10 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Eyelash Style for Every Eye Shape

You know that moment when a client shows you a lash photo and you immediately think, "That's not going to work for your eyes"? Yeah, we've all been there. The problem isn't the client's taste—it's that not every lash style works for every eye shape. Good news: once you understand eye shapes, you can give your clients the dramatic, fluttery, or natural look they want while actually flattering their unique features.

Your Go-To Guide: Match Lashes to Eye Shapes

Eye Shape	What It Looks Like	Top Lash Styles	Best Curls
Almond	Balanced, visible crease, tapered corners	Cat-Eye, Natural Volume, Classic	C or D
Round	Lots of iris showing, wide-open look	Cat-Eye, Squirrel, Natural	C (or B if straight lashes)
Bulbous	Prominent, eyes "pop" forward	Cat-Eye (light), Wispy/Textured, Natural	C or D (with light volume)
Narrow	Small vertical space between lash lines	Open Eye, Doll Eye, Natural	C or D
Hooded	Skin fold covers the lid	Cat-Eye, Wispy, Doll Eye, Natural	M, L, or L+ (critical!)
Monolid	No crease, smooth lid surface	Volume, Classic with Texture, Wispy	Strong C or D
Downturned	Outer corners tilt down	Open Doll Eye, Natural with Lift, Wispy	C or D
Upturned	Outer corners tilt up naturally	Cat-Eye, Doll Eye, Squirrel, Classic	C or D
Close-Set	Eyes closer together than one eye width	Cat-Eye, Kitten Eye, Squirrel	Soft C
Wide-Set	Eyes farther apart than one eye width	Doll Eye, Open Eye, Natural (center peak)	C

1. Almond Eyes: Every Style Works

Almond eyes have balanced proportions, a visible crease, and naturally tapered outer corners. This is the most versatile eye shape you'll work with.

What Clients Usually Want

"I want to try different looks" or "What would look best on me?"

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Lengths	Best For	Why Choose This
Cat-Eye	9-12mm at outer corners	Drama, glamour, night out	Enhances their natural lift and symmetry
Natural Volume	8-11mm mixed throughout	Everyday wear, versatile look	Balanced fullness that works for any occasion
Classic	9-10mm uniform	Professional settings, minimalists	Clean, timeless, easy to maintain

Curl Selection

The art of curl selection often comes down to understanding the client's goals, as the subtle differences between C and D curls can create vastly different results.

• C-curl: Choose this for subtle, everyday enhancement.
• D-curl: Choose this when your client wants more definition and drama.

Key Principle

With almond eyes, your choice depends more on the client's lifestyle and preferences than their eye shape. You really can't go wrong.

Helping Clients Decide

Since almond eyes work with almost anything, guide your client based on these factors:

• If they have a busy schedule, recommend classic or natural styles. These require less maintenance.
• Bold and outgoing clients can handle dramatic cat-eye styles.
• Start with natural volume to help them build confidence with extensions.
• Clients who wear heavy makeup can go more dramatic with their lashes.

2. Round Eyes: Elongate Without Losing Expression

Round eyes show lots of iris and whites all around. They have a wide-open, doll-like appearance.

What Clients Usually Want

"Make my eyes look longer, not rounder."

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Why Choose This	Best For
Cat-Eye (7-8mm inner → 10-11mm outer)	Most effective for elongation	80% of round-eye clients
Squirrel (8-9mm inner → 11-12mm peak)	Maximum drama while elongating	Clients wanting statement lashes
Natural (8-9mm subtle gradation)	Safe, flattering option	First-timers, conservative preferences
Soft Volume (0.05-0.07 inner → 0.07-0.10 outer)	Textured fullness without bulk	Clients wanting volume but natural-looking

Curl Selection

• C-curl: Choose this for most round-eye clients. It elongates naturally.
• B-curl: Choose this if their natural lashes are very straight.
• Avoid D-curl: This makes eyes look rounder unless that's their goal.

Styles to Avoid Recommending

• ❌ Doll-eye mapping: This makes eyes appear even rounder.
• ❌ Heavy uniform volume: This adds width instead of length.
• ❌ Center-focused styles: This emphasizes roundness.

Key Principle

For round eyes, always choose styles with outer corner emphasis to create horizontal elongation.

Helping Clients Decide

Guide style selection based on these preferences:

• Ask how dramatic they're comfortable going. This sets expectations on outer corner length.
• For natural look, choose subtle gradation. For glam, go with squirrel or dramatic cat-eye.
• If they want fullness, use soft volume with outer emphasis instead of heavy uniform volume.

3. Bulbous Eyes: Light & Elongated

Bulbous eyes are prominent, round, and naturally expressive. These are eyes that "pop" forward.

What Clients Usually Want

"Enhance my eyes without making them MORE prominent."

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Why Choose This	When to Recommend
Cat-Eye (light)	Creates horizontal balance	Most bulbous-eye clients
Natural Style	Subtle enhancement	Conservative preferences, professional settings
Wispy/Textured	Dimension without weight	Best overall choice—flattering on everyone

Curl Selection

• C-curl: Ideal for soft lift and length.
• D-curl: Use with light volume. This avoids increasing prominence

What NOT to Recommend

• ❌ Use heavy volume sets (4D+) to enhance bulk and highlight prominence.
• ❌ Dramatic styles: This overpowers the natural eye.
• ❌ Short, thick lashes: This makes eyes appear rounder and more prominent.

Key Principle

For bulging eyes, choose light and long over thick and full.

Helping Clients Decide

Guide selection based on these factors:

• If they're very self-conscious about eye prominence, choose natural or wispy styles.
• If they want to stand out, go with wispy cat-eye using light diameter (0.03-0.05).
• If they insist on volume, use only 0.03-0.05 diameter with maximum 3-4D fans.
• For first-timers, start conservative with natural style to gauge their comfort level.

4. Narrow Eyes: Opening & Centering

Narrow eyes have a sleek, elongated shape. The distance between top and bottom lash lines is smaller.

What Clients Usually Want

"Make my eyes look bigger and more open."

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Why Choose This	When to Recommend
Open Eye (longest at center)	Most effective eye-opening effect	90% of narrow-eye clients
Natural Style (subtle center peak)	Gentle opening	First-timers, conservative clients
Doll Eye (modified center peak)	Dramatic opening	Clients wanting maximum impact

Curl Selection

• C-curl: Choose this for lift and definition.
• D-curl: Choose this for maximum eye-opening effect.
• Avoid B/J-curls: These are too subtle for this eye shape.

What NOT to Recommend

• ❌ Cat-eye mapping: This draws attention away from center and makes eyes look narrower.
• ❌ Heavy volume: This weighs lashes down and closes the eye.
• ❌ Long outer corners: This creates horizontal elongation when you need vertical opening.

Key Principle

For narrow eyes, always recommend center-focused length to create width.

Helping Clients Decide

Consider these factors when choosing:

• If they wear glasses, choose moderate length. Glasses can hit longer lashes.
• Center-focused styles are easier to maintain than cat-eyes.
• For subtle enhancement, use natural style. For dramatic change, use doll eye with longer center peak.
• Active clients or those with minimal maintenance time should go with classic open-eye.

Special Considerations

• Narrow + Close-Set Eyes: Choose modified open-eye with slight outer emphasis between center and outer corner. This opens the eye while creating space between eyes.
• Narrow + Hooded Eyes: Choose open-eye with lifted curls like L or L+. The center length creates width while the lifted curl clears the hood.

5. Hooded Eyes: Lift & Visibility

The skin fold partially or fully covers the mobile eyelid. This reduces lid visibility.

What Clients Usually Want

"Make my lashes visible when my eyes are open" or "Stop my lashes from disappearing."

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Why Choose This	When to Recommend
Cat-Eye	Prevents drooping, extends beyond hood	Most hooded-eye clients
Doll Eye	Creates wide-eyed effect in center	Clients with partial hooding
Wispy	Light texture that lifts over hood	Clients wanting textured look
Natural	Subtle enhancement	Conservative clients, severe hooding

Curl Selection—This Is Critical

• M, L, or L+ curls: CHOOSE THESE. They lift straight out and clear the hood.
• Avoid C or D curls: These curl back into the lid and disappear under the hood.

What NOT to Recommend

• ❌ Long lengths (13mm+): These are too long. They weigh down and defeat the lifted curl.
• ❌ Heavy volume: This weighs lashes into the hood.
• ❌ Standard C/D curls: These will disappear under the hood.

Key Principle

For hooded eyes, curl type matters more than style. Choose lifted curls first, then select the style.

Helping Clients Decide

Guide selection based on these factors:

• Severity of hooding: Mild hooding can use L curl with cat-eye or doll-eye. Moderate hooding needs L+ curl with wispy or natural. Severe hooding requires M curl with natural style and conservative lengths.
• Age consideration: Younger clients can go more dramatic. Older clients with age-related hooding look better with natural or wispy for a softer appearance.
• Drama preference: For subtle look, choose natural with L curl. For dramatic look, choose cat-eye with L+ curl but keep lengths only 1-2mm longer than natural lashes.

Special Considerations

• Hooded + Downturned Eyes: Choose cat-eye with L+ curl. This lifts over the hood AND counteracts the downward tilt.
• Hooded + Mature Skin: Choose natural or wispy with L curl and lighter volume. This is gentle on delicate skin and maintains lift without weight.

6. Monolid Eyes: Dimension & Definition

There's no visible crease. The eyelid surface is smooth. Natural lashes often grow straight downward or outward rather than curling up.

What Clients Usually Want

"Make my lashes visible" or "Add dimension to my eyes."

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Why Choose This	When to Recommend
Volume Lashes	Creates depth and dimension on smooth lid	Most monolid clients wanting drama
Classic with Texture	Visible definition without heaviness	Conservative clients, first-timers
Wispy/Crisscross	Adds texture that creates depth illusion	Clients wanting natural but dimensional look

Curl Selection—Critical for Visibility

• Strong C-curl: Choose this for moderate lift and visibility.
• D-curl: Choose this for maximum lift. It prevents lashes from disappearing into the lid.
• Avoid B/J-curls: These are too subtle. Lashes will point straight out or down.

What NOT to Recommend

• ❌ Heavy, dense volume: This weighs down lashes on a smooth lid.
• ❌ Weak curls (B/J): Lashes won't be visible with these curls.
• ❌ Super long lengths without curl: These will droop and lose visibility.

Key Principle

For monolid eyes, strong curl is essential for visibility. Choose curl strength first, then the style.

Helping Clients Decide

Guide selection based on these preferences:

• Start with classic plus strong curl. This shows them the lift potential without overwhelming them.
• Choose volume with crisscross layering. This creates maximum dimension and depth on smooth lids.
• Choose classic with D-curl and textured mapping. This provides subtle enhancement with visibility.
• Always recommend crisscross or textured patterns over uniform patterns. The varied directions create the illusion of depth.

Special Considerations

• Monolid + Oily Skin: Choose classic or light volume with strong curl. Less adhesive contact points mean better retention on oily lids.
• Monolid + Mature Skin: Choose classic with D-curl and moderate length. This is lighter weight, still visible, and age-appropriate.

7. Downturned Eyes: Lift & Balance

The outer corners tilt downward. This creates a gentle, dreamy appearance. The upper lash line slopes down at the outer edges.

What Clients Usually Want

"Lift my outer corners" or "Make my eyes look less sad/tired."

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Why Choose This	When to Recommend
Open Doll Eye	Lifts center and outer corners	90% of downturned-eye clients
Natural with Outer Lift	Subtle correction, natural look	Conservative clients, professional settings
Wispy with Outer Focus	Textured lift at outer corners	Clients wanting dimension with lift

Curl Selection

• C-curl: Choose this for natural lift and balance.
• D-curl: Choose this for maximum lifting effect at outer corners.
• Avoid flat curls: These won't counteract the downward tilt.

What NOT to Recommend

• ❌ Cat-eye with extreme outer length: This emphasizes the downward angle.
• ❌ Heavy volume: This weighs down outer corners more.
• ❌ Uniform lengths: This misses the opportunity to lift.

Key Principle

For downturned eyes, focus the lifting effect at the outer corners. Don't extend them downward.

Helping Clients Decide

Guide selection based on these factors:

• Severity of downturn: Mild downturn can use cat-eye or natural with lift. Moderate downturn works best with open doll eye. Severe downturn needs open doll eye with D-curl for maximum lift.
• Desired effect: For subtle correction, choose natural style with outer focus. For noticeable lift, choose open doll eye. For dramatic lift, choose wispy with D-curl at outer corners.
• Length strategy: Keep inner corners short (7-8mm), gradually increase center (9-10mm), and make outer corners longest (10-11mm) BUT angled upward.

Special Considerations

• Downturned + Hooded Eyes: Choose open doll eye with L or L+ curl. This lifts both the hood and the downturn.
• Downturned + Mature Eyes: Choose natural with outer lift and C-curl. This provides subtle correction without looking overdone.

8. Upturned Eyes: Enhance or Soften

The outer corners naturally tilt upward. This creates a cat-eye effect. The lower lash line is often longer than the upper.

What Clients Usually Want

Either "Enhance my natural lift" OR "Soften the dramatic angle."

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Why Choose This	When to Recommend
Cat-Eye	Enhances natural lift dramatically	Clients who love their eye shape and want drama
Doll Eye	Softens the upward angle	Clients feeling their eyes look "too sharp"
Squirrel	Balances lift with texture	Clients wanting something in between
Classic	Subtle enhancement	Conservative clients, professional settings

Curl Selection

• C-curl: Choose this for most clients. It complements natural lift.
• D-curl: Choose this only if they want maximum drama.
• Avoid using same curl everywhere: Vary the curl to balance the natural lift.

What NOT to Recommend

• ❌ Heavy volume everywhere: This overshadows the elegant natural shape.
• ❌ Extreme cat-eye: This can look overdone on already upturned eyes.
• ❌ Very long outer corners on dramatic upturns: This looks too severe.

Key Principle

For upturned eyes, decide first whether to enhance the lift or soften it. Your client's preference determines everything.

Helping Clients Decide

Guide selection based on client preference:

• If they love their shape: Choose cat-eye or squirrel to enhance. Your goal is to play up the natural drama. Works for bold, dramatic personalities.
• If they want to soften: Choose doll eye or classic. Your goal is to balance the angle with center or even distribution. Works for soft, romantic styles.
• For versatile clients: Choose squirrel or classic. These work for various occasions and maintain balance.
• Client personality matters: Bold personalities can handle cat-eye enhancement. Soft, romantic clients prefer doll eye to soften.

Special Considerations

• Upturned + Almond Eyes: Choose any style. This is a true dream combo. Both shapes are naturally balanced.
• Upturned + Close-Set Eyes: Choose cat-eye but not extreme. This enhances lift while drawing eyes outward.
• Upturned + Round Eyes: Choose cat-eye. The upward tilt balances roundness naturally.

9. Close-Set Eyes: Widen & Balance

There's less space between inner corners than the width of one eye. Eyes appear closer together.

What Clients Usually Want

"Make my eyes look farther apart" or "Create more space between my eyes."

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Why Choose This	When to Recommend
Cat-Eye	Draws attention outward	90% of close-set eye clients
Kitten Eye	Softer outer emphasis	Clients wanting subtle widening
Squirrel	Dramatic outer focus	Clients comfortable with bold looks

Curl Selection

• Soft C-curl: Choose this for most clients. It lifts without overwhelming.
• Avoid D-curl at inner corners: This is too dramatic and emphasizes closeness.
• Can use D-curl at outer corners: This creates emphasis where you want it.

What NOT to Recommend

• ❌ Doll eye: This centers attention inward and makes eyes look closer.
• ❌ Open eye: Equal emphasis throughout doesn't create the needed balance.
• ❌ Long lashes at inner corners: This makes eyes appear even closer together.
• ❌ Heavy volume near the nose: This draws eyes inward.

Key Principle

For close-set eyes, always emphasize the outer corners. Keep inner corners minimal.

Helping Clients Decide

Guide selection based on these factors:

• Severity of close-set: Mild cases can use kitten eye or soft cat-eye. Moderate cases need cat-eye with strong outer emphasis. Severe cases need dramatic cat-eye or squirrel, skip inner corner lashes entirely.
• Client comfort level: Drama lovers can handle squirrel with maximum outer length. Natural preference needs kitten eye with subtle outer focus. In-between clients work well with classic cat-eye.
• Length strategy: Use very short (6-7mm) or skip inner corners, moderate center (8-9mm), and longest outer corners (10-12mm).

Special Considerations

• Close-Set + Round Eyes: Choose cat-eye with outer emphasis. This elongates AND widens simultaneously.
• Close-Set + Narrow Eyes: Choose modified approach with slight outer emphasis and some center length. You need to open the eye vertically while creating width.
• Close-Set + Downturned Eyes: Choose cat-eye with lift at outer corners. This addresses both issues—it lifts and widens.

10. Wide-Set Eyes: Center & Draw Inward

There's more space between inner corners than the width of one eye. Eyes appear farther apart.

What Clients Usually Want

"Bring my eyes closer together visually" or "Balance my face."

Choosing the Right Style

Style	Why Choose This	When to Recommend
Doll Eye	Centers attention, draws eyes inward	90% of wide-set eye clients
Open Eye	Balanced distribution with center focus	Clients wanting subtle correction
Natural with Center Peak	Gentle inward draw	Conservative clients, first-timers

Curl Selection

• Regular C-curl: Choose this for a balanced, natural look.
• Can emphasize curl at center: This draws attention where you want it.
• Avoid heavy curl at outer corners: You don't want to draw attention outward.

What NOT to Recommend

• ❌ Cat-eye: This draws attention outward and makes eyes look farther apart.
• ❌ Kitten eye: This has the same problem as cat-eye.
• ❌ Squirrel: This emphasizes outer corners.
• ❌ Long outer corners: This creates width when you need to narrow.

Key Principle

For wide-set eyes, always center the focus. Use longest lashes at center and shorter at outer corners.

Helping Clients Decide

Guide selection based on these preferences:

• Severity of wide-set: Mild cases can use open eye with center emphasis. Moderate cases need classic doll eye. Pronounced cases need doll eye with dramatic center peak.
• Face shape consideration: Round faces can go dramatic with center length. Long faces should keep it subtle to avoid elongating further. Heart-shaped faces look beautiful with doll eye balance.
• Length strategy: Use moderate inner corners (8-9mm)—don't skip these! Use longest center (10-12mm) as focal point. Taper down outer corners (8-9mm).

Special Considerations

• Wide-Set + Round Eyes: Choose doll eye. This centers attention AND opens the eye.
• Wide-Set + Narrow Eyes: Choose open eye or doll eye. The center peak addresses both issues—it opens vertically and draws inward.
• Wide-Set + Almond Eyes: Choose any center-focused style. The almond shape is forgiving. Just avoid outer emphasis.

Finding the Right Lash Style for Every Client

Honestly, eye shape is the secret most lash artists overlook. But once you get it, everything clicks—you'll know exactly why cat-eye works for some clients and completely fails for others. Start paying attention during consultations, use this guide when you're not sure, and snap some photos to see your progress. Your clients will notice the difference, and so will you.