A Guide to Almond-Shaped Eyes (and How to Accentuate Them)

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Discover your eye shape & how to apply makeup to make them pop

Co-authored by Alana Schober and Devin McSween

Last Updated: September 27, 2025 Fact Checked

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• What are almond-shaped eyes?
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• Determining Eye Shape
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• Makeup for Almond Eyes
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• Can you get almond eyes?
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• Other Eye Shapes
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• FAQs
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Almond-shaped eyes are one of the common eye shapes people can have—they’re characterized by an oval shape, pointed ends, and a lifted outer corner. If you’re curious about your eye shape and think you might have almond-shaped eyes, read on! In this article, we’ll explain how to determine your eye shape and apply makeup to flatter almond-shaped eyes, all with help from professional makeup artists and aestheticians.

What do almond-shaped eyes look like?

Almond-shaped eyes are long and oval-shaped. The inner and outer corners of the eyes typically taper into points, just like an almond, with the outer corner slightly angled upwards. The irises rest between the upper and lower eyelids without showing the whites of the eyes, too.

Steps

Section 1 of 6:

What are almond-shaped eyes?

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1. 
   Almond-shaped eyes are slightly round and taper into sharp points. Almond-shaped eyes look similar to an almond: they are long, oval-shaped, and the inner and outer corners gently taper into points. The irises, or colored parts of the eye, typically touch the upper and lower lids without white space showing.

   • The outer corners of almond-shaped eyes are also usually upturned, giving the eyes a lifted look.
   • Celebrity examples: Beyoncé, Mila Kunis, Zayn Malik, Zendaya, Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian, Jesse Williams, Angelina Jolie, Rihanna, Ian Somerhalder
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Section 2 of 6:

How to Tell You Have Almond-shaped Eyes

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1. 
   Examine your eye shape and irises in a mirror. Look straight into a mirror, keep your gaze relaxed, and inspect your eyes. Do they have an elongated oval shape that ends in points at the inner and outer corners? Do the outer corners angle upwards slightly? Do your irises rest between your upper and lower lids without exposing the whites of your eyes?

   • If you answered yes to the above 3 questions, you likely have almond-shaped eyes.
   • To help you confirm your eye shape, professional makeup artist Janet Miranda recommends searching for images and videos of almond-shaped eyes on Google and YouTube and comparing your eye shape to other people’s eyes.

Section 3 of 6:

Makeup for Almond-shaped Eyes

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1. 
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   Apply eyeshadow primer all over your lid. Makeup artist Nini Efia Yang highly recommends starting with a base of eyeshadow primer to help your shadows stick and to prevent fading throughout the day. Simply swipe a dot of primer all over your lids and let it dry for 30 seconds.

   • Feel free to use your fingers or to apply the primer with a small brush.
   • If you have a deeper skin tone, pro makeup artist Alana Schober advises using a primer a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone to help your shadows “pop out a little bit more.”
2. 
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   Sweep a mid-toned shade across your lid. Select a mid-toned eyeshadow in your favorite everyday shade, like brown, taupe, or pink. Then, load an eyeshadow brush with the color and sweep it over your lid, from the lashline to your crease. Continue to move the brush back and forth to blend the eyeshadow and remove any harsh lines.

   • Alternatively, choose a color that complements your eyes, like purple for brown eyes and copper for blue eyes.
3. 
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   Apply a darker shade along your outer corner and crease. Grab an eyeshadow a few shades darker than the mid-toned shadow you applied. Then, dab an eyeshadow brush into the color. Start at your outer corner and sweep the shadow along your crease, taking it about halfway down your eye. Simply blend the shadow back and forth with your brush to diffuse any harsh lines.

   • When creating a smokey eye, makeup artist Alicia D'Angelo recommends using a light hand and slowly building up the darker color. She says, “It's easier for you to build it up than to try to remove the darkest color that you've already placed on your eyes.”
4. 
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   Add a light shade to your inner corner. To help make your eyes pop, select a shadow that’s a few shades lighter than the mid-tone shadow you used—this can be a matte or shimmery shadow. Then, dip your pinky or a brush into the shadow and dab the color onto the inner corners of your eyes.

   • For a lighter smokey eye look, feel free to bring the lighter shade onto the center of your eyelid.
5. 
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   Apply a thin line of eyeliner along your upper lash line. Use a liquid, gel, or cream eyeliner in black or brown, depending on what you prefer. Then, simply line your upper lash line with the product. Start at your outer corner and slowly bring the eyeliner in, keeping the line thin and neat.

   • For a softer look, use eyeshadow and an angled eyeshadow brush.
   • For a more dramatic look, apply a thicker line of eyeliner. Schober says almond-shaped eyes can handle thick, dramatic eyeliner looks.
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   Create a winged eyeliner look, if you’d like. For a bolder and more dramatic look, bring your outliner out into a wing. Schober suggests using eyeshadow and an angled brush to shape your wing and get the look you like before you go over it with liquid or cream eyeliner.

   • To create a wing, line your brush up with the tail of your eyebrow.
   • Then, stamp on a line extending from the outer corner of your eye.
   • Simply connect the tip of the wing to your upper lash line with a straight, angled line.
   • If your wings are uneven, licensed aesthetician Daniel Vann says to use a cotton swab and a bit of makeup remover to shape and clean up the lines.
7. 
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   Apply mascara. To finish off your look, sweep mascara onto your upper lashes. Start by curling your lashes with an eyelash curler. Then, brush on the mascara, starting from the base of your lash line and taking it up to the tips.
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Section 4 of 6:

Is there a way to get almond-shaped eyes?

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1. 
   Non-surgical and surgical procedures can help you get almond eyes. While your eye shape is largely determined by your genetics, there are procedures that can help you achieve a more almond-shaped look. These procedures typically work by lifting the outer corner of your eyes to help elongate your eyes and make them look more pointed.

   • Botox: Botox can lift up the eye when placed around the corners of the eyes and brow.
   • PDO thread lift: Threads are placed under the skin around the temples to lift up the outer corner of the eye.
   • Lateral canthoplasty: A surgical procedure where a surgeon re-shapes the outer corner of your eye to lift and tighten it.
   • Blepharoplasty: A surgical procedure that removes excess skin along the upper or lower eyelid, which can make your eyes appear more lifted.

Section 5 of 6:

Other Eye Shapes

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1. 
   There are several other common eye shapes that people can have. If you’re not sure whether your eyes are almond-shaped, never fear—your eyes might actually be a different shape! There are a few other popular eye shapes, so check out their descriptions below:

   • Round: These eyes are more rounded than oval. You also see the whites of your eyes along the top or bottom of your iris.
   • Hooded: These eyes are characterized by the skin underneath your brow partially or fully covering the crease of your eye.
   • Monolid: These eyes do not have a distinct crease. Instead, the eyelid is flat between the upper lash line and brow.
   • Downturned: The outer corners of these eyes are angled downwards.
   • Prominent or protruding: These eyes are large and circular. They also stick out from the eye socket, giving them a more bulging or protruding look.
   • Deep-set: These eyes sit further inside the eye socket, which can make the brow bone look more prominent.
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Section 6 of 6:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1. 1
   Are almond-shaped eyes attractive? Yes, almond-shaped eyes are seen as attractive. These eyes are usually horizontally long and slightly upturned, giving you a lifted look that most people consider a desirable feature. These eyes are considered balanced, so they complement a wide variety of makeup looks, too.
2. 2
   Are certain ethnicities known for having almond-shaped eyes? People of all ethnicities can have almond-shaped eyes—they aren’t specifically unique to any ethnicity. However, they are often associated with people of East Asian descent. descent.
3. 3
   What is the rarest eye shape? Prominent/protruding eyes and downturned eyes are often considered the rarest eye shapes. On the flip side, almond-shaped eyes and round eyes are typically considered to be the more common eye shapes.
4. 4
   What genetic syndromes are associated with almond-shaped eyes? People with certain genetic syndromes often share physical features. Almond-shaped eyes can be a shared feature between people who have Prader-Willi syndrome, Down syndrome, and Baker-Gordon syndrome.
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