Monolid Eyes: What They Are and Makeup That Shows Up

How to tell if you have monolid eyes

Look straight into a mirror with a relaxed face, then close your eyes and look again.

1. No crease, eyes open. There’s no fold line between your lashes and your brow.
2. No crease, eyes closed. Even with your eyes closed, the lid is one smooth surface. (If a crease appears when you close them, you’re more likely hooded.)
3. Lashes meet the lid directly. You don’t see a band of lid that looks different from the skin above it.
4. The whole lid shows when your eyes are open, because there’s no fold to cover it.
5. Your lashes may point straighter or slightly downward, which is common with this lid and easy to change with a lash curler.

Monolid describes the lid. The outline of the eye can still be almond, round, upturned or downturned.

What creates a crease, and why monolids don’t have one

The upper eyelid crease forms where fibers from the muscle that lifts the lid attach to the skin of the lid (StatPearls). When those attachments sit very low or don’t reach the skin, and the lid has a smooth, even layer of soft tissue, no fold forms: that’s a monolid. It’s a normal variation in anatomy, not a difference in how well the eye works, and it’s found in people of many backgrounds.

Monolid vs hooded vs double eyelid

A low or partial crease, sometimes called an inner or “in-fold” crease, sits between a monolid and a double eyelid. If a thin crease appears only toward the outer corner, the makeup in this guide will still work well for you.

Lid type is the first of four traits covered in the complete guide to eye shapes.

Monolid makeup

Monolids are brilliant for makeup: with no crease to work around, the whole lid is a canvas. The trick is choosing placements and formulas that still show when your eyes are open and that don’t crease on a smooth lid.

Gradient shadow

1. Prime the lid so shadow doesn’t fade or move.
2. Apply the deepest shade at the lash line, a few millimeters high.
3. Blend a medium shade above it and a light shade above that, fading upward in soft horizontal bands.
4. Check with your eyes open. You should see a smooth fade from dark at the lashes to light at the top.

The gradient creates depth without needing a crease, and it’s the technique most makeup artists start with on a smooth lid.

Pops of color and shimmer

A single bright or shimmer shade across the center of the lid shows up beautifully on a crease-free lid, because nothing hides it. Try a metallic from your color season (the color analysis and undertone test help you pick).

Formulas

Cream and cream-to-powder shadows set with a matching powder last longest on smooth lids. Waterproof pencils and gel liners transfer less.

For a balanced face, the lip shape detector suggests liner and lipstick placement for your lips too.

Eyeliner for monolids

• Thicker toward the outer corner. Start thin at the inner corner and build thickness as you move out, so the line stays visible when your eyes are open.
• Draw with your eyes open, looking straight ahead, and mark where the line should end.
• Tightline the upper waterline to make the lashes look fuller at the root.
• Try a floating or graphic liner. A line drawn a little above the lash line, visible across the open lid, is a striking look that a smooth lid suits especially well.
• Wings: keep them a little thicker than usual at the base so they don’t disappear.

Long, lifted wings on a smooth lid are also the base of the fox eye look.

Lashes on monolids

Straight lashes are common with crease-free lids. A heated lash curler, or a regular curler used in two or three small pumps from root to tip, gives a lasting lift. Follow with a lightweight, waterproof mascara; heavy formulas can pull the curl down. Individual lash clusters, placed at the outer third, add lift without a heavy band.

Eyebrows for monolid eyes

A straighter brow with a soft, gentle arch complements the smooth lid. Keep the brow shape clean underneath so there’s a clear space between brow and lid. Very high, sharp arches can look disconnected from a smooth lid, but it’s a style choice.

Monolid vs hooded: which makeup rules apply?

If you’re unsure whether you have a monolid or a hood, close your eyes. A crease showing only when your eyes are closed means you’re hooded: follow the hooded eyes advice of placing shadow above the fold. No crease at all means monolid: use gradient shadow from the lash line upward.

Myths about monolids

• “Monolids need correcting.” They’re a normal, healthy eyelid shape. Tape and surgery are personal choices, never necessities.
• “You can’t wear eyeshadow on monolids.” You can wear every kind. A smooth lid shows gradient, graphic and shimmer looks especially well.
• “Monolids and hooded eyes are the same.” Hooded eyes have a crease that’s covered; monolids don’t have one.
• “Monolids only occur in some groups of people.” Monolids are found in people of many different backgrounds.

Find out your full eye shape, including your outline and corner angle, with the eye shape detector.