Thursday, March 31, 2011

Different types of Monolids


So we all know that it is quite difficult to apply eye makeup on monolids, even professional makeup artists get baffled as to where to put the colors or how to accentuate the eyes. The main reason (I think) why makeup artists have difficulties figuring out how to apply eye makeup onto these eyes, this that,they haven't really realized that there is more than one type of monolid. If you realized this then you will understand that each type may required different approach as to eye makeup application.

Below I have compiled a few photos of monolids as well as non monolids for illustration
(images courtesy of the internet)

Puffy Monolids - puffy appearance of the eyelids due to fat deposits

Sunken Monolids - deep sunken appearance of the lid around the eye socket
Flat Monolids - neither puffy nor sunken these lids are just plain flat.

Hooded Lids - these eyes have double eye lids but is hidden when they look straight
Asymetical Eyelids - uneven eyelids one is mono while the other has a double eyelid or demi eyelid like the sample
Demi Eyelids - similar to double eyelids however it only shows half of the double eyelids.
Double Eyelids - shows the presence of a crease (i know this is not a monolid but i just added it so you can see the difference of a demi and a full double eyelid.)
 As you can see there are several differences that we should consider when applying eye makeup in each scenario, like for instance when you have a puffy monolid it is not advisable to fake a crease because it would just look very fake and well...wrong. However if you have sunken monolids you can take advantage of this feature by applying deep colors onto the sunken area to create an illusion of a crease and this will not look odd at all. In the case of flat eyelids, you get a plain flat surface that is quite versatile, because it is flat you can may create a fake crease with the proper colors and application techniques.

With hooded eyelids the problem area is that the hood covers the makeup that you have applied, to fix this simply apply color up to the tip of the hood so the colors will show. I find it more flattering for hooded lids to apply makeup in color gradation lighter on top going darker as you approach the lash line. another problem with hooded lids is that the eyeliner or shadows tend to migrate to other parts of the eye. to minimize this try using a liquid liner or a liner that is less prone to smudging and setting it with a light dusting of eye shadow. Eye Primers as well as makeup fixer spray also helps in keeping the makeup in place

For asymmetrical eyes, makeup can be a bit tricky cuz if you follow the natural lines and crease of your eyes you might end up with one eye appearing larger than the other. Try to check your eyes if it's the type where you can fake the crease or not (refer to my makeover entry) if not then you may want to make sure to apply your make up in a way that makes your eyes look even when opened since majority of the time our eyes are opened rather than closed.

The application of eye makeup for Demi-lids usually is the same as that of a double eyelid, however sometimes some demi-lids are closer to a Hooded-lid if this is the case then you might want to try the application method for Hooded-lids.

I hope this entry gives you a little insight to monolids. I'd love to post actual scenarios of these however as of now I don't have anyone with these types of lids to work with. But no worries if I do get my hand on them I'm going to make a new post on these.

Update: I just added the flat monolids, aside from these type i have listed I know there are more however these are the most common and the most basic varieties in my opinion, and makeup application would probably revolve around the techniques presented here with a little tweaking. :)

32 comments:

  1. Good Post! I'm monolids and I always have the same opinion with you. I'm so happy that someone understand it now! Glad to see you.

    Check out my blog: eleanordreamland.blogspot.com

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  2. Glad to have found someone who share the same sentiments :)

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  3. good post, now i know what my eyelids are, i have hooded lids, thanks now i know how to do the trick so colors are visible.

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    1. Yay! Glad I'm able to help. Thanks for dropping by :)

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  4. Thank goodness! Okay, I've demi-lids leaning towards the hooded eyelids. I have been having problems applying make-up since the eye shadow and liner become completely covered but I still have visible lids. Thanks for the tips! I'll try using experimenting!!

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    1. So glad my article was able to help you :). Keep experimenting and you'll be amazed at what you can do.

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  5. Thanks SO MUCH for this wonderful post! I'm not Asian, however my eyelids are the hooded monolids type. I find it interesting that no make up artist from a hair salon my mom has taken me to has ever been able to place make up on my eyelid perfectly, and most of the times always ends up in a trainwreck. Maybe it's because they're used to double eyelids? I've been searching specifically for eyeliner 101 on hooded eyes, because for me it either smudges (pencil) or kinda like draws a line on the lid that covers my other half of the lid if I don't let it dry (liquid). But I'll see what I can do with these tips! Thanks :)

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    1. Have you tried using gel liners? there are several great gel liners out there that would work great on monolids, another option is the styli-style 24 liners they goes on semi permanent thus solves the smudging problem but you do have to be precise because it's very hard to take off. Would love to see what you've done on your eyes :).

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  6. It's very nice of u to post this blog up for everyone else to see. I think I'm a hooded monolid & was wondering if there was a substitute for eye primers, since my eyeliner always gets smudged and fades onto my lower lids

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  7. Thank you for posting this but i'm still confused on which one i am. My eyes are between puffy and flat, so what would that make me?

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    1. i would be easier for me to help you out if i have a photo of your eyes, however if you're not quite sure you might wanna try checking out your eyes from the side (side view or profile)you might see more clearly if it puffs out or if it's flat.

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    2. thanks for replying quickly! :) But with the help of my friends, i found out i have flat monolids. Thanks for everything

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    3. that's great :), glad i could help in some way

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  8. Omg so glad to have found this! do monolids have NO crease at all? I always thought i was a monolidder but now i think ive got hooded eyelids as theres the tiniest creases i think. Help!

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  9. can i send you a picture so you can identify the type of monolid?

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    1. Sure annie you can sent it to me via email. studiobox10@gmail.com

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  10. i have a hooded lid and because of that, i dont wear eye make up. :( i dont know how and i havent been to a salon who does my eye make up well

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    1. try using the monochromatic technique by adding darker colors close to the upper lash area then going lighter when you at move up, bring the color higher surpassing the fold of you hood but not too much and then blend till everything looks right :). hope this helps

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  11. i have causicarian eyes and eyelids(inherited from europe etc) and all of my other asian friends have really pretty monolids! how can i get monolids without surgery?

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    1. Hmmm tough question, Having monolids or not basically is determined by our genetics, i don't see how someone can change their features permanently without surgery. though i think you try putting light color eyeshadows on your crease area and darker shadows just above and below your crease you might create an illusion of a much shallow crease somehow silmilar to a monolid. though my suggestion is just plain theory since i haven't tried it myself yet, you might want to just give it a shot and tell me about it. :)

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  12. I'm half japanese, born with double eyelids while my mum has monolids. I've always felt like I didn't really fit in the family because of that (I know it sounds kinda stupid) but this simple post made me realise we're all different and I have nothing to worry about. Nice post! (:

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  13. My eyes doesn't look like any of those pictures. What are some other types of monolids are there?

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  14. Omg thank you for this. Turns out I have one monolid and one hooded/demi lid.

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  15. This is literally the first time in my life I have seen anyone acknowledge the characteristics of my eyes (one double-lid and one semi) as an eyelid "type". Wow.

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  16. Aaahhh! This is really late, but I can't seem to find my own monolid here! Maybe I'm just not seeing the similarities.

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  17. That is a great great post! Thanks so much. I have a question thou, can you tell my eyelid shape if I mail you? :) I really need your advice.

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