The Ultimate Guide To Determining Your Eye Shape - IPSY

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What’s My Eye Shape? How to Tell Your Eye Shape Once and for All Maya Ernest Default

By Maya Ernest

Maya Ernest

Maya Ernest is a writer and editor based in New York City. Covering the latest in fashion and beauty, her work has been featured in Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Teen Vogue, and NYLON, among other publications. Published on Oct 30, 2025 • 9 min read What Is My Eye Shape-M

Eyes may be the window to the soul, but they’re also the outline for your best eyeliner flick, eyeshadow blend, or lash moment. Knowing your eye shape—whether that’s almond, hooded, monolid, round, or something in-between—can totally change the way you do your makeup (just peep our guide to eye makeup for different eye shapes!). Maybe your upturned corners make a cat eye super easy to create, or maybe your extra lid space is suited for a swipe of shimmer. It’s all about embracing the little details that make your eyes uniquely yours.

Ready to bring out the best in your eyes? Our guide covers everything you need to know on the topic—including how to determine your own eye shape. Plus, we asked makeup artists Caitlin Wyman, Allie Renee, and Anne Marie Nicolet to help us out with their expert advice. Grab a mirror and let’s get started.

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MEET THE EXPERT

Allie Renee is a celebrity makeup artist based in Los Angeles.

Caitlin Wyman is a global makeup artist based in New York City and Los Angeles.

Anne Marie Nicolet, VP of Marketing of MERLE NORMAN COSMETICS.

What Is My Eye Shape?

Every eye shape is uniquely beautiful, though most fall under a few main categories. Here’s how to figure out yours, and how to tell similar eye shapes apart.

“Before you begin, it’s helpful to know you may not just have one eye shape,” says Nicolet. “The key is to pinpoint the most prominent features in your eye area. To determine your eye shape, first, look straight into a level mirror and take notice of how much of your moving lid and crease you see. Second, imagine a straight line going across the center of your eyes and take notice of where the corners of your eyes fall in relation to that line.”

Almond Eyes

If you imagine the shape of an almond — slightly pointed at the ends with a visible crease — you’ve got the idea. Almond eyes have a slight lift at the outer corners, and are wider than they are tall, making them appear naturally elongated. The outer corner of almond eyes lift upwards and out, almost like the shape of winged eyeliner. Wyman considers almond eyes one of the more versatile eye shapes.

How to tell: Look straight into a mirror. If your eyes taper to subtle points at each corner and the whites of your eyes aren’t visible above or below your iris, you likely have almond eyes.

Round Eyes

They’re similar in width and length, creating a circular shape that’s not as angled as other eye shapes. Typically, round eyes have a well-defined crease with a soft curve that complements their natural roundness.

How to tell: Your crease is prominent, and your eyes may appear more circular than elongated. The key difference between round and almond eyes comes down to the whites of your eyes: If you can see white above and below your iris when looking straight ahead, your eyes are most likely round.

Downturned Eyes

If your upper lash line curves downwards at the outer corner, you’ve got downturned eyes. The upper lid may appear bigger—subsequently giving you a greater surface area for eyeshadow—as downturned eyes descend toward the lower lash line.

How to tell: Focus on the outermost part of the eyes: If they appear to point downwards rather than upwards and outwards, then your eyes are downturned.

Hooded Eyes

When the eyelid is partially (or completely) hidden underneath the brow, this is referred to as hooded. Basically, this makes the lid less visible than with other eye shapes. Some people are born with hooded eyes, and some people’s eyes become hooded over time.

How to tell: Look straight ahead and focus on how much of your lid you can see. “If there is a crease but it covers all or majority of the lid, this is a hooded eye,” explains Renee. Wyman says you’ll know “when the upper lid hangs down slightly and or the natural crease appears hidden, and there is very little visible lid space between lash line and crease.”

Upturned Eyes

Upturned eyes are like almond eyes with an extra lift at the outer corners. The lower lash line tilts upward to meet the top corner, creating a natural cat eye effect.

How to tell: When looking straight ahead, the outer corners of your eyes sit higher than the inner corners. The lower lash line curves upward slightly.

Monolid Eyes

Monolid eyes are characterized by a smooth eyelid surface without a visible crease. That means the lid surface is uniform.

How to tell: When your eyes are open, you don’t see a defined crease line. Instead, your eyelid appears flat from lash line to brow bone. “If there is no crease to the lid and larger lid space below the brow bone,” your eyes are likely monolids, says Wyman.

How to Use AI to Help Determine Your Eye Shape

If you’re still not sure about your eye shape, AI can be a quick, friendly second pair of eyes (pun intended). Ahead, a simple step-by-step guide to using AI to help determine your eye shape.

1. Pick Your AI Assistant:

You can use any AI assistant to figure out your eye shape, but we recommend one that works with images, like Google Gemini or ChatGPT. Finding your eye shape with a picture of your eye will be easier than plugging in a bunch of prompts, and it makes sure you get the most accurate results possible.

2. Take a Photo to Upload:

Take a clear, front-facing image of your eyes in natural lighting. Keep your expression neutral, and make sure both eyes are fully visible without shadow or obstruction. If you don’t want to show your full face, crop the photo so your eyes are centered.

3. Enter Your Prompt:

Alongside an image of your eyes, it’s helpful to give AI a specific prompt as a guide. Don’t worry—we’ve crafted one for you.

Once you’ve uploaded your image, give the AI definitions of the major eye shapes to reference. You can copy and paste our summed up definitions below:
- Almond: Tapers at both ends, visible crease; iris touches top & bottom of lid.
- Round: Big, open; white visible above or below the iris.
- Monolid: No visible crease; lid looks smooth/flat.
- Hooded: Fold of skin partially/fully covers the crease.
- Upturned: Outer corners sit higher than inner corners (lifted lower lash line).
- Downturned: Outer corners sit lower than inner corners (gentle slope down).
From there, give the AI this sample prompt: “I’m going to give you definitions of common eye shapes (pasted above). Based on those definitions and the attached photo of my eyes, what eye shape do you think I have? Please explain which specific features you used (crease visibility, outer-corner angle, iris position, etc.), and note if either eye differs from the other.”

4. Review Your Results:

AI suggestions are super helpful as a starting point, but they may not always be precise due to photo lighting or angles. (Remember, only upload photos you’re comfortable sharing.) Cross-check your AI results with this article’s full guide—and a mirror—for final confirmation.

Eye Shape FAQs

Curious about how your eye shape might change over time, or how your eye shape affects makeup application? You’re not alone. Check out some of the most popular questions about eye shapes below.

What’s the most attractive eye shape?

Beauty is all about balance and expression—meaning there’s no “most attractive” eye shape. The most attractive eye shape is simply the one that feels the most you.

Are almond eyes rare—and what other eye shapes are considered rare?

Almond eyes are actually among the most common worldwide, though their exact shape and degree of taper can vary per person. Truly rare shapes tend to combine multiple variations like, for example, very deep-set hooded eyes or pronounced upturned eyes.

Can your eye shape change over time, or can you change your eye shape with surgery?

Eye shape can subtly shift with age as skin elasticity, muscle tone, and fat distribution change. Without surgery, you can’t permanently alter your anatomical eye shape, but you can drastically change how your eyes appear with makeup, lash lifts, and even brow shaping. Plus, the right skincare can help maintain firmness and lift for a more youthful look over time. For a quick fix, we love the PACIFICA BEAUTY Vegan Collagen Hydro-Treatment, but for a long-term treatment, we recommend the anti-aging DERMALACTIVES Intense Firming Eye Serum.

Exactly how many eye shapes are there?

With so many variations, there’s no one number of eye shapes. There are six core categories, however, and those include almond, round, monolid, hooded, upturned, and downturned eyes. Most people’s eyes fit within these categories, but have variations (like deep-set eyes, protruding eyes, or close-set eyes).

What’s the difference between hooded eyes and monolid eyes?

It’s easy to confuse the two, but hooded eyes and monolid eyes are very different. Hooded eyes have a crease that is partially covered by skin when the eyes are open. Monolids, on the other hand, have no visible crease at all—the lid surface runs smoothly from lash line to brow bone.

How do different eye shapes affect makeup application?

Knowing your eye shape helps you tailor your makeup techniques so that your liner, lashes, and eyeshadow flatter your natural contours (instead of fighting against them). Almond eyes are versatile and suit almost any look, while round eyes benefit from elongated liner and shadow to create balance. Monolids shine with layered eyeshadows to add depth, and hooded eyes really shine when shadow is blended slightly above the crease. Upturned eyes can be emphasized with outer-corner shading, whereas downturned eyes look most lifted with softly angled eyeliner and curled lashes.

Pro makeup tips: Nicolet suggests, “Help open your eye area by adding a light, shimmery shadow to your inner corners.” You can make eyes appear more open and awake by finishing with lashes with a slightly longer center and shorter corners. “Curling your lashes before applying mascara is also a great eye-opening trick,” she adds.

Final Thoughts

From almond to monolid, every type of eye shape brings its own beauty. Understanding how your lids curve, crease, and lift helps you choose makeup looks that enhance your natural beauty. Remember that AI can be a helpful tool in finding your eye shape, and figuring out what works best for your features (especially if you want to do so in the blink of an eye). Whether you’re looking to define hooded eyes with a lifted liner, open round eyes with a curled lash, or deepen monolids with layered eyeshadows, celebrate what makes your eyes uniquely you.

Ready to find the perfect products to make your eye shape shine? Explore the IPSY Shop for curated eyeshadow palettes, liners, and mascaras designed to elevate every gaze—no matter the shape.

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