5 Makeup Tips For Big Eyes

Simple and effective tips to help you transform your eyes and make them look brighter and bigger

Reviewed by Christina Flach, Hair & Makeup Artist
Written by Jyotsana Rao, BE
Edited by Madhumati Chowdhury, MA (English Literature)
Fact-checked by Vaishali Sinha, MA (Comparative Literature)  • 

Eye makeup helps accentuate our natural eye shape and make them more attractive. Similarly, makeup for big eyes is a way of enhancing and defining the eyes.

Big eyes tend to have more eyelid space that can house multiple colors as eyeshadows. You can try out several looks on your eyes, including simple, minimalist, and dramatic looks. Eye makeup plays a pivotal role in our overall look. Your eyes are often the first things people notice on your face.

While doing eye makeup, it helps to know your eye shape. Defining your eyes gets easier if you know your eye shape well. Although you can experiment all you like, there is an eyeliner look for different eye shapes that you may draw with your eye pencil or brush. So, for all those blessed with big eyes, here are some makeup tips to adorn your eyes beautifully. Keep scrolling!

protip_icon Keep In Mind
  • Eye Shape: Eye Shape For almond eyes, try a winged eyeliner or a smoky eye to enhance the natural shape of the eye. For round eyes, try cat-eyes or a winged eyeliner to create an elongated eye shape.
  • Skin Tone: Eye Shape For warm skin tones, choose warm undertones, such as copper, bronze, and gold. For cool skin tones, opt for silver, gray, purple, and shades of blue and green. For neutral skin tones, experiment with both cool and warm shades.
  • Eye Area: Eye Shape Use gentle eye cream or serum on the sensitive eye skin area, before applying makeup. Use a gentle makeup remover or micellar water to eliminate all traces of eye makeup to avoid irritation.

Eye Makeup Tips For Big Eyes

1. Smokey Eyes:

You might be on a routine of applying black eyeliner and eyeshadow, but it’s high time you try something new. Instead of using black eyeliner that is dated and harsh, you can use a rich chocolate brown or plumb liner with a shadow on top, it will give longevity and will look softer than a liquid black liner. See, that’s the point with big eyes, you don’t really have to worry about incorporating new shades or techniques. Besides, different colors with winged eyes are more interesting and flattering too.

Start building the drama in your eyelids by applying shades like grays or deep chestnut tones – which suits the shape the best – to the top of your lid and back into the hollow of the eye. Once done, take an eye shadow brush to smudge and blend the colors outward from your lashline to create a soft fade.

You can also opt for shimmery eyeshadows, which look wonderful on big eyes and instantly gives you a glamorous look. You can add the shimmer right under the brow and also in the corners near the eye towards the nose. Keeping the middle of the eye light gives a pop! Basically, you can apply any color which matches with your dress or lips.

protip_icon Quick Tip
A little eye primer can go a long way. By priming your lids, you can ensure that the eyeliner and dark shadow stay in place and do not smear.

2. Dark Eye Shadow:

A basic rule in eye makeup: The darker the eye shadow, the smaller your eyes look. And that is because the dark color recedes space and size. Pale, light colors emphasize and sharpen your facial features. So avoid smokey eyes with dark colors and opt for lighter shades to give a shadow effect to your eyes. Brush up complementary darker colors into your eyelids to contour and dramatize your eyes.

Dark eye makeup looks great when you use the darkest of shades for rim lining. The lining should be thin and close to the lash line. A heavy thick line is going to close the eye in appearance. A thin shadow on the lower lashes will give an extra hint of drama. A thin line will also make the look more natural. Also, if you want your protruding eyes to stand out, ensure to highlight your lower eyelashes as well.

3. False Lashes:

A strip of natural false lashes will bring your eyes out easily, so you can experiment and have fun if you want to go dramatic with your big bold eyes. However – here comes our favourite part – before applying your fake lashes remember to curl both your natural lashes and fake ones. You can use black mascara on the top and bottom lashes before adding the false lashes. It makes the false lashes look more natural due to the extra color and thickness.

An eyelash curler is the most essential makeup tool for a woman, especially if you want to enlarge your eyes. This will help your lash separate and in return will add that perfect fold to the ends that will give a fuller effect. We recommend Shiseido Eyelash Curler – a simple reason behind your perfect ‘U’ shape lashes.

Before you place the lashes on with the lash glue, put them on the lid of your eye to make sure that they are not too long. If they are, trim the ends. Once they look good to you, apply glue to the lashes and blow on them so the glue is ready to dry quickly. Once done curling your falsies, stick them on your eyes and apply – what we call our saving grace for makeup – a good mascara. We recommend Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, this can make your eyes look bigger and thicker in no time. Just try sticking 3-4 coats to the outer corners and bottom lashes of the eye to create a doe shape look. You can also over extend the corners of the lashes with mascara.

4. Defining Eye Lashes:

A happy woman with an eyelash curler
Image: Shutterstock

Straight eyelashes create a shadow on the eye area which can diminish your beautiful big eyes. Using an eyelash curler exposes the eyes and makes you appear awake and excited, even if you do not feel that way. Slightly warm the curler for the curls to hold better. Apply a thick coat of curling mascara to both the upper and lower lashes, and double coat only the upper one for added volume and length.

5. Shimmer Eye Makeup:

A female eye with shimmery eyeshadow makeup
Image: Shutterstock

The shade of your eyeshadow and use of shimmer has a major impact in defining the brightness and openness of the eyes. Pastel colors along with light and brown shimmer colors can help make the eyes appear bigger. You can use an eyeshadow primer to keep the shimmer in place without creasing.


protip_icon Quick Tip
Always wait 40–50 seconds after applying the glue to the lashes before putting it on your eyes. Additionally, try the “double adhesive” method by dabbing glue dots on your lashes and lash lines to make the falsies last longer.

Infographic: Top 5 Makeup Tips For Big Eyes

Big eyes need a little bit of extra care when it comes to makeup. If you end up applying the wrong shade or product, you might end up ruining the whole look, making your eyes seem unnatural. Knowing some tips about eye makeup can help you accentuate your natural features around the eyes. Check out the infographic below for more information.

top 3 makeup tips for big eyes (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

If you are into shimmer eye makeup and love dramatic eyes, you will have the time of your life with the tips mentioned above. Of course, you can always go all out with your eye makeup. Let your creative juices flow and try out our ideas on makeup for big illuminated eyes. You may also wear colored contact lenses. The plan is to define the eyes and let them steal the show for you. But whether you want to go for glittery eyes or smokey ones, make sure you are sleeping well because you do not want your eyes to appear droopy. Also before you start, cleanse your eyes with an eye-makeup remover. If your eyes feel tired and puffy, you can use an eye-lift cream and dual quartz roller before you start doing your makeup to take the puffiness away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Kajal look good on big eyes?

Yes, Kajal looks good on big eyes as it makes them pop by defining the lines neatly.

Does white eyeliner make eyes bigger?

Yes, white eyeliner can make the eyes look bigger. When applied on the lower lash line, it lifts the eyes and makes them appear awake. But you may skip it if you already have big enough eyes and do not want to make them look too prominent.

Can I experiment with different eyeliner styles to enhance my big eyes?

Yes, one can experiment with a plethora of eyeliner styles like the double wing, fishtail eyeliner, or line both upper and lower waterline using a soft pencil to make your eyes look bigger.

Can I seek professional makeup advice or tutorials specifically for big eyes?

Yes, you can speak to a makeup artist or go through online tutorials to help you get an idea of what suits you and what doesn’t. Make sure you do your research, see what shades of eyeshadow and eyeliner work for you, and experiment with them to create different looks.

Key Takeaways

    • Ditch your outdated black eyeliner for a chocolate brown liner, and top it off with some shadow.
    • Choose light color eyeshadows to complement your eyes. Also, highlighting your lower lashes can draw more attention to your big eyes.
    • For a dramatic look, opt for false lashes. Apply black mascara on them for a fuller look.
makeup for big eyes

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team


Master the art of false lashes with this informative video on the dos and don’ts. Play the video below and discover the secrets to achieving stunning, natural-looking lashes every time.
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