How To Make Small Eyes Appear Bigger

Follow these simple tips to draw attention and get that perfect doe-eyed look!

Reviewed by Vaibhavi Gupte, Makeup Artist
Written by Shreya Mukherjee, MA (English)
Edited by Asmita De, MA (English)
Fact-checked by Bhumika Daga, MA (English)  • 

Every eye shape is fabulous in its way, be it round, almond, hooded, upturned, or downturned shape. You can also make small eyes appear bigger by reading this guide on how to make your eyes look bigger and following the steps.

Larger eyes make you appear attractive. As a result, appealing eyes often get compliments. Unfortunately, not everyone has big eyes, but we can create an illusion by using trusted eye makeup products and techniques.

This article provides you with a complete step-by-step guide and some useful tips that help smaller eyes appear bigger. Keep scrolling!

protip_icon Keep In Mind
  • Right Care: Right Care Use hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and an under-eye cream to hydrate and brighten the skin under the eyes.
  • Avoid: Right Care Thick eyeliner lines can make your eyes look even smaller.
  • False Lashes: Right Care Using them at the outer corners of the eyes can make the eyes look bigger.
  • Highlight: Right Care Brow bone highlights can make your eyes look bigger.
  • Color: Right Care Choose an eyeliner hue that matches your skin tone as really dark eyeliners can make your eyes look smaller than they are.

How To Make Small Eyes Look Bigger?

1. Praise Those Eyebrows

Step 1 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Shutterstock

The brows make all the difference. Take a trip to the salon at frequent intervals, and keep the brows in good shape. Follow the natural shape of your eyes.

For those who want to keep their brows bold, bear in mind that you have to maximize the space you have so that it creates an illusion of bigger-looking eyes. Bold, thick, and beautiful brows bring attention to the eyes. The difference between natural brows and over-tweezed arches is that the natural ones make one look more innocent, while the latter makes you appear older. Proper eyebrow shaping can give your eyes an enhanced look. Take your time to assess the look while shaping to stick to the natural brow line.

Pro Tip: To get those full and expressive brows, brush them up with clear brow mascara.

2. Say Goodbye To Puffiness

Step 2 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Shutterstock

The key to gorgeous eyes is by pampering them right, every day. The swollen skin around the eyes can make them look tiny. Here is how you can reduce puffiness around the eyes.

  • Get enough sleep
  • Wash your face with cold water often
  • Place used cold teabags over the eyes as the tannins present in tea tighten the skin
  • Reduce salt intake
  • Eye exercises


protip_icon Quick Tip
Try to sleep keeping a couple of pillows under your head to prevent fluid from settling under the eyes.

3. Say No To Under Eye Dark Circles

Step 3 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Shutterstock

Using a brightening concealer to cover up the dark circles will not make your eyes look bigger, but at least, the dark circles will not draw attention to them when someone is looking at your eyes. So, this step is really important.

Color correct your blemishes and dark circles with an illuminating concealer. Ensure you use a shade slightly lighter than your foundation to lift and enhance your look. We recommend the light and creamy YSL Touche Eclat and smooth MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, which is also a great cover-up for spots.

4. Light Neutral Colored Eye Shadow

Step 4 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Shutterstock

Use neutral and light eyeshadows. Follow the rule of contouring. Light colors for the areas that you want the light to reflect and darker shades for the areas you want to push back. Using light colors at the center of the eyelids brings them forward. Pick up some product on a brush, tap the excess off and gently apply at the center of the eyelids.

Pro Tip: The shadow can be shimmery or of matte finish; it doesn’t matter as long as it is light in color.

5. Tightline The Upper Water Line

Step 5 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Instagram

This is the step that makes a lot of difference. Use a black liner to tightline the upper water line. This gives the appearance of fuller lashes and helps to open up the eyes. I like to use the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil by Urban Decay. The formula is amazing and it gives your eyelashes volume without doing much!

protip_icon Quick Tip
You may also use an angled eyeliner brush and eyeshadow for this. While tightlining the upper waterline, you may use a Q-tip to hold your upper eyelid in place.

6. Lay Low With The Eyeliner

Step 6 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Shutterstock

When using liner on the lower lash line, make sure to only apply it to the outer third. Use a smudger or a brush to soften it out. As for the eyelid, draw a line as close as you can to the lashes. You can create a tiny flick and gradually make it thicker at the end if you want to.

Also, avoid drawing ultra-thick eyeliner lines, especially around the inner corners, as this will highlight the original shape of your eyes and make them sink back into the lid. Leave the inner corner for highlighting, and start lining your eyelids from the middle to create an elongated illusion. Do not forget to blend the shimmery highlighting shade on the inner corners with the dark part of the eyeliner to create a gradient, eye-opening look.

7. Curly, Fluttery Eyelashes

Step 7 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Shutterstock

An eyelash curler is to women what a sports car is to men. For those big eyes, ensure that you fully cup the lashes in the curler closer to the roots. Our favorites are E.L.F. Studio Eyelash Curler and Sally Hansen La Cross Double Curl Eyelash Curler.

8. The Nude Effect

Step 8 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Shutterstock

Most people think that the way to achieve big eyes is by loading up on black kohls or kajals. However, this is entirely the opposite. The dark black kajal actually makes the eyes appear smaller and boxed in. Considering the Indian skin tone, a white eye pencil may not be the most flattering one to use. The trick here is to go nude on your lower lash line. Try Bourjois Khol and Contour Eyeliner Pencil- 08 Rose Fantaisiste, or MAC Chromagraphic Pencil.

9. O’ Holy Mascara

O’ Holy Mascara
Image: Shutterstock

The magic wand for makeup, a good mascara can make your eyes look bigger and thicker in no time. We suggest Clinique’s High Impact Mascara, and Maybelline Great Lash Mascara for that oomph factor. For those battable lashes and added glam, try applying three to four coats on the outer corners of the eye to create doe shaped eyes.

10. Contour The Crease

Step 10 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Shutterstock

Contouring the crease helps in creating the illusion of deeper set eyes, which in turn, make them appear larger. Use a matte brown shade from the outer corner to the crease and blend well. When you’re going for an intense makeup look, you can contour slightly above your actual crease. Cover from the Naked Basics 2 palette by Urban Decay is a good shade for contouring.

11. Shimmer In The Inner Corner

Step 11 to make your eyes look bigger
Image: Instagram

Use a highlighter or a shimmery light eyeshadow in the inner corner. This adds a little something extra to your makeup look, and also helps you look awake. You can choose two ways of applying this.

  • You can blend it out and give it a very sheen look. This makes you look fresh in a very natural way.
  • Perhaps you’re looking for something more. Then, in that case, don’t blend it out. Doing this makes your eyes sparkle and is an easy way to compensate when you haven’t done much eye makeup.

12. Intensify With The Smokey Effect

Intensify With The Smokey Effect
Image: Shutterstock

Smokey eyes look gorgeous and dramatic, but most people think they make small eyes appear even smaller. The truth is, this style is extremely versatile and can make your small eyes look more pronounced and wider. The key to acing the smokey eye effect for small eyes is opting for dark brown or gray shades instead of your regular black. Make sure to keep the most pigmented part of the shadow lower on the lid and blend it well to make your eyes look gradient.

13. Blend To The Brow

Blend To The Brow
Image: Shutterstock

The key to achieving a stunning eyeshadow look depends on your blending ability and technique. If you have small and hooded eyes, blend the base shade of your eyeshadow past your crease and up to your brow bone. This technique creates the illusion of a bigger lid space, which opens up your eyes more. Make sure to use a lighter shade for this technique. If you are layering the base shade with a darker shade, avoid blending it past your crease to prevent your eye makeup from looking gaudy.

14. Brighten Your Waterline

Brighten the waterline
Image: Shutterstock

To get that wide-awake look, pick a creamy eyeliner that goes smoothly on the waterline, and creates a seamless look. They leave no sharp edges and look less abrasive. Also, while applying eyeliner to the lower lash line or waterline gently pull the eyelid down to apply it precisely and get a more natural look. Choose light-colored liners like gold, white, or lavender instead of going for black, or brown.

Apart from the above mentioned ways to make your eyes look bigger, there are some small tips that might help you to make sure that your eyes never look dull or tired and always look bright and big. Scroll down to know more!

Some More Tips To Make Your Eyes Look Bigger

  • Try and avoid dark colors like blacks and grays.
  • However, you can use soft browns for the crease.
  • Don’t overload on the eyeliner. This only makes the eyes look smaller.
  • Full lashes help to open up the eyes more so use mascara.
  • You can also choose to apply false lashes.
  • Use eye masks and gently massage the areas around the eyes to get rid of puffiness and water retention.
  • Contact lenses enhance the natural eye color and can make it look wider with a more defined iris.
  • If you have red eyes or if they are irritated, use eye drops. The redness can actually make them look smaller, and it isn’t healthy to leave them looking so red!

Infographic: Key Points To Know To Make Small Eyes Appear Bigger

Thanks to the very many hacks that always trend on the internet in today’s day and age, big eyes are no longer just a desire. With a few simple steps here and there, everyone can flaunt some bright, beautiful, big eyes. To this end, we want to shed more light on some key points you must follow to achieve them. Check out the infographic below to know what they are.

key points to know to make small eyes appear bigger (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

Eye makeup has the power to make your eyes appear brighter, bigger, and attractive, no matter how sunken they may appear. Now that you know the tips and hacks, try them and we are sure you will love the results. However, make sure to care for your eyes. Maintain a proper sleep schedule, use eye creams, stay hydrated, and protect your eyes from UV exposure and stress. This is crucial to avoid issues like dark circles and subken eyes. And when in doubt, always come back and read this piece on how to make your eyes look more prominent, and you can thank us later.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make my eyes look bigger without makeup?

A simple trick to make your eyes look bigger without makeup is to use an eyelash curler. The curled lashes will make your eyes look wider. Additionally, get enough sleep to rest your eyes and avoid puffiness. This will give your eyes a less squinty look.

What colors make your eyes look bigger?

Black is the usual choice to make your eyes look bigger. But you can work with brown shades to manage the depth and effect of the wider eyes.

How can I make my eyes look bigger and round?

You can make your eyes look bigger with easy eye makeup tips from this article. As for the roundness, you can count on a smart mascara hack. Instead of applying the mascara evenly, focus on the middle of your upper and lower lashes. The darkened middle lashes will create the illusion of roundness.

How do Asians make their eyes look bigger?

Besides the general big-eye makeup look, Asians use white, shimmery eyeliners and eyeshadows to brighten their eyes and make them look bigger. They also use double-eyelid tapes and glues to open up their eyes.

Key Takeaways

  • Make the eyelids appear lighter and more neutral to give the appearance of larger, brighter eyes.
  • Give the lash line a more defined and elongated look with the use of an eyeliner.
  • To give your eye area more definition, keep your eyebrows well-groomed and well-shaped.
  • Try out several cosmetic applications to see which one suits you the best.
how to make your eyes look bigger

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Want to know how to make your eyes appear bigger? Check this easy video tutorial and follow along to get the perfect eye makeup for any occasion.

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