Defining the Cut Crease on Hooded Lids

The primary challenge of a hooded eye is the lack of visible lid space when the eye is open. Traditional cut crease techniques, designed for prominent lids, often vanish once the eye relaxes. To achieve a crisp line, you must abandon the natural orbital crease in favor of a faux crease constructed on the bone above the fold.

Mastering this technique requires steady application while maintaining a forward-facing gaze. By looking straight into a mirror, you bypass the tendency to stretch the skin, ensuring the line remains visible when your face is neutral.

  1. Establish the new crease line. Look straight into a mirror with a neutral expression. Use a small, flat-tipped brush dipped in a neutral matte shadow to dot a guide line just above your natural hooded fold. Ensure this line remains visible across the entire arc of your eye when your eyes are fully open. Connect these dots with a thin, precise stroke to define your new, higher socket.
  2. Apply the pigment base. Use a dark matte shadow along the guide line you created. Focus the color on the edge of the line, keeping the depth concentrated strictly above the fold. Ensure you do not drag the color down into the actual hood, as this will minimize the depth you are attempting to manufacture.
  3. Diffuse the edges upward. Select a clean blending brush to soften the top edge of your defined line. Sweep the brush in small circular motions moving toward the brow bone, but never downward toward the lash line. The goal is a gradient that transitions from dark to light as it reaches the brow, keeping the bottom edge sharp and clean.
  4. Apply a lighter base to the lid. Use a dense, flat brush and a high-coverage cream product to fill the space below your new line. Carefully trace the lower edge of the dark shadow to create a crisp contrast. Keep the cream layer thin to avoid it transferring to the upper hood when you blink.
  5. Lock the shape. Reapply a touch of the initial dark shadow at the intersection of the hood and the cut line. This reinforces the shadow depth and hides any minor bleeding from the cream product. Ensure the transition between the cut lid and the crease remains clean through a final check in a forward-facing position.
For hooded eyes, the crease must exist where you want it seen, not where your anatomy dictates.