About the Author
The following guest post was written by Sunny of Mostly Sunny blog. You can also find Sunny on Twitter and Facebook.
Despite the fact that it’s impossible to generalize “Asian eyes” in a single word, monolids seem to be one of the traits most commonly associated with them. Monolids are characterized by the lack of a prominent crease, and monolidded eyes are usually more almond shaped than round.
I remember thinking how unfair it was as a child that I ended up with my father’s monolidded eyes, while my mother and one of my brothers have a prominent crease. It took me years to see how both were beautiful in their own way, and now my monolids aren’t something I try to work around, but something I enjoy working with!
Sure, round eyes with pronounced creases are beautiful, but so are almond-shaped eyes without a crease. 🙂
My naked eye
Now, I know that it’s also impossible to generalize even among people with monolids, as there are different shapes and techniques, and people will sometimes prefer one method over another. Ultimately, it all comes down to what you like and feel comfortable with.
Nowadays, there are even eyelid tapes and glues available to create a crease, if you think it helps you apply makeup, and some even find that applying false lashes gives their eyelids a fold.
In general, I don’t believe in hard and fast rules when it comes to makeup, and I think you should do whatever you’re most comfortable with. The following tips are just some things that have worked well for me.
I know that many readers who come across this post might not have monolids themselves, but why not keep these tips in mind for a friend who does?
The MAC 217 Blending Brush
Tip 1: Blend, blend, blend!
As important as blending is when it comes to eyeshadow application, I think it’s even more important for those of us with monolids, because we lack a natural demarcation between our eyes and brow bones, so if we apply a patch of color right on top of our eyes without blending, it can look a bit unnatural.
Unblended eyeshadow
In the picture below, I’m wearing Urban Decay Verve on the inner half of my eye and Busted on the outer. Personally, I think that once the eyeshadows have been blended, they appear more natural, and add more dimension to the look than a simple patch of color.
Blended eyeshadow
Tip 2: (Don’t) work it into your crease
If you don’t have one, why fight it? I know that dramatic cut-crease looks are gorgeous on our double-lidded counterparts, but if we’re not careful, they can easily look overdone, and dare I say it, a little fake.
While it’s not impossible to emphasize the outer v and bring a bit of the color into our (imaginary) crease, I try to do it with an easily blendable color using a blending brush instead of a pencil brush; otherwise, it can take a looong time to blend the harsh line out afterwards!
Defined outer v
Here, I dipped the tip of my MAC 217 Blending Brush into Urban Decay Blackout and used that to define my outer v. This step is entirely optional, and I rarely do it (or seldom use a shade as dark as Blackout; luckily, it is very blendable). I think it does show, however, that it is possible to define your outer v with the right kind of brush and a light hand, without “working it into your crease.”
Gel liner
Tip 3: Walk the line
Good news for monolidders! Not only does eyeliner give your eyes amazing definition, you can usually get away with using more than our counterparts with a prominent crease!
For my lower lash lines, I use either a gel liner or a pencil, but for my upper lash lines, I only use gels, because once they’re on, they’re loyal till the end! You can also tightline with them, lining right on the lash line to fill in the gaps, making your lashes appear more voluminous, which already makes quite a difference.
Tightlined
You can also make a little wing to give your eyes more oomph!
Here’s a trick I use often: I’ll line my lower lash lines first. That way, I know where the angle of my upper lash line should go. If you look at this picture, you can see where I’ve already made a little indicator of where the angle of my upper lash line should go.
May I recommend the Bdellium Tools 760 Liner/Brow Brush (shown above on the right)? It has the precision of a pointed eyeliner brush and draws the clean lines of an angled eyeliner brush.
If you’re looking for more drama, you can drag it out, or make the line really thick at the outer corner. But for everyday looks, I find this sufficient. I personally prefer to restrict the line only to my lash line for the inner half, and drag it up as I go towards the outer corner.
Also, if you want your eyes to look more open, stop short of lining your lower lash line all the way in, which can have the opposite effect. I start lining my lower lash line where I can actually see some lashes. Right at the inner corners of my eyes the lashes are tiny, and that’s the part I leave alone.
I also like to smudge some eyeshadow over my lower lash line, not only to soften it down, but also because I think it helps pencil liner stay put (see the pictures in the next step). If you’re new to gel liner, I highly recommend you go over the line with an eyeshadow as well. That way, even if your line isn’t perfect, you’ll still be able to get away with it! 🙂
Lined eye
The MAC 219 Pencil Brush
Tip 4: Let there be light! — in those inner corners
Especially when you aren’t using a light, shimmery shade on the inner half of your lids, highlighting the inner corners really opens up the eyes. It makes a big difference! And I love my pencil brush for this, as my inner corners are quite small. The MAC 219 makes this kind of detailed work a cinch.
Highlighted inner corners
Also, remember that part of my lower lash line I left unlined? Putting a bit of your highlighter shade there will make your eyes appear rounder and more opened-up!
Waterproof mascara
Tip 5: Make waterproof mascara your new best friend
Waterproof mascara isn’t perfect. It can be a hassle to remove, and some of them leave lashes stiff and crunchy, but from my experience they’re generally much better at holding the curl than non-waterproof varieties. A good tube of curl-holding mascara can make all the difference in the world for monolidded eyes. It opens them up like nothing else!
The finished look!
It’s probably the tip here that makes the BIGGEST difference. I feel that even if I do nothing else in the morning, curling my eyelashes makes me look more awake, and if you want your eyelashes to stand at attention all day long, waterproof mascaras are a great bet.
Well, I hope you found something useful among these tips! 🙂 If you have any other tips to share, please leave a comment, as the discussion is likely to benefit many others looking for monolid makeup tips.
Last but not least, remember, we’re all beautiful in our own way.
Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx
This guest post was written by Sunny of Mostly Sunny blog. You can also find Sunny on Twitter and Facebook.
loved this feature 🙂 I have hooded lids and this is very useful for eyes like mine too 🙂
thanks dear 🙂
btw- what gel liners do u reco? I have the Inglot one and it messes my eyes within an hour 🙁
Hey Bee! I’m glad you find it useful 🙂
I really like the Maybelline gel liner. I have since then purchased a MAC one which works just as well. I have yet to try Bobbi Brown, but it is also a brand that is very famous for gel liners. Hope it helps!
THANK YOU for this post. It helps so much. My eyes are pretty much the same as yours and eye makeup is so hard for me. I mean all those tutorials where people say to “blend into your crease”; I always felt so left out! haha! you look fantastic so that gives me confidence ^^ ! I have a question: what eyelash curler do you use (I can never find one that actually reaches my lashes… and judging by the pics mine are approx the same length as yours)? I feel like the curlers I’ve used are always too “curved” so they just don’t fit my eyeshape at all…
Hey Shery, I’m really really glad to hear that I could help! It took me years to realize while crease is pretty, not having one is equally pretty, so I hope these tips will work for you!
I use the Shiseido curler. It’s great, though it does tend to miss out on my outer corners. They also have a tiny one for that purpose which I haven’t tried. I’ve heard great things about the Shu Uemura one too, but I haven’t tried it. See if you can try it out at a counter to see how it works for ya? xx
This is a really great post! I do have a crease, but I have one hooded eye (and one non) – at least I think that’s what’s going on with my eye shape – so I love reading about different techniques, even if they aren’t meant for me sometimes the tips prove really helpful!
Hey Emi! My eyelids are evenly creaseless, but I understand your pain because my bestie has uneven eyelids too (sometimes she wakes up with one crease, so she does use eyelid tape to help even that out). I hope you’ll find some tricks that work for you! 🙂
Oh Sunny, I love this post! I was thinking about it lately, it’s a whole different technique to work with, but when I see your make-up it’s always very pretty and neatly done! I really agree with the great tips you gave here!
Thanks Teri! I think it’s all about finding something that works for each and every one of us!
That was a fantastic article Sunny ! Very helpful !
Thanks Laura! If you have monolids I hope you’ll give them a try. If you don’t I hope you’ll point your friends who do the right way 🙂
This is a great post! I’m one of those lucky Asian people who actually has double eyelids, but some of my friends don’t, so these tips are great.
I love the finished look! You’re so pretty. 🙂
Thanks so much Jen! I think everybody is pretty in their own way 🙂
I found this post really interesting Sunny. I’m Caucasian but I remember my Japanese friend once telling me she was jealous of my double lids and I didn’t know what she meant to start with.
I think that us women tend to be critical of ourselves, and whatever background we are from there is at least one thing we zoom in on, but it goes to show that with some careful make up tricks we can achieve what we desire!
LOL I know what you mean! When I started talking about monolids and double lids most of my Caucasian friends have NO idea what I’m talking about!
I think people should be happy about who they are and what they look like. That’s part of the motivation behind my blog 🙂
I think Asian eyes are just so beautiful. ♥
Thanks Anitacska! xx Yours are really beautiful as well 🙂
Hi sunny, you look beautiful on these photos 🙂
I am so sorry, I meant Sunny, obviously.
Teehee thanks Marina!!! xx
Thanks for the tips Sunny! I don’t have monolids but a small crease so these tips may work well on me anyway!
Yay Naomi glad I could help 🙂
Great tips! I don’t have monolids but I did enjoy the tips on blending (as I don’t always blend my shadows the best, especially if I’m in a hurry). Your eyes look amazing! The Cover Girl mascara is a good one – for waterproof, I also like Maybelline Lash Stiletto. It gives a patent leather shine 🙂
I LOL’d at the title, nice walk through Sunny 😉
Thanks Phil! Now how I do my eye makeup is really no secret to the world lol
Hey Sunny great article, I have super hooded lids – droopy 🙁 so I can relate to having to do my eye makeup differently from the average girl. No cat eye for me 🙁 and most of my beautiful eyeshadow can never been seen. So I have to work with what I have. It was nice to read about a different type of eye shape and how to work with it. Make the best of what we have instead of cursing it 🙂
Thanks Melissa! I think everybody’s eyes are beautiful and tricky in their own ways, so why not make the best out of them? I hope you have found technique that works for you. I know that cat eyes are big now, and some people happen to wear them well. However, I’m pretty sure in a couple of years something else will rise to prominence, and it’ll probably be something you can wear very well!
I noticed that smokey eyes work best for me and any eyeliner looks good. I try to play up my lips too 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Great article, although I don’t have that problem but the step by step tutorial is great 🙂
LOL yeah everybody knows what I do with my eyes now :p
Your eyes are so beautiful! And you’ve definitely shown amazing ways to emphasize this eye shape in a gorgeous way 🙂
Thanks Sarah! It’s all about finding the things that work 😉
What a fantastic article, Sunny! Your makeup looked absolutely fantastic, I think this was an AWESOME break down!
Thanks Mimi! That’s a lot of enthusiasm lol
Thank you so much for this article! Eyeshadow has always been tricky for me. I do like using a pencil brush for my inner corners though! Makes it so easy to highlight 🙂 I’m currently searching for a new mascara, what would you suggest besides the Lashblast? If only waterproof formulas weren’t so darn hard to remove…
I love Clinique’s Lash power mascara. It’s waterproof, but easily removed with luke warm water, such as in the shower etc. Perfect for slightly greasy monolids!
Hmm I’ve actually recently tried some non-waterproof mascara that works really well in terms of holding curls. Fairy Drops Platinum (it’s water resistant but not waterproof. Very easy to remove. I can do it with Bioderma, not even a bi-phase one), Diorshow New Look (admitted a more expensive option, but my curls troop on with this on top of the lengthening/volumizing benefits), and Max Factor False Lash Effect (though I heard it’s not available in the US). Mascara doesn’t tend to smudge too much on me, so I hope this helps! I’m still in the process of testing out A LOT of mascara (I can count 9… crazy eh?), so if you ask me in another while I’ll be able to give you more info hopefully!
I don’t have mono-lids however the pun in the title of “in-crease” totally got me. So punny. I love it!!
(ps. it’s funny how the grass is always greener. I, creased-eyed reader, wished for eyes like yours for years before accepting my creases. We, as humans, are all so alike in so many ways it’s lovely :))
What seriously? You have nooo idea. When I was growing up I really had an inferiority complex because I’ve got no crease! I wish my parents had sat me down and told me I’m pretty in my way, but I guess I never really told them how I felt about this either.
You’re right about the grass always being greener on the other side!
Great article! I find that waterproof works best without mono lids as well!
Thanks Stacie! I have actually since then found some mascara that’s not waterproof but holds curls. It’s just that in general waterproof mascara is a better bet!
Great article, I enjoyed it even though I am definitely not monolidded! I’m not Asian at all but I have “Asian eyelashes” – impossible to curl. I find CoverGirl LashBlast Waterproof (original formula) to be the ONLY mascara that holds my curl all day – it really is a lifesaver! The last few years I won’t even try another brand, this one is the HG for me!
LOL Asian eyelashes. I understand the frustration (all too well)! I actually haven’t tested this one out yet (because I have TOO many waiting to be tested at the moment), but I heard too many good things about it NOT to give it a try! The price (in the US) is great too 🙂
aaaah ~ its about time! ^^ i’ve always had monolids, although no-one who i know of in my family is asian, and no-one who may’ve actually HAD monolids is still alive, so i’ve always been kind of frustrated when it comes to make up and managing it without looking/feeling silly. i never knew if i was putting it on right, and always got confused about why i looked so different growing up. at one point i really hated them – even considered that eyelid glue stuff – but i loooove them now because i dont know anyone else who isnt asian with facial features and eyes such as my own lol c: and now i can actually USE the truck loads of make up i have im even happier. thank you soooo muchhh!!!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ~
P.S. – you’re so beautiful !! ToT
Hey Aifang, you can’t imagine how happy I am to read your comment! I used to hate mine too, but now I really appreciate them! Once you figure a thing or two out the rest will come! Have fun playing with your stash and stay happy and beautiful!
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!
Im 17 and i just got into the whole eye makeup thing (i used to wear only mascara lipgloss and blush) i realised that my makeup was not entirely finished, like i missed something on my face. I watched A LOT of videos on youtube for monolids, they were not very helpful because i could barely see what they were doing. But now with all these pictures im ready to go out with eyeshadow:)
I cannot thank you more 🙂
And you look gorgeous by the way! xoxo
Aww I’m glad I can help, Annabelle! If you think it looks unfinished try to do something with your eyebrows. Eyeliner and mascara are important for everyone, but probably especially for those of us with monolids! Play with different things and see what works the best for you. If you have more questions you know where to find me 🙂
Hi Sunny,
Thanks so much for this! I have monolids and it’s been a struggle, especially when I’m surrounded by Caucasian friends who love makeup. I’m so glad to learn that I *can* do the cat-eye that’s currently fairly popular and the blending is something I will definitely take note of.
And @ what Christina commented about wanting monolids: it was really refreshing to read that, making me realize that while I’ve always thought negatively about my Asian attributes in a white world, there are still some left to appreciate that different kind of beauty.
I do have one question, however, how long does this look take for you to complete?
Hey Smantha, thanks so much for your comment! I can relate very well how you feel, and of course you can totally do a cat eye! That works really well for me personally 🙂
I think it’s not just about accepting Asian attributes in the white world. I grew up in Taiwan where double lids are preferred, so I ended up with a bit of a complex for the first 20-something years of my life. It happens everywhere!
For my eyes, the look I’m showing here is pretty basic. I can get it done in about 5 minutes, but in the beginning it took me forever to get the liner right! If you’re just learning how to work with eyeliners, make sure you give yourself at least 10 minutes for your eyes. It’s much better to take your time and get it right than trying to rush everything and ending up having to remove it all! Hope this helps 🙂
Thanks for the article. The best one I have read! I am Caucasian with monolids. Just recently learned the term and have decided to look for some tips! Thanks!
Hey Marnie, I’m glad it helped! Just play around and you’ll soon find some tricks that will work for your eyes 🙂
You probably have hooded lids, which is a crease that is obscured by skin. Monolids have no eye crease 🙂
I remember any time I had my makeup done at counters, they’d try to fake a really ugly crease on me. It took me foreeverr to learn how to do my makeup right! It was all thanks to blogs and YT tutorials (which were pretty scarce for monolids 6 years ago–took me forever to find them lol)
Oh don’t I know what you mean! That or they line your eyes ALL the way, which really closes my eyes instead.
I just found this on Karen’s website by mistake and what a surprise! I have monolids and have NEVER known how to do my makeup. Thank you so much for this tutorial – I am dying to try it out!
Hello, I am a very small (1,58m) Korean girl! 🙂 I live in Germany,so I have German friends who ALL have a crease! I have a very big complex about my monolids (and about my height too!) and I’ve watched many YouTube videos already and I was on dfifferent websites too! And the problem was: even if the people said they have a monolid, they actually had a very small crease! So I was disappointed and thought that nobody would have a ‘complet’ monolid (I only have one Korean friend in Germany and she has a small crease…. :$ 😀 ). Well however, after these disappointing experiences I FINALLY found your post Sunny! Someone who has the exact same monolid as I do! I’m o happy! Thank you soooooo much! :))))))) <3
Aww trust me, 1,58 is a HEALTHY height! I’m glad you find this helpful! It takes everyone some time to figure out what works, and I hope you will soon!
Please please please make more how-to’s/tutorials on monolids! I love experimenting on makeup and watch countless videos but it’s so difficult to apply it on my own eyes!
BTW… This post really helped! Thank you!
Hey Kate, thanks so much for the kind comment! I’m glad you found it helpful. I’ll try to do another post like this ASAP 🙂
Hey Sunny, I have thick monolids, I always have to draw thick eyeline in order to see it from the front. But this would cover most of my eyeshadow on the lids. What can I do? :c
Hey Sandy! Thanks for the question!
My monolids as you can see are pretty thick too, and it’s almost impossible for eyeliners to be visible from the front. I am not too fussed about that though. If you look at the picture of me looking down, you will see a little line on my lids (I guess that’s the monolid equivalent of a crease). My eyeliner almost never gets above that, and I think it’s thick enough to have enough impact while not overwhelming my eyes with a ring of black. I do like to wing my eyeliner out quite a bit so the wing is more than visible, but other than that you don’t see the line when my eyes are open.
I think eyeliner is important for monolidders, and it definitely does a lot for us. However, it can achieve that without being immediately visible when our eyes are open!
A type of look I like to do is finding a good eyeliner or fatty pencil and lining the eyes thickly with it before blending it up and out (though it definitely wouldn’t be blended up as high as my normal lid shades). I usually finish by highlighting my inner corners and going over the pencil on my lower lash line with a pressed eyeshadow (to help it last longer), Sometimes I soften the edge with a nude eyeshadow before patting my gel liner into the roots of my lash. You definitely don’t see the eyeliner this way, but it still adds some intensity. The result is a soft halo of shadow around the eyes. I think it emphasizes the almond shape really well!
Try it and let me know how you like it? 🙂
I think it’s quite to apply eye shadows on my eyelids, I always end up looking being punched in the eyes! How can avoid that? thank you
Hey Sandy! The trick is keeping the shade you use for the inner half of your lids light. It doesn’t have to be very shimmery/glittery, but I’ve found something that reflects light helps. Choose a contour shade that blends out easily, and when you bring it inwards, look straight on at the mirror. Try not to blend the contour shade over your pupils if that makes sense. If you are doing a smokey eye and find it turning out too dark, pat a shimmery/metallic shade in the center of your lids (where your iris is). It makes a difference! Hope this helps 🙂
Hi Sunny
I have a make up question I cant seem to find the answer to. I have double lidded eyes and have the problem that make up collects in the crease and causes an unsightly line. I have dark circles under my eyes and the YSL touche eclat concealer is my savior(!) and really brightens my whole face up but this tends to need an eye cream put on before to help blending. Then the creases come pretty soon afterwards. Im not willing to live without the concealer (so dramatic!)..I tried the garnier one and thankfully it didnt have the same problem, but like many concealers it really isnt anywhere near as effective on the dark circles, so what are my options re what eye cream is best and what concealer is best all round and if there’s any tricks?
I also find that if i use many eye liners- generally the pencil based ones and some of the gel ones- they smudge onto my upper eyelids which are a bit hooded and it creates a dark smudgey arc. I generally use a L’oreal gel/ink liner which is great, and doesnt smudge but what can i use if I want a softer look that wont smudge, or if I want to try some other, brighter colours which are more readily available in pencil form? Do you know a good brand of ink eyeliners that has different colours, like blues? Thanks so much 🙂
Hey Lucy! Do you use a primer for your eyeshadows? The creasing and smudging problems can usually be solved with one! Among the eye creams I have tried, the one that moisturizes enough so my concealer stays put yet not so greasy that everything smudges soon is Pai Echium eye cream. I’m still experimenting with different ones, but so far that works the best for me.
If you want a softer look but can’t seem to find anything else that stays put (though do try a primer. They work wonders), try to smudge the liner out with an eyeshadow! That will soften the line down. One liquid eyeliner that works really well for me is the Eyeko one and they do have a blue (as well as olive, brown…). I hope all this helps!
..Am I the only one who get’s asked “Why don’t you have a crease?” Repeatedly?
Oh that is a little rude! I say you play the will.i.am song “I got it from my mama” next time someone does this!
I don’t think anyone has asked me that question, but the SAs back home (in Taiwan) do tend to say monolids are tricky to work with and so on. I don’t agree. Every eye shape is just as beautiful and it comes with different things you have to figure out, that’s all!
Thank you soooo much for the tips. I kind of have that whole deal where one is a mono and the other has a crease, but my crease is not that prominent (I’m an Asian). It’s very frustrating because quite honestly, I’m rather new to this whole makeup thing. My friend did my eyeshadow for homecoming and was talking about it being tricky because I have a monolid. After that, I started doing some research, and this by far is the best article I’ve found on it. I love the colors that you use here, as I have the same eye color and it’s hard to find eyeshadow that goes with both black hair and eyes. Great tips…bookmarking this page for sure! Oh, and I also have issues with the eyelash curler thing too. Lot’s of people ask if I even have eyelashes, as well as the whole “why don’t you have a crease” thing. The issue with my eyelashes though is that they are like “curved inward” or something like that. Even when I curl them and put two coats of mascara on, it’s hard to tell that they even exist. Plus sometimes I end up like curling my eyelid instead of my eyelashes >_< Ouch!
I was adopted from South Korea when I was like 5 months old, so I never had someone to help me with my makeup problems. Now I am fourteen, and a dancer. For Dance the makeup is very dramatic, but the tutorials they give us never look right on me. I live in a town full of girls with double eyelids, and creases. This is great! I have been trying to find tutorials for months, this one is great!
My eyelids have scars on them. Recently I have been thinking of stating to wear makeup but the “crease” was holding me back. Thank you so much! Very Helpful!
Hi! So how do you keep your makeup at the bottom of your lid from smudging? The part of the lid that folds under when you open your eye, right at the lashes. Does that make sense? My make up always rubs off and leaves a dark line in the crease. I’ve tried using primer and setting spray, but it always happens.