Downturned eyes
Downturned eyes are eyes whose outer corner sits lower than the inner corner. It is also called a negative canthal tilt, and you can check it in a mirror in under a minute.
How to tell in a mirror
- Look straight into a mirror or a front-facing photo with your face level.
- Find the inner corner (next to the nose) and the outer corner of one eye.
- Imagine a line through both corners. If the outer end slopes down, the eye is downturned.
- If the line is flat, the eye is neither up nor down. If it rises, see upturned eyes.
What it looks like
The outer corner drops below the inner corner, and the upper lid often looks larger towards the outside. The expression reads as soft, gentle or a little sleepy. It says nothing about the size of the eye: downturned eyes can be almond, round or hooded.
Where it comes from
Tilt is part of the bone and soft tissue around the eye socket, so it is mostly inherited. It can also look stronger with age, because loose upper lid skin hangs over the outer corner and pulls the visible line down.
What flatters downturned eyes
Almost all advice comes down to adding lift at the outer third. Curl the outer lashes, keep liner thin at the inner corner and flick it slightly upwards at the outer end, and put shadow on the outer upper lid rather than under the eye. For glasses, frames that are slightly wider at the top outer corner, such as cat-eye shapes, echo the lift you want.
Downturned is not a flaw
It is one of three independent measures, next to eye length and spacing. Many people with downturned eyes are also wide-set or almond. Treat it as a description that helps you pick advice written for your eyes, nothing more.
Want a measured answer instead of a mirror check? The eye shape test reads form, tilt and spacing from one photo. All six shapes are compared in the guide to the different eye shapes.
Questions people ask
What are downturned eyes?
Downturned eyes are eyes where the outer corner sits below the inner corner. The tilt is called negative canthal tilt.
How do I know if I have downturned eyes?
Look straight ahead in a mirror and imagine a line through the inner and outer corner of one eye. If the outer end sits lower, your eyes are downturned.
Are downturned eyes rare?
They are less common than level or upturned eyes, but plenty of people have them, and many have a mild version that is hard to see without a photo.
What is the difference between downturned and hooded eyes?
Downturned describes the angle of the eye. Hooded describes extra skin over the crease. You can have either, both or neither.
Can makeup change how downturned eyes look?
Yes. Lashes curled at the outer corner, a small upward flick of liner and shadow on the outer upper lid all add visual lift.
Can a photo scanner measure my eye tilt?
Yes. The Eye Shape AI scanner finds landmarks around both eyes and reports tilt, form and spacing. Photos taken with the head tilted can skew the reading, so keep your face level.
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