Accentuating those Almond Eyes

What are Almond Eyes?

According to Mehryar Taban M.D., a specialist in Oculoplastic Surgery (both cosmetic and reconstructive) based in Beverly Hills, “The most common desired eye shape is an almond-shaped eye with little or no sclera show (white under eye) that is open and youthful with no significant hollowness around eyes.” 

In less technical terms, almond eyes are one of the six common types of eye-shapes the makeup world has as reference points. They help makeup artists and enthusiasts create fabulous looks that enhance or flow with the natural shape of an individual’s eyes. For instance, monolid eyes are great for sultry smoky eyes, while almond eyes are terrific for almost any eyeliner or eyeshadow trend. Some extremely beautiful people have almond eyes, which is why they’re so versatile and sought-after. 

How do you get almond eyes?

To get almond eyes (if you don’t already have them), you’ll need to go under the knife. Trying to achieve almond eyes with makeup alone is an unnecessary step that detracts from your natural beauty and…trust us, if you’ve got a different eye shape, there are tons of looks that only you can pull off anyway.

One thing to keep in mind is that everyone’s face is more or less asymmetrical, so you might have a mix of more than one eye shape. The same rules don’t apply to everyone. Figuring out your eye shape is important, but there’s no “correct” or “most beautiful” eye shape and one should use the eye shapes as a tool to help their makeup, not hurt their confidence. 

Nope. Almond eyes are a shape that you cannot change or “get”, while cat eyes are a great style you can paint with a breeze on almond eyes. 

This is an easy-peasy favourite once you get the hang of it. Here’s a tutorial (not in English, but easy to understand with subtitles and video) on how to achieve cat eyes with just eyeliner:

Pro-tip: If you’re feeling a little envious about the woman’s beautiful eyelashes, you can always go for fake eyeliner!

If you have almond eyes, congratulations! Because there’s a lot to experiment with here. To begin with, here is a basic tutorial for filling the entire face with a gentle glow by Youtube and Instagram influencer Hindash.

How to make your almond eyes stand out: some tips

Keep in mind these basic pointers to get a clean, professional look by yourself:

1. Get enough sleep

There’s a reason they call it beauty sleep. A hardworking adult woman must get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night (and a siesta doesn’t hurt). Tired eyes are still tired eyes, no matter how much product you use to ease out the crinkles or de-puff. There is no better way to ensure a clean canvas for your looks.

2. Buy eye-area specific foundation and concealer

If you work long hours at the computer, chances are, you’re no stranger to dark circles or dry eyes. What this means for your makeup is, you’ll need a different shade of makeup base to also tend to the sensitivity of your eye area and to cover up your dark circles and any pigmentation you might have to seamlessly blend with the rest of your look. Some you could go for include:

Pro-tip: It’s also a great idea to get a different eye makeup remover for your eye area. 

3. Get a makeup mirror

You’ll need a really good look at your eyes, especially if you’re myopic and haven’t got your contacts on (and even otherwise). Here’s a popular and economical makeup mirror available on Amazon for $21.99.

How do you apply eyeshadow to almond eyes?

Since there is such little white around your irises, it can be really tricky to get the eyeshadow right. Double the tedium if you’re also going for a neat cat-eye as well. This video by Nadia Hazel goes into the deets of almond eye eyeshadow basics:

What eye makeup looks best on almond eyes?

There real question is, what can’t you get with almond eyes? Sometimes it might feel like a bit of mascara would be enough to get your eyes talking but here are a few looks to experiment with that’ll up the ante: 

1. Bronzey Smokey Eye

This is a look originally popularized by Canadian actress Shay Mitchell (of Pretty Little Liars fame), and it looks made for South Asian skin. So here’s a tutorial by a fangirl for this gorgeous look:

2. How to get winged eyeliner

If you’ve mastered the cat eye but you aren’t feeling too dramatic today, you should totally go for its subtler, easier-to-master sibling, winged eyeliner.

3. Soft Glam

An easy everyday look for almond eyes that would look as good at your simple stay-at-home Diwali as it would at a (fully vaccinated and masked) gathering of friends:

Signing off

We hope we have covered broad ground with this quick guide to almond eyes and how to choose the right products and makeup styles for them. Spend enough time on Youtube and Instagram and you’ll find what works for you soon enough. And maybe even enjoy a pleasurable dive down the rabbit hole that is the make up world.

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