Does eyeliner make your eyes look smaller or bigger?

Author: Mr. Nathan Glover  |  Last update: Sunday, November 2, 2025

Eyeliner can make your eyes look bigger or smaller, depending on how you apply it and what shade you choose. Rimming your eyes in inky black liner makes them look tinier than they actually are.

Does eyeliner make your eyes bigger or smaller?

Thicker Lines: A thick line of eyeliner can make the eyes appear smaller because it can visually weigh down the eyelid. Thin Lines: A thin line can enhance the eye's shape without overwhelming it, often making the eyes look larger.

Does eyeliner look good on big eyes?

Eyeliner for Big Eyes

If you have big eyes, you don't necessarily want to make them appear smaller, but you don't have to worry about wearing darker colors that can have a shrinking effect. Because of that, we say go for a smokey eye look with a deep black or brown shade of Color Tattoo Eye Stix.

What makes eyes look smaller?

Your eyes look smaller when the skin above and under the eye is loose and wrinkled. Again this appearance is accentuated by the light/shadow interplay of wrinkles. These shadowed areas become very obvious and are seldom visually corrected by camouflage creams.

Does eyeliner change the appearance of your eyes?

When you understand how to wear eyeliner, it can do the most amazing things to your eyes. It can change the shape, enhance the shape, provide balance and symmetry. In fact, there are very few people in this world that have perfectly symmetrical face shapes.

How to make your eyes look Bigger vs Smaller

What color eyeliner makes eyes look bigger?

White eyeliner (or nude eyeliner) has long been used by professionals to make eyes look bigger, more awake, and even curtail the shadowy effects of tiredness.

Is it good or bad to wear eyeliner?

Eyeliner does not damage your eyes, but applying it too close to the eye could lead to harm. Particles of eyeliner could get into the eyes and also cause problems if you have sensitive or dry eyes. It is even more affecting for those who wear contact lenses, especially when eyeliner is put on the inner lid margin.

Why do my eyes look smaller when I wear makeup?

Dark pigments close up the eyes and make them look smaller, so try to avoid black eyeshadow if you want to make eyes look bigger. Instead opt for light-coloured eye makeup in shades like white, beige and tan.

What causes an eye to reduce in size?

Your eyes can sink because of changes in the contents of your eye socket. These may include: Fat tissue reduction and muscle weakening due to aging. Two examples related to age-related changes have their own names: giant fornix syndrome (GFS) and senile sunken eye syndrome.

Are large eyes attractive?

The results of the present study support the premise that eye size has an impact on attractiveness: faces with larger eyes are generally perceived as more attractive than those with smaller eyes (Glocker et al., 2009; Przylipiak et al., 2018).

Which eyeliner is most attractive?

The Best Eyeliner
  • High performance and affordable: Nyx Professional Makeup Epic Ink Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. ...
  • A beginner's go-to: Danessa Myricks Beauty Linework Paintbrush Fluid Liquid Eyeliner. ...
  • Standout drugstore star: Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner Pencil.

Does eyeliner suit small eyes?

If you have small eyes, keeping the dark eyeliners away from the inner corners helps do the same. By applying the eyeliner from the inner corners, you define your eyes' actual shape which accentuates its small size.

What is the most attractive eye shape on a female?

In many cultures, the almond eye is considered the most beautiful and favorable. Many people who do not have an almond shaped eye choose to undergo common and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures to improve the aesthetics of the eye.

How to not make eyes look smaller with eyeliner?

If you line your eyes with a dark, inky liner, your eyes will appear smaller than they actually are. Instead, give the impression that your eyes are bright and alert by lining them with a liner in a white or beige colour, such as the IT Cosmetics No-Tug Waterproof Anti-Aging Gel Eyeliner in Highlight.

Should you wear eyeliner on top or bottom?

Wear a darker colour eyeliner or eyeshadow on the top lid - and softer colour on the bottom lid. Avoid using eyeliner on the bottom lid in full daylight settings, such as for a garden lunch or the beach. Reserve bottom eyeliner for low light settings. Test the look of lining the wet line - not just the lid.

Does eyeliner make your eyes look older?

Less is more when it comes to eyeliner for aging eyes. Applying too much or too thick of a liner can make your eyes look heavy and tired.

Why do women's eyes get smaller as they age?

The inferior orbital rim receded significantly laterally in our female population, while our male subjects had a recession of the entire inferior orbital rim." Simply put - bony elements of the orbit change dramatically with age, and this, coupled with soft tissue changes, can lead to the appearance of the aged and ...

What drug makes your pupils tiny?

Opioid drugs, including heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl, are notorious for causing pinpoint pupils. As these drugs bind to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, they also affect the autonomic nervous system, leading to the constriction of the pupils.

Does bottom eyeliner make your eyes look bigger or smaller?

Skip applying any dark-colored eyeliner to your lower lash line—doing so can make your eyes appear smaller, which is the opposite of what we want.

Why do my Eyebags look worse with makeup?

The key word here is properly—for all the aforementioned reasons (thin skin, sensitive skin, and blood vessels, for instance), it's easy for makeup to look clumpy in this area, counterintuitively making your under-eyes stand out more.

Do false eyelashes make your eyes look smaller?

False lashes are a great way to open up hooded eyes but if the lashes are too dramatic then it can make your eyes look heavy and smaller. We suggest something that is longer in the centre of the lash or shorter, natural styles for a pretty, elegant look.

When not to wear eyeliner?

"The reasons eye doctors do not recommend to wear eyeliner on the waterline of your eye is because there are specialized glands there that produce and excrete oil. "The oil should be an olive oil texture, but as you can see here it looks more like toothpaste.

Does eyeliner change your eye shape?

For eyeliner on round eyes, it can be used to enhance or even change the shape of your eye. You can use liquid eyeliner or eyeliner pencil, but the trick is to create an illusion of added width by drawing attention to the outer-eye area.

What are the disadvantages of eyeliner?

Eyeliner is not very suitable for the waterline and tightline, as it can irritate or dry out the eyes. Eyeliner is not very gentle and nourishing for the eyes, and can contain harsh chemicals or preservatives that can cause allergies or reactions.

Previous article
How to remove facial hair on a 10 year old?
Next article
Why do Koreans tap their face after skincare?