Almond eyes are longer than they are tall, taper to a soft point at both corners, and hold the iris between the lids so little white shows above or below it. They often tilt up slightly at the outer corner. You can measure the tilt and spacing of your eyes with our free attractiveness test, on your device.
What almond eyes look like
The name comes from the outline of an almond lying on its side, wider in the middle and narrowing at both ends. Almond eyes share four traits.
- Longer than tall. The eye opening is clearly wider than it is high.
- Tapered corners. Both the inner and outer corners come to a soft point.
- An iris that touches both lids. When you look straight ahead, the upper and lower lids sit close to the top and bottom of the iris.
- A neutral or slight upward tilt. The outer corner often sits level with or a little above the inner corner.
How to tell if you have almond eyes
Stand in front of a mirror in daylight, look straight ahead, and relax your face.
- Check the whites. Does white show only to the sides of your iris, not above or below. If so, that points to almond eyes.
- Check the outline. Is your eye clearly longer than it is tall, with both corners narrowing to a point.
- Check the corners. Imagine a line from your inner corner to your outer corner. Level or slightly rising is typical for almond eyes.
If white shows above or below your iris and the eye is nearly as tall as it is wide, you probably have round eyes, the shape behind the doe eye look. If your eyes sit deep under a low brow, read our guide to hunter eyes, which are often almond shaped too.
Almond eyes vs other eye shapes
| Eye shape | Outline | Whites | Corners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almond | Long, tapered | To the sides only | Level or lifted |
| Round | Tall and open | Often above or below | Level |
| Hooded | Any outline, with a fold over the lid | Varies | Varies |
| Downturned | Any outline | Varies | Outer corner lower |
| Upturned | Any outline | Varies | Outer corner higher |
| Monolid | Any outline, with no visible crease | Varies | Varies |
Several of these combine. You can have almond eyes that are also hooded, or upturned, or deep set.
Why almond eyes are called versatile
Makeup artists often call almond eyes the most versatile shape, because the balanced outline suits almost any technique, from a thin line to a dramatic wing or a smoky eye. That is about makeup, not beauty. No eye shape is more attractive than another, and research on faces has found that features close to the average of many faces matter more than any named shape.
Makeup for almond eyes
A soft everyday look
- Sweep a light matte shade over the lid.
- Blend a medium brown into the outer third of the crease, following the natural taper.
- Line the upper lash line thinly, slightly thicker toward the outer corner.
- Curl the lashes and apply mascara, sweeping the outer lashes outward.
A winged liner
Almond eyes suit a classic wing. Start a thin line around the middle of the upper lash line, flick it up toward the tail of the brow at the outer corner, and keep the wing short so it follows the eye rather than stretching it.
A smoky eye
Blend a darker shade into the outer corner and along the lower lash line, then soften the edges. The taper of an almond eye keeps a smoky look lifted rather than heavy. For a more lifted version, read our guide to fox eyes.
Almond eyes and eye tilt
Many almond eyes have a slight upward tilt, which makeup artists describe as upturned and which anatomists call a positive canthal tilt. In our own tests on 201 straight on faces, the average tilt between the inner and outer corners was about 3 degrees upward, so a gentle lift is the most common pattern of all.
You can measure your own tilt with our golden ratio face test, which reads both eyes from a selfie and shows the angle in degrees.
Glasses for almond eyes
Most frames suit almond eyes. Cat eye frames follow the natural lift, and round frames add contrast. Choose frames by face shape first, then by what you like. Our face shape detector can help with that part.
Almond eyes with hooded lids
Many almond eyes have a hooded lid, where a fold of skin from the brow covers part of the upper lid. Makeup needs a small change.
- Apply shadow with your eyes open, so you can see where the crease shows.
- Place the darker shade just above the natural crease, so it stays visible.
- Keep liner thin and wing it slightly higher than the outer corner, so it shows above the fold.
- Curl the lashes well, because hooded lids can press them down.
Almond eyes for men
Most of the advice for men is about brows and rest. Keeping the brows neat but full frames almond eyes well, and a straight, natural brow suits the long outline. Sleep and hydration keep the lids from looking puffy. Glasses with a straight top line follow the shape of the eye.
Almond eyes in photos
- Look slightly past the lens rather than straight into it, which shows the long outline of the eye.
- A gentle smile lifts the lower lids and makes almond eyes look even more tapered.
- Soft light from one side adds depth to the crease.
Almond eyes and eye color
Because almond eyes hold the iris between the lids, the iris takes up a lot of the visible eye. That makes eye color stand out, so makeup that complements your eye color, such as warm browns with blue eyes or plums with green eyes, has a strong effect on almond eyes.
Every eye shape is a good one
Eye shape comes mostly from genes and the bones around the eyes, and it changes a little with age as the skin around the eyes loosens. Almond, round, hooded, deep set and monolid eyes are all normal, and all of them can be dressed up or down with makeup. Find the look you enjoy rather than the shape a trend says is best.