's a trick to pulling it off. "For the best results on hooded eyes, apply eyeliner as close to the lash line as possible for fuller-looking lashes," Thomas says. "Concentrate on the outer part of the upper lash line to elongate the eyes, avoiding thick lines that can reduce lid space. Winged eyeliner is also a great option to help lift and define the eyes." If you struggle to control the placement of your hand while holding the eyeliner pen or pencil, try placing your elbow on a flat surface as an anchor. That way, you can sharpen or smudge your eyeliner look to your heart's content.
While applying your eyeliner, be sure to move in quick, smooth motions and check its placement. If there's any tugging or pulling on the skin, your line may be interrupted and give a choppy appearance. "When applying winged liner, it's important to sculpt the wing with the eyes open and looking straight into the mirror," says Holm. "This ensures that the wing follows the natural shape of the eye and appears symmetrical when the eyes are open."
Below, take a look at the best beauty editor and makeup artist approved eyeliners for hooded eyes, accompanied by glowing customer reviews.
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeliner Stick
"I've been holding on to these amazing eyeliners for a while because I've had the opportunity to test out the new Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeliner Sticks before the official launch," Thomas says. "These liners will surely be a crowd favorite due to instant color payoff and easy application on the eyes. They're perfect for the beauty novice, experts, and of course beauties with hooded eyes!"
Customer Review: "Absolutely love this eyeliner. As a 50 yr old woman with very oily eyelids, I swear this did not transfer to my upper 'hooded' eyelid. I did set my lids with translucent powder only. LOVE it in black too."
Chantecaille Le Stylo Ultra Slim Eyeliner
Chantecaille's Le Stylo Ultra Slim Liquid Eyeliner pen creates beautiful, precise lines with a flick of your hand. It features a calibrated tip that can be traced evenly along the upper and lower lash line for maximum control over the movements of the pen. Apple TV's '60s comedy drama Palm Royale has me wanting to wear more retro-inspired eye looks, and this pen is what I'm using to create them.
Customer Review: "What a brilliant idea! This is a wonderful liquid eye liner. It glides on so easily—it is just like using a pen. It delivers the perfect amount of color to your eye and stays put. It gives such a fine line and the precision shape of the pen allows you to just paint on your liner. The brown shade is lovely."
Chantecaille Luster Glide Silk Infused Eyeliner
Another one of my favorites from Chantecaille (my all-time favorite French cosmetics brand), this eyeliner is inspired by the gorgeous texture and colors of Fortuny silks. In addition to being transfer-proof and long-wearing, it offers rich color payoff and shine and has a silky-smooth formula that melts into the lash line.
Customer Review: "I was excited to try this brand (since it avoids a lot of the nastier petrochemicals in most makeup), but skeptical about whether I'd find the product worth the price point. This pencil glides on very easily, but it sets surprisingly well. I also have really sensitive, dry eyes, and even on the waterline this didn't irritate them at all. So far, I'm impressed and would try other colors as well!"
Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Eyeliner Pencil
Twist-up eyeliners make everything easier (especially when you're working with hooded eyes that seem to get in the way of the perfect eyeliner look). Clinique's Quickliner twists up, glides on, and smudges with a long-wearing formula that's transfer-resistant and doesn't need any sharpening. On one end, you get a 1/8-inch pencil and on the other a smudging tool.
Customer Review: "I love easy-to-use products and this one is that! Because the tip is more rounded, I find it to be more forgiving of my less than perfect application. Smokey Brown and Violet are my favorite colors but I can't wait to try others."
E.L.F. Cosmetics No Budge Retractable Eyeliner
If a twist-up pencil eyeliner isn't your preference, try a retractable pencil liner for equally easy application and control. This one by E.L.F. Cosmetics uses a creamy and rich formula that glides effortlessly across the skin, offering intense color with a matte finish. It's smudge-proof and long-wearing and comes in a variety of pretty shades. (My favorite is Coffee.)
Customer Review: "E.L.F. always delivers. Nothing beats their No Budge eyeliner. They have perfected where others fail. Love this product for smooth application and deep pigmentation that doesn't come off until you say so! I am always looking for new colors they may be adding."
Huda Beauty Creamy Kohl Eye Pencil
Eyeliners with a kohl formula work beautifully on hooded eyes. Huda Beauty's Creamy Kohl Longwear Eye Pencil is a hybrid "gel-feel" eyeliner that delivers major color payoff with the smudge-ability of a kohl pencil and the glide and precision of a liquid liner. This is a great pick for anyone who's partial to the clean look of liquid liners but wants to give smoky eyes a try.
Customer Review: "Huda Beauty's Creamy Kohl Longwear Eye Pencil lives up to its promises and then some. It's truly 24-hour flake-proof, smudge-proof, transfer-proof, sweat-proof, and waterproof. Plus, it's comfortable on the waterline and ultra-pigmented. I loved it and highly recommend it!"
KVD Beauty Tattoo Pencil Liner Waterproof Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner
Do you have sensitive eyes? It's time to trade in your tear-inducing eyeliner for a waterproof option like this one by KVD. It's an ultra-smooth, transfer-resistant gel pencil eyeliner that comes in a selection of eye-catching colors bold and neutral shades for precise lines, smudged-out finishes, and graphic designs.
Customer Review: "I can’t say enough good things about this product. It glides on sooo easily that I expected it to smudge just as easily. Boy, was I wrong. It is smudge free and stays on once it’s on! I really appreciate that I am able to get such result without compromising the formula and pigment of the product!"
Lorac Front of the Line Pro Eye Pencil
The sequel to Lorac's original best-selling Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner, the Eye Pencil comes in a variety of matte and metallic shades using a formula that's long-lasting, waterproof, and highly pigmented. Not only is it retractable, but it comes with a built-in sharpener for a superfine point to give you the most precise eyeliner looks.
Customer Review: "This eyeliner is amazing! It's extremely pigmented, creamy, and glides easily on the eyes without tugging. It's great for the waterline and for creating a smoky eye. I love that it's retractable too!"
Morphe 2 Ways Always Online Gel Eyeliner
Makeup artists and beauty editors alike agree that this is one of the best drugstore gel eyeliners on the market. It combines a nourishing waterproof formula of vitamin E, jojoba oil, and rose oil with easy-glide precision and bright, blendable color. Plus, it has a built-in sharpener for its precision-tip applicator.
Customer Review: "I've never bought Morphe products before but I took a chance after I tried it on the back of my hand it it didn't rub off. Goes on very smooth, stays on even with oily skin, but it comes off easily when you wash your face. I bought brown and the blue and will purchase some additional shades because of how much I like these eyeliners."
Nyx Professional Makeup Epic Ink Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
"The Nyx Epic Ink eyeliner pen is perfect for anyone with hooded eyes because it's extremely long-wearing and has a very fine tip," Holm explains. "The tip of the pan makes it really easy to sketch out, and the formula lasts all day. It also comes off really easily with makeup remover."
Customer Review: "I love this eyeliner because you have more control with the tip and it stays in place on my hooded eyes. When I use an eyeliner pencil the product migrates to my shadow due to my eyes being hooded. This liner has came to my rescue and is an affordable game changer."
Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner
This multipurpose eyeliner pen uses a high-tech, waterproof formula to enhance the appearance of lashes while providing the definition of liquid eyeliner. It has a lash-boosting complex that works to strengthen and condition lashes while delivering long-lasting eyeliner looks in a deep black. My only wish is that it were also available in other gorgeous shades!
Customer Review: "I have somewhat hooded eyes and for some reason every single liquid eyeliner would transfer onto my lids. Took my years to find this and it doesn't budge! Love the applicator as well it's very narrow but controlled and allows for an easy/slick application. Even though it doesn't transfer, it's still easy to remove with any make up remover."
Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Micro Tip
Cat-eye lovers and those with oily, hooded lids, unite. Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner comes in a micro tip that's ultra precise for control and accuracy. I like to use this one to fill in the spaces between lashes or create a super-thin, minimalistic cat eye that dries quickly without smudging or running.
Customer Review: "As someone with oily lids whose signature look is a cat eye, I am very impressed with this! I use a touch of primer and this liner lasts ALL day without smudging, transferring, or cracking off. The pen is super fine and stiff so you can go subtle or build up for a more dramatic look. I have tried dozens of other liners and was looking for something to replace my go-to after it was discontinued. This outperforms anything I’ve tried—obsessed!"
Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
Of all the eyeliners included on this list, this is by far one of my favorites. Stila's classic eyeliner glides on with ease without skipping, smudging, pulling, or running and has a thin, marker-like tip that's easy to use. I'll always recommend it to anyone who wants to play around with eyeliner looks without worrying about making "un-fixable" mistakes.
Customer Review: "This is the best eyeliner I have ever used. The tip design really gives control when applying, the length and width is perfect for me. You can control the amount of depth of color when applying-one swipe is lighter, second swipe is darker (good for daytime and transition to evening). The product seems to last and has not dried out, seems that I get good quantity for price point."
Tom Ford Eye Defining Pen Liquid Eyeliner Duo
Tom Ford's dual-ended liquid eyeliner has a fine calligraphy tip on one end and brush on the other for unparalleled precision, control, and fluid strokes. Not only is this luxury pick incredibly chic to look at (its cinnamon brown and gold design is to die for), but it delivers sleek and dramatic eye looks every time without fail.
Customer Review: "This is my favorite eyeliner I have in my collection right now. It’s so easy to do wings and cat eye looks! The color is deep and doesn’t get weaker while filling it in which is great. Both sides are easy to use but I like the longer end the most."
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