The Best Makeup Products for Hooded Eyes Over 50 (From a Licensed Esthetician)

Hooded eyes need a different toolkit — products that lift and open rather than disappear into the fold. As a licensed esthetician who specializes in mature eyes, here are the makeup products I reach for on hooded eyes over 50, and exactly how to use each one.

What are the best makeup products for hooded eyes over 50?

The best products for hooded eyes over 50 are the ones that brighten, lift, and define without weighing the lid down: a brightening base to open the eye, a creamy waterproof eyeliner that won't transfer onto the hood, a lifting mascara, precise brow definition, and matte-leaning shadows that create depth without shine. The goal is lift and light up top, kept soft and smudge-proof. Here's the full kit and how each piece works on a hooded, mature eye.

1. Start by brightening and priming the eye

Hooded eyes cast shadow, which makes them read smaller and tired. Counter that first. A peach Just Peachy Color Corrector neutralizes under-eye darkness, then the Eye Brightener ($28) illuminates and wakes up the whole area. Setting the lid with a touch of Creamy Concealer ($30) also gives shadow something to grip so it doesn't crease into the fold.

2. Use a creamy, waterproof eyeliner that won't transfer

The number-one hooded-eye frustration is liner stamping onto the upper lid. The fix is a smudge-proof formula and smart placement. The Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils ($19) are creamy enough to tightline the upper lash base — where liner actually shows on a hooded eye — and set waterproof so they stay put. Lift the outer corner slightly up and out rather than drawing a thick line that vanishes into the hood. I walk through this in the winged eyeliner trick for hooded eyes.

3. Curl and coat lashes with a lifting mascara

Lashes frame and open the eye upward, drawing attention away from the hood. Curl first (a heated curler holds best on mature lashes), then apply VOLUME UP Mascara ($24) — a lightweight, lifting formula made for mature lashes — concentrating on the upper lashes and keeping the lower lash light so you don't drag the eye down.

4. Define brows to lift the whole eye

A groomed, slightly lifted brow visually raises a hooded eye. The Skinny Brow Pencil ($19) adds precise, hair-like strokes and a subtle lift at the arch and tail, framing the eye and pulling everything upward.

5. Choose matte-leaning shadows for depth without shine

On hooded eyes, shimmer all over the lid catches light in the fold and emphasizes it. Matte and soft-satin shades create the illusion of depth and a lifted crease instead. A versatile trio like the Rewrite The Rules matte palette ($45) lets you place a slightly deeper shade just above the natural crease so it's visible when the eye is open. For the full method, see how to lift and enhance mature eyes and my mature-skin makeup guide over 40.

Key Takeaways

• Brighten first — corrector, Eye Brightener, and a little concealer open a shadowed hooded eye.
• Use creamy waterproof liner and tightline the upper base so it won't transfer onto the hood.
• Curl and use a lifting mascara on the upper lashes to draw the eye up.
• Define brows for an overall lift.
• Choose matte-leaning shadows to create depth without emphasizing the fold.

Keep reading

• 7 things no one tells you about mascara after 50
• Do you still need concealer if you use a color corrector?

Frequently Asked Questions

What makeup products are best for hooded eyes over 50?

A brightening base (color corrector plus an eye brightener), a creamy waterproof eyeliner that won't transfer onto the hood, a lifting mascara for curled upper lashes, a brow pencil for a lifted frame, and matte-leaning eyeshadows that create depth without catching light in the fold. Together they lift and open the eye.

What kind of eyeliner is best for hooded eyes?

A creamy but waterproof, smudge-proof pencil. On hooded eyes, liner easily transfers onto the upper lid, so a formula that sets and stays is key. Tightline the upper lash base and lift the outer corner up and out rather than drawing a thick line that disappears into the fold.

Should you use matte or shimmer eyeshadow on hooded eyes?

Mostly matte or soft-satin. Shimmer across the whole lid catches light in the hood and emphasizes it, while matte shades create the illusion of depth and a lifted crease. A little shimmer on the inner corner or brow bone is fine as an accent.

How do you make hooded eyes look bigger over 50?

Brighten to counter shadow, tightline and lift liner at the outer corner, curl and coat upper lashes with a lifting mascara, define the brow for lift, and place matte shadow just above the natural crease so depth shows when the eye is open. The theme is lift and light up, soft down.