Upturned eyes
Upturned eyes are eyes whose outer corner sits higher than the inner corner. It is also called a positive canthal tilt, and you can check it in a mirror yourself.
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 up, the eye is upturned.
- If the line is flat, see almond or round eyes. If it slopes down, see downturned eyes.
What it looks like
The outer corner lifts above the inner corner, and the lower lash line often looks longer than the upper one. The look is alert and lifted. Upturned is about angle, not size, so it is easy to mix up with almond, which is about length.
Upturned or almond?
Almond eyes are longer than tall and taper at both ends. Upturned eyes are defined by the lift of the outer corner. Many people are both, which is why the two words get swapped.
What flatters upturned eyes
You already have the lift that winged liner tries to create, so you can keep makeup simple. A thin line along the upper lash line, mascara on both upper and lower lashes to balance the shape, and shadow blended along the whole lid all work well. Round or softly curved frames balance the upward line.
Upturned is one of three measures
Tilt is separate from eye length and from the space between the eyes. You can be upturned and round, or upturned and close-set. The scanner reports all three.
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 upturned eyes?
Upturned eyes are eyes where the outer corner sits above the inner corner. The tilt is called positive canthal tilt.
How do I know if I have upturned 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 higher, your eyes are upturned.
Are upturned eyes the same as almond eyes?
No. Almond describes the length and the tapered ends. Upturned describes the angle. Many eyes are both.
What is canthal tilt?
Canthal tilt is the angle of the line between the inner and outer corner of the eye, compared with a horizontal line. Up is positive, level is neutral and down is negative.
How should I apply eyeliner on upturned eyes?
Follow the natural lash line and keep any wing short and in line with the lower lash line. A long upward wing can overdo the 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. Keep your face level for the best reading.
Related guides
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