What "hooded" means, and the two mistakes I see most
A hooded eye has a fold of skin under the brow that sits over the crease. When your eye is open, that fold covers part or most of the lid, so less lid shows than on an almond or a round eye. Some people are born with it and on many it arrives with age. Plenty of people have one eye more hooded than the other, and that is normal too.
None of that is a problem for extensions. It is one of the most common eye shapes I see. What goes wrong is the map, and it goes wrong in one of two ways.
Mistake one: too long in the center
On an open almond eye, a 12 or 13 mm length in the center looks lovely. On a hooded eye the fold sits right where those tips land. The extensions push against the skin, bend forward, or disappear under the hood when you look straight ahead. The lid looks heavier and the eye looks smaller.
Mistake two: too much curl
A tight curl, like a D, curls back toward the lid as it rises. On an eye with a lot of lid space, that is the doll-eye look. On a hooded eye the tips run into the fold and tuck under it. The set looks shorter than it is.
The fix for both is the same idea. Lift from the base, keep the tips clear of the fold, and put the length where the fold is not.
The curls and lengths I use for hooded eyes
My curl and length guide explains all five curls in detail [1]. Here is the short version, and then what I actually do.
- C curl: a soft, natural lift, like an eyelash curler. For a lightly hooded eye whose lashes already lift a little.
- CC curl: a step up from C. More visible lift, with a base that still sits flat along a straight lash.
- D curl: the tightest round curl. I rarely use it on a hooded eye, because the tips turn back into the fold.
- L curl: a flat base that bends up at an angle. For lashes that grow straight out or point down, and for a hood that sits low.
- M curl: a short flat base with a smooth lift. My usual pick for hooded eyes. It clears the fold and reads as an open eye rather than a curled one.
On lengths, the rule I keep is that an extension should not be more than 2 to 3 mm longer than the natural lash it sits on [1]. On a hooded eye I also keep the center shorter than on an almond eye, usually 9 to 11 mm. The longest lengths, usually 11 or 12 mm, go over the outer edge of the iris, just past the pupil when you look straight ahead, and taper down toward the corner. A cat eye that runs its longest lengths right to the corner tends to drag a hooded eye down, so I stop the peak short of it.
On the day, I ask you to look straight ahead and I see where the fold lands and where your lashes point. Then you close your eyes and I check the lashes themselves, how long and how strong. Straight or downward lashes get an L or an M. Lashes that already lift get a CC, sometimes a C. I mark the peak and build the map out from it, one map for each eye, because the two are rarely the same.
| Eye shape | Curl I usually reach for | Center length | Where the longest lengths sit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hooded, fold covers most of the lid | M or L | 9 to 10 mm | Over the outer edge of the iris, tapered to the corner |
| Lightly hooded, some lid shows | C or CC | 10 to 11 mm | Just past the center, toward the outer iris |
| Hooded, with lashes that point down | L | 9 to 10 mm | Outer third, kept short at the corner |
Classic, Hybrid or Wet Set for hooded eyes
All three work on a hooded eye once the map is right. The difference is texture, and how much fullness you get without adding length.
Hybrid, and why I suggest it first
Hybrid is single classic lashes and small volume fans mixed along the same line. It is the set I am known for, and the one I recommend first for hooded eyes. The fans give fullness at the base, so the eye reads darker and more defined without long tips, and the single lashes between them add texture. The open-eye effect comes from density rather than length, which is exactly what a hooded lid wants. A Hybrid full set is $160 and takes about two hours [2].
Classic, for the most natural result
Classic is one extension on one natural lash. In an M curl on a hooded eye it opens the eye in a way people will not be able to name. They will think you slept well. It is the lightest set and a good place to start if this is your first. A Classic full set is $140 [2].
Wet Set, for texture
A Wet Set uses narrow, closed fans that look like lashes fresh out of the shower: spiky, dark and glossy. On a hooded eye that spiky definition gives the lash line an edge without the length, for anyone who wants something noticeable that still sits clear of the fold. A Wet Set is $175 [2]. Volume ($190) and Mega Volume ($240) work too, with the fans kept short and the peak away from the corner.
How the map is decided
The map is decided in the consultation on the day, with your eyes open and closed in front of me, not from a chart.
Booking a set for hooded eyes
The consultation and the mapping are included in every set, along with the application and the aftercare walkthrough. If you like, tell me in the booking notes that your eyes are hooded and I will come with the L and M trays ready. I map on the day either way.
A $25 deposit holds your time. It is non-refundable and comes off your total, so a Hybrid at $160 is $25 deposit now and $135 when I get there [2]. Reschedule with more than 24 hours notice and your deposit moves to the new time at no charge. Cancel inside 24 hours and the $25 deposit is not returned, plus a $20 cancellation fee. If this is your first full set with me, code FIRST20 takes $20 off the balance, once per client.
Questions about lash extensions for hooded eyes
Can you get lash extensions with hooded eyes?
Yes. Hooded eyes take lash extensions well when the map is built for them: shorter lengths through the center, the longest lengths over the outer part of the iris rather than the middle, and a curl with a flat base that lifts clear of the fold, usually an M or an L curl. The set can be Classic, Hybrid or Wet Set.
What is the best lash curl for hooded eyes?
M curl is the usual choice for hooded eyes, with L curl for lashes that grow straight out or point down. Both have a flat base that sits along the natural lash and then lifts up and away from the fold. A CC curl works on a lightly hooded eye where the lashes already have some lift. A tight D curl is usually avoided on hooded eyes because the tips turn back into the fold.
Should hooded eyes get long lash extensions?
Not in the center. Long center lengths on a hooded eye push into the fold and make the lid look heavier. Most hooded-eye maps sit at 9 to 11 mm through the center, with the longest lengths at 11 or 12 mm placed over the outer edge of the iris and tapered toward the corner. Fullness, not length, is what opens a hooded eye.