Tips For Applying Makeup To Downturned Eyes

The lovely Sydney Sweeney has them. Anne Hathaway has rocked great looks with them. They're a hot topic in the makeup world for how well they pair with some newer trends. If you haven't already guessed, all three of these hints are pointing to downturned eyes. As one of the most common eye shapes, per L'Oréal Paris, downturned eyes give a distinct look to one's face, and often leave room for some creative and skill-building makeup styles.

The name is pretty self-explanatory, as downturned eyes are literally just that: turned downward. The outer corner of these eyes slant down a bit and often makes a hood on the eyelid that can cause the illusion that they droop a bit, per beauty blogger Charlotta Eve. This can give off the appearance of being sad or tired, so applying makeup, such as eyeliner to downturned eyes, and using certain techniques can help change that perception.

There are plenty of different makeup trends circulating around that can work well for people with downturned eyes, and some are pretty simple to apply — even for beginners.

Before applying makeup to accentuate (or counteract) a downturned eye shape, you might first want to make sure that you actually do have them. If you aren't positive that your eyes are downturned, drawing or imagining a straight line across your eyelid can help (via L'Oréal Paris). If you find that your outer corners fall below that line, your eyes can be considered downturned.

One go-to technique that many makeup artists have always recommended for this shape is a classic winged eyeliner, according to Elle. Using a visible eyeliner color, position the wings to start where your outer corner begins to slant downward to help create that instantly lifted look. "Also lining the inner upper water line is key, as that helps to build the drama," celebrity hair and makeup artist Avni Rambhia said. For an extra brightening boost, you can use concealer and follow the bottom line of the wing.

For a similar effect, InStyle shares that using a dark brown eyeshadow to create a pseudo-smokey eye look is also an effective way to lift the appearance of downturned eyes. Simply extend the smoky brown eyeshadow across the lower lash line and apply it up toward the end of your eyebrows. "This technique creates the illusion of a cat-eye," celebrity makeup artist and Maybelline brand ambassador Melissa Hernandez said.

Plenty of makeup artists, beauty gurus, and even just makeup enthusiasts alike share their artistic creations all over social media. On TikTok, especially, fun and useful makeup tips and trends pop up all the time. One newer technique, in particular, is giving downturned eyes their time to shine: puppy eyeliner.

According to Mindbodygreen, "puppy eyeliner" is a look made popular by the Korean beauty community, and has taken the online makeup world by storm. Using this trick is simple. Instead of trying to counteract the downward slope of the eyes, puppy liner accentuates the downturned eye shape by following the natural curve of the lash line down, rather than lifting the eyeliner above the outer corners.

This look may be currently making its rounds in the makeup world, but per InStyle, similar techniques have been used for decades. Actors and other beauty icons in the '20s and '30s sported looks akin to puppy liner, so the saying seems to ring true even with makeup: trends always come back around.