How to: Makeup for protruding eyes

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: eye shadow is tricky, because we all have different eye shapes. When you are doing your makeup, you should always adjust the makeup for your face – be it eye shadow or something else. I already have a tutorial (click!) for hooded and deep set eyes, which is my eye shape. But I want to continue the series with other eye shapes as well.

Today I’m talking about protruding or round eyes and how to work with them. 

If your eyes are round, but deep set (the opposite of protruding) – my tutorial for round deep set eyes is more helpful to you.

Protruding eyes

Here is my gorgeous sister. She has protruding eyes, which are beautiful. They appear quite big and round so when I’m doing her makeup I balance them a bit and make them look a bit wider – more almond shaped. And since the eye shape makes the eyes look quite big – there is room to make the eyes appear a bit smaller with makeup.

Here is a before and after – see the difference?

How to makeup for protruding eyes

protruding eyes makeup

Shoutout to my friend paint, who helped me do this tutorial. No, but really. You can see the difference quite clearly here! Without makeup the eye looks round and clearly protruding. After makeup? They are more almond-shaped and balanced.

How to: Makeup for protruding eyes

How to makeup for protruding round eyes

The basic shape

Here is the basic shape for eye shadow. This elongates the eye and makes it more almond shaped. What is important here, is that you don’t bring the eye shadow too low on the lower lashline. You want to make it as close to the lashline as possible and even to the waterline. That way the makeup gives posture to the eye and doesn’t emphasize the eye bag that naturally occurs with the eye shape. You want to add eye shadow to the whole lid area, that is visible, when the eye is open. Also you should bring the eye shadow up in the outer corner, kinda like a cat eye.

Protruding round eyes tutorial

Contour & Highlight

Yes – contour and highlight is a thing in eyeshadow too. It’s about creating shadows (contour) and bringing light (highlight) to the eye. With protruding eyes, you should contour the round edges – if that makes sense. Those blue dots show you, where you should apply a darker eye shadow. It balances the eye and makes it look – well, not so protruding. The black dots show you where to apply the darkest shadow to create the almond-shape. The white dots show you where to apply light. Basically you’re pulling the eye from the inner corner and the outer corner with makeup, if that makes sense.

Here is a before and after, following these rules:

how to balance protruding eyes

Eyeshadow tutorial for protruding eyes

Eyeshadow for protruding round eyes

See how just the light inner corner already shapes the eye? Crazy, right!

Quick tut:

  1. Add light shimmer color to your inner corner.
  2. Apply a matte brown shade all over your lid and line your lower lashline with it.
  3. Darken the outer corner with a darker matte shadow.
  4. Line your eyes and flick it on the outer corner.
  5. Mascara and stuff.

how to makeup for protruding eyes

Smokey eye for protruding eyes

If you have protruding eyes – you have to try a smokey eye! It’s made for your eye shape. Normally a smokey eye can make the eyes appear bit smaller, but with this eye shape it just looks amazing.

smokey eye for protruding eyes

  1. Start by lining the eyes with black liner. Line the waterline too and the lashline. Smoke it out. This doesn’t have to look pretty at this point – it’s just a base for the shadow.
  2. Apply dark eye shadow to the lid and blend it. Lift the eyeshadow from the outer corner to a V-shape. Blend.
    With smokey eye it’s easiest to take some colour, blend it out and then take some more colour, blend again, etc. You can also start with a lighter shadow or use a transition shade to get the black blend in better to the skin.
  3. Apply some eye shadow to your lower lashline as well, but keep it nice and clean. Don’t blend it too low. Apply some light shimmer color to the inner corners. Apply mascara and you’re done!

I hope this post was helpful to you. Thank you Janika for being my model!

Janika’s makeup

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*elf BB-cream, Nude
*Innisfree no-sebum mineral powder
*Benefit Hoola
*IsaDora Face Sculptor, Cool Pink (Blush)

*Urban Decay Primer Potion
*Zuii Organic Eyebrow Definer, Taupe
*Alima Pure Eye Pencil, Ink
*Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

*Manna Kadar Liplocked priming gloss stain, Lucky

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12 Comments

  1. Eleni
    2017-07-31

    This is so interesting Charlotta, loved reading about the techniques involved in shaping the eye. Your sister is beautiful!
    http://www.rougenapples.com

    Reply
    1. Charlotta Takkula
      2017-08-08

      Thank you! I think it’s fascinating too. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Amy
    2017-07-31

    Loved this, it’s so important to get the right shape for your eye and I have to admit I don’t always focus on that enough. Your sister is beautiful and wow do you look alike! When I saw your post I initially thought you had changed your hair.

    Amy – https://amyevans.co.uk

    Reply
    1. Charlotta Takkula
      2017-08-08

      Thank you! Haha I feel like we used to look more alike before, but not anymore. 😀 She is gorgeous as are all of my sisters <3

      Reply
  3. Yiota
    2017-08-08

    Wow it’s really interesting to know new techniques since I always hated my big round eyes and I always added eyeliner in my waterline to make them appear smaller. Your sister is a beautiful lady and I also love her eyebrows, they are so perfect!! x
    Yiota
    pinkdaisyloves.blogspot.com

    Reply
    1. Charlotta Takkula
      2017-08-08

      Yeah isn’t it? Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  4. Queenie
    2019-04-24

    Thank you for the tutorial. It’s easy to understand and much appreciated. Your sister is beautiful as are you.

    Reply
    1. Charlotta Takkula
      2019-04-25

      Thank you, glad you found it helpful!

      Reply
  5. Teril
    2021-05-02

    Hello! I just found your site after searching for “makeup ideas for round eyes” as it’s a struggle for me and my very round, very hooded, bulging eyes. I’m glad to have found this post and intend to use the tips I see here.

    If I may, I’d like to share an additional solution for eyes like these (well, for eyes that are round and/or droop downward at the outer corners): Many years ago (I’ll estimate mid-2000s), I received several beauty magazines by mail, and in one I stumbled across a great way to help round eyes. I *think* it was an issue of Allure with a closeup face shot of Jennifer Anniston on the cover (and her eyes IMO are rounded; regardless of exactly how we’d describe her eye shape, it was relevant to me as mine are similar…round and slightly drooping at the outer corners). Since it was a closeup, I was able to study her eye makeup…and I saw the “thing” that turned into my best makeup hack and I still use to this day. I don’t know how best to describe it, except that IMO all of the makeup on the upper lid (including tight eyeliner on upper lash line) was entirely separated from makeup used on the lower lid/lash line via a seemingly deliberate narrow, short diagonal swipe of a very light color at the outer corner of the eye. Like, do your UPPER eyeliner (including a small cat eye flick SLIGHTLY ABOVE the actual outer edge of the eye); work your preferred shadows on the upper lid alone, being careful to stay at or above this cat eye flick; then carefully applying liner and or color to the lower lash line, NOT smudging it all the way up to the base of the upper lid cat eye line but INSTEAD stopping at or slightly below the spot at the eye corner where you’d normally connect with the cat eye line…in other words create whatever line or smudge you want on the lower lashes but NOT drawing/smudging it all the way up to the upper-lid cat eye flick…that cat eye flick and your lower eye should NEVER meet at the outer eye corner. Instead, you’ll take the soft pointed end of an applicator or brush that has your chosen bright light color (if you use a similar color right under your brows for dimension, I’d recommend this color; if not, some light and bright product *with staying power*) and place that applicator right at the outer corner of your eye, then pull diagonally up and outwards towards the temple. And never connect the upper lid color/shadow/liner to that on the lower eye. Think about that bright diagonal swipe as a border that you can’t cross.

    I’ve used this many, many (if not hundreds of) times since I got that magazine. I’ve never drawn a dark eyeliner circle completely (or even partially if near my outer eye) since then. I don’t do dark/heavier eye much (I LOVE the look of any smudgy smoky color from crazy bold to work-appropriate or casual but I have a damaged tear duct and thus watery eye and frequent blinking; EVERY eye product smudges under these circumstances…EVERY one) and I miss it, but when I do I still instinctively use this technique to “break up” the round shape of my eyes. Even with relatively lighter shadow colours, it works and it’s worth doing.
    Now I’m going to search for that Allure (or Marie Claire, not sure) cover shot from so many years ago .

    Early edit: I can’t find that magazine cover pic regardless of trying. I know it existed, and I know it was mid-ish 2000s. But that’s it.

    I hope I explained this well in a way that any of you can try it. I’m not the best at that. Thanks for reading.

    Reply
    1. Charlotta Takkula
      2021-05-03

      Hi and thank you so much for commenting! That’s a great trick and I know what you mean. Maybe I should do my version of it here and do a little tutorial.. :>

      Reply
  6. Dione
    2023-03-17

    Hello, I have a quick question. I have the exact same eye color as your sister, but I am struggling with finding colors that makes it stand out. Do you by any chance know any.
    It’s very hard to find this eye color online, cause you mostly just get those really light blue/ grey eyes when you search for it.

    Reply
    1. Charlotta Takkula
      2023-03-17

      Hey! I think orange bronze colors really look nice on that eye color. It’s a nice contrast. And then also I would suggest trying pink!

      Reply

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