Your Complete Guide to Doll Eyes Makeup: How to Get Doll Eyes in 5 Steps

What is doll eyes makeup?

Like the moniker suggests, doll eyes makeup creates a wide-eyed, doll-like effect that uses strategically placed eyeliner, eyeshadow, and bold mascara to emphasise the centre of the eye for a more rounded shape.

Many eyeliner looks favour the ‘siren eye’ which gives the eye a ‘snatched’ effect with large, sleek wings and diffused eyeshadow. But doll eyes makeup provides a charming point of difference because it draws inspiration from vintage makeup aesthetics to enlarge the appearance of the eye.

While modern doll eyes makeup isn’t quite as ‘sleepy’ and dramatic as the 1920s flapper eye (Clara Bow had the market cornered there!), it does share a lot of characteristics with the doe-eyed look of 1960s icons like Twiggy – though without eyeliner in the eyebrow crease. Today, you can look to Lancôme ambassador Emma Chamberlain for a modern interpretation of this style.

Prep the skin for a flawless finish

Skin prep is a must-do for the doll eyes makeup look because the skin around the eye contour is quite delicate and prone to creasing. You can follow your usual skincare routine, then integrate a couple of eye-specific skincare products.

Formulated with a nourishing blend of hyaluronic acid, C+niacinamide, and vitamin F, the Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum Eye is designed to lift and de-puff the eye contour to reduce the appearance of fine lines. Follow up with the Advanced Génifique Eye Cream to brighten, smooth, and hydrate the undereye area.

If you don’t have an eye primer handy, Lancôme Australia’s Beauty Director Lara Srokowski shares her makeup tip:

“In place of a traditional eye primer, you can prep the eyelid by applying a thin layer of Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer across your eyelid and set with Translucent Loose Setting Powder. This will give you a base for your eyeshadow.”

Apply your neutral and shimmer eyeshadows

Take a neutral eyeshadow shade like matte taupe or light brown onto a fluffy brush – a tapered blending brush will work well for both precision and diffusion.

Gently sculpt through the eye crease using a rounded windscreen wiper motion (rather than diffusing outwards like you would for a siren eye). If you have hooded eyes, you’ll want to take this above where your natural crease sits to give the illusion of a larger eyelid. Seamless blending is essential for doll eyes makeup to avoid any harsh lines.

Next, take that same shade on a smaller fluffy brush and lightly diffuse across the outer half of the lower lash line – this will help your eye appear larger.

Once you have applied your base colour, take a lighter matte eyeshadow on a flat eyeshadow brush – a cream will work best – and apply to the eyelid.

Finally, take a bright shimmer shadow like Idôle Tint Liquid Eye & Cheek Blush in ‘Desert Sand’ and apply to the inner corner of your eye – near the tear duct – to further open and brighten the eye.

Use eyeliner to create your doll eyes

Doll eyes makeup involves playing with light and dark to create the illusion of bigger, doll-shaped eyes. Now that your eyeshadow is taken care of, you can adopt the same light and dark approach for your eyeliner.

For your upper lash line, we recommend a liquid liner like Idôle Liner to help you create sharp, precise lines. Line your entire upper lash line, staying as close to the lashes as possible. To give you a round doll-eye shape, you can make your line slightly thicker in the centre of the eye. Finish with a small, lifted wing, using the natural curve of your lower lash line as a guide.

Next, you’ll want to lighten the lower lash line using a white pencil eyeliner. Tightly line your lower waterline to help brighten and ‘open’ the eye for a true doe-eye effect.

Emphasise the lashes

Lashes play a crucial role in crafting a doll eyes makeup look because they’re going to further emphasise the larger eye shape you are trying to emulate.

To achieve thicker eyelashes with volumising mascara, opt for Hypnôse Doll Eyes Mascara to lift and extend the lashes. Sweep the mascara onto your upper lashes, being sure to coat each lash using the unique cone-shaped brush. Then, turn your attention to your lower lashes, applying in gentle zig-zag motions for maximum coverage to widen the eye.

Finish with a rosy flush

You can use rosy-pink blush to complement your doll eyes makeup look. Placement is crucial here, because you want to continue drawing attention towards the centre of the face.

Using an angled blush brush, apply the Blush Subtil to the apples of the cheeks, building up your colour as desired. You can also blend across the nose for a flushed doll-like finish.

If you loved experimenting with doll eyes makeup, try our five steps for smudged eyeliner next.