Anyone with small eyes will understand the struggles that come with applying makeup and false eyelashes. However, this guide is here to help you to discover the best methods and products to suit your eye shape.
The following guide includes tips on buying the very best and most practical false lashes for small eyes, which will help to open up the eyes and make them look brighter, whilst also avoiding the appearance of heavy lids.
You will also discover some expert makeup tips which are used by celebrities and their makeup artists, which will all help to create the illusion of larger, more prominent eyes.
What are Small Eyes?
The best way to determine if you have small eyes is by comparing them with the rest of your facial features.
Comparing your features will involve looking in a mirror and checking the size of your nose and mouth compared to your eyes. If they are significantly smaller, then more than likely, you have small eyes.
Small eyes are lovely, but it can be hard to apply makeup as there is not much space to work with. However, you can use many makeup techniques to make your eyes appear larger.
You also need to avoid certain methods that will minimise your eye size and choose false lashes designed for your eyes to make the most of the size and shape. Here is our biggest and most popular range of false eyelashes that do not overwhelm small eyes.
What are the Best Eyelashes for Small Eyes?
One of the best ways to enhance small eyes is by applying false eyelashes, as they not only increase the volume and length of your natural lashes, but can also make your eyes look a lot bigger.
The best lashes for small eyes are false eyelashes for small eyes, specifically designed and tested on small-eyed people. We scanned the country before writing this blog to answer the question, “what are the best false eyelashes for small eyes.”
The advice is as follows - you need to be very careful when choosing false eyelashes and lash extensions. Some thicker lashes, like Russian false lashes, tend to overwhelm the eyes and make them look even smaller.
Luckily, if you’re a fan of Russian Lashes, we have a selection of Ruskie darlings that will work with small eyes to give you the best lashes for small eyes.
The best false eyelashes and eyelash extensions for small eyes are natural-looking and shorter lashes that will accentuate the eye without making them look heavy.
It is also helpful to understand the different types of lashes available, like magnetic lashes and features like lash bands, as the band of a lash can massively impact how a lash sits and appears on the eye.
To help you choose the right lashes for your small eyes, here are some of the best lash products available for your eye shape.
Red Cherry Eyelashes - Desire
Red Cherry lashes in style Desire are perfect for small eyes as they add volume and length without being over the top. They also have soft tapered ends that flare outwards, making them comfortable while also creating an elongating effect on the outer corners of the eye.
These are a fairly affordable set of lashes, and a pack includes a set of handmade synthetic eyelashes. They are also 100% Cruelty-Free and Vegan-Friendly, so you can look fabulous without the guilt.
Peaches and Cream - Style No. 30
If you are looking for reasonably priced false eyelashes for small eyes that deliver regardless of the price, look no further than Peaches and Cream’s Style No.30, these lashes are ideal; one set of high-quality faux mink lashes is included per pack.
Peaches and Cream’s Style No.30 false eyelashes are perfect for people with small eyes as they are made up of multi-layered short lashes which add volume without a significant amount of length.
They are also very easy to apply because they are ultra-lightweight, so they are perfect for a quick daywear look or office to supper style, no hassle all style.
Eylure Lengthening Lashes - 116
If you prefer length rather than volume, then Eylure’s 116 Lengthening Lashes are the best choice, especially if you have small eyes, making them appear larger without looking too heavy.
One pack of Eylure’s 116 includes one set of eyelashes and a high-quality Eylure adhesive. These products are very easy to apply and can be reused if removed carefully and stored correctly. If you need more tips on reusing your lashes, check out this blog page.
The Eylure 3/4 length lashes collection is also perfect for individuals with smaller eyes. The Eylure brand is at the top of its game when creating the perfect lash to compliment petite eyes.
House of Lashes - Iconic Mini
These false eyelashes are styled on House of Lashes’ legendary Iconic lashes, although the Iconic Mini style has a much shorter lash length and a smaller lash band.
These are perfect strip lashes for small eyes as they accentuate the eyes without too much drama. Although who doesn’t love drama? We do!
House of Lashes Iconic Mini falsies are in the middle price range for a pair of high-quality and lightweight lashes with a flared effect which helps to create a cat-eye aesthetic and to elongate the external corners of the eyes.
Elongating the corners of the eye is a great way to make small eyes appear bigger. The cat's eye style of lash is perfect, and why the House of Lashes Iconic Mini is the dream team.
Ardell Accent Lashes - 318
Small eyes look great with natural wispy style lashes; there are lots to choose from, such as Ardell’s 318 Accent Lashes - featuring multiple layers of lash strands that create graduate length. These lashes are also very comfortable to wear and easy to apply.
Ardell’s style 318 set are high-quality and handmade false eyelashes, which are ideal for almost any shape, although they are also the best false eyelashes for small eyes.
Smaller eye shapes can benefit as these lashes will create the appearance of a bigger, more elongated, accentuated eyes.
SWEED x Nikki_Makeup - Sultry Corner
Another premium lash product is SWEED x Nikki_Makeup’s Sultry Corner lashes which help to enhance and elongate small eyes.
These are corner lashes, which are only applied to the outer corners of the eye to create a cat-eye shape.
These 3D wispy-style lashes are pricey, but you get what you pay for. SWEED X Nikki makes quality lashes for the discerning buyer who knows that style is priceless.
A SWEED x Nikki_Makeup’s Sultry Corner pack contains one set of false eyelashes, which are handmade and high-quality, the best false eyelashes for small eyes that help to add some drama to an everyday look.
Lilly Lashes 3D Mink Lashes - Goddess
For a celeb-inspired look, you may want to consider choosing Lilly Ghalichi’s Goddess lashes, which offer a natural and glossy finish for both day and evening makeup looks.
Lilly Lashes in style Goddess offers a luxurious, feathery and fluttery feel. This includes one set of double-stacked false eyelashes, which are made up of naturally-shred mink hair that offers the right balance between natural and dramatic.
Feeling like a goddess has never been so easy because of the light feathery construction designed for small-eyed beauties. After all, as Lilly says, “all good things always come in small, beautifully wrapped packages”.
Boldface Lashes - Starpower
For a more subtle lash style, you should look to Boldface’s Starpower lashes, which are strip lashes for small eyes that offer a more natural look, a girl next door profile.
Boldface Starpower false lashes are made up of delicate strands crisscrossed along with an ultra-lightweight and invisible lash band, which all help achieve an effortless finish.
Each box contains one pair of lashes in style Starpower. These are 100% Cruelty-Free as they are made from comfortable synthetic fibres, making them very easy to apply and even easier to wear.
SOSU’s Premium Lashes - Sue
For an evening look that adds that extra dash of drama, look no further than SOSU Premium lashes in style-Sue, giving you an extra lift without too much volume.
SOSU’s Premium Lashes-Sue is great for small eyes as this lash is made up of protruding lash clusters, which help to open up the eye creating a fan of widening lashes just at the right point on your eye.
SOSU lashes are a very affordable option, and a pack includes one pair of handmade eyelashes, which are made of 100% human hair.
The material used helps to create a natural and seamless aesthetic that is enhanced by the invisible lash band, which means no one will even notice that they aren’t real.
Makeup for Small Eyes
While false eyelashes can widen and enhance the eyes, you will also need to change up your makeup to maximise the size of your eyes and make them stand out.
We have spoken to MUAs (makeup artists) all over the UK, and they tell us that there are various makeup methods which can make even the smallest eyes stand out, including…
Concealer
To brighten and open up smaller eyes, you should apply a triangular shape of concealer under the eye and dab it with a brush to create an illuminating effect.
This will not only highlight your eyes, but also hide any dark circles or imperfections, making your eyes look larger.
You can also use concealer on your eyelids to prime your eyes before applying eyeshadow or eyeliner, as this will create a smooth base and will also ensure your eye makeup lasts longer.
Eyeshadow
The first rule of applying eyeshadow to small eyes is avoiding dark shades as they tend to make your eyelids look heavier, and if you’re not careful smaller, defeating the purpose before you start.
Instead, you should stick to light and shimmery palettes, which will reflect light and therefore create the illusion of a wider, more wide awake and open-eye shape.
The best way to apply light eyeshadow is by putting some product onto the centre of the eyelids as this will create a contouring effect which will push the eyes forward.
If you have really small eyes and barely any lid to work with, you may want to contour a crease to create the illusion of a deeper set and larger eye shape. This will involve using a darker neutral matte shade which should be brushed and blended from the outer corner to the crease.
To create a nighttime look, ignore the rules and use a grey or brown shade in the crease of your eye and a neutral shimmer shade in the tear duct to make your eyes pop.
Eyeliner
One of the best ways to make small eyes look more open is by applying eyeliner to the bottom of your eye.
However, you should only apply black eyeliner a third of the way in from the outer corner. You can also add a liner to the top of the lid and flick it out to create a cat-eye shape.
White eyeliner for small eyes is also great for widening the eyes, especially in comparison to black eyeliner, which, when applied to the entire eye area, can make them appear much smaller.
To widen your eyes, you should use a white or neutral-coloured pencil that suits your skin tone and draw on the waterline.
Mascara
Amping up your lashes with mascara is one of the best ways to open up your small eyes. Mascara is the stuff of the makeup gods, we’ve talked about goddess lashes but mascara makes beauty happen.
You should try a volumizing mascara like Rimmel Volume Shake on your lashes and add three or more layers onto the outer corners to create a doe-eyed aesthetic.
You can also add mascara to help your false eyelashes stick on better, although you should avoid using too much as you do not want it to clump. Moderation, in all things, is key to a successful look - who are we kidding?
If you are using half lashes where the falsies are only applied to the outer corner, then you should ensure that your natural lashes have enough mascara to create seamless volume.
Eyelash Curlers
No beauty routine is complete without a ride on the merry-go-round and what we mean by that is you are not done till you’ve used House of Lashes Curlers.
The House of Lashes - Lash Aid (and other lash curlers) complete the look and finish the drama. Don’t believe us? Check out the blog from our merry band of MUAs, and keep reading to find out what the celebs with small eyes are up to.
Celebrities with Small Eyes
If you are unsure which makeup looks work for your small eyes, who better to look to than your favourite celebs who share your eye shape?
For instance, the well-known actress Keira Knightley has small eyes, although you may not realise that because her defined and bushy brows successfully frame her small eyes and bring attention to them.
Another talented actress with small eyes is Naomi Watts, who is always seen adorning shimmery and nude eyeshadows, which help to reflect the light and make her eyes appear much larger.
The key to imitating Naomi’s look is applying lighter shades to the upper eyelids and shimmery colours on the inner corners of the eye to elongate the shape.
Taylor Swift also has small eyes, although she enhances them by using the tight-line method, which involves filling in sparse areas between your eyelashes after you have applied your mascara.
More than likely, she has a professional makeup artist do this for her. It can be quite time-consuming, as it involves applying eyeliner dots to fill in the gaps between your lashes.
If I were Taylor, I would definitely have a professional do my makeup. Any Swifties out there, you can create her style by dotting your eyeliner. It’s not as hard as it looks - try it and see for yourself.
Eyeliner dots will not only make your lashes appear fuller, but will also create the appearance of a longer eye line, especially when you combine this technique with some lengthening lashes.
False eyelashes for small eyes - conclusion
Now you have all the information on how to enhance small eyes, why not try out some of the small eyes makeup tips on your next outing - date night perfection or interview success?
Also, if you have a special occasion coming up, you can choose from the selection of false lashes mentioned above.
Our products cover all budgets and offer subtle volume and lengthening qualities, making your eyes stand out while improving your confidence.
Next time you worry about your look, remember it’s better to be small and perfectly formed than large and wonky. It’s easier to make small things bigger than large things smaller, but if you have a sexy bug-eyed mate or a prominent-eyed friend, read this blog for more tips.
