Eye shapes, spacing
Close-set eyes: how to tell, and makeup that adds space
Close-set eyes have less space between them than the width of one eye. Artists have long used the rule that a third eye should fit in the gap between the inner corners; close-set eyes have a gap a little narrower than that. It is a description, not a flaw, and makeup and brows can add visual space by keeping color and definition toward the outer corners.
How to tell if you have close-set eyes
Look straight into a mirror in daylight, with your face relaxed and your chin level, and check these:
- Imagine a third eye in the space between your inner corners: it would not quite fit.
- Your eyes look close to the bridge of your nose, and your nose bridge is fairly narrow.
- Your inner brows sit close together or nearly meet.
- In a straight-on photo, the gap between your eyes measures shorter than one eye.
How close-set eyes vary
Spacing varies between people and groups. In one photo study, the average gap between the inner corners was about 29 mm in non-Latino white adults, about 31 mm in Latino adults, and about 33 mm in East Asian adults, with eyes about 26 to 28 mm wide (Fry et al., 2017). So "one eye width apart" is close to average, and close-set means a little under it.
There is no perfect amount of space between the eyes (Cleveland Clinic). Close and wide are labels for makeup and frames, not measures of health.
Spacing looks different depending on the rest of the face. A narrow nose bridge, a prominent nose, or brows that start close to the center all make eyes look closer than the measurement says.
Close-set vs wide-set vs deep-set eyes
Close-set vs wide-set
Opposite ends of the same measurement. Wide-set eyes have more than one eye width between them; close-set eyes have less.
Close-set vs deep-set
Deep-set eyes in shadow can look closer than they are, because the shadow narrows the visible inner corner. Check the gap with a ruler in a mirror to be sure.
Makeup for close-set eyes
Eyeliner
Start your liner a third of the way in from the inner corner and thicken it toward the outer corner, extending slightly past it. Leave the inner corner bare, or brighten it with a light pencil on the inner waterline.
Eyeshadow
Keep light, bright shades on the inner third of the lid and in the inner corner, and put the medium and deep shades on the outer two thirds, blended outward. Light reads as space; dark reads as closeness.
Mascara and lashes
Focus length and volume on the outer lashes. Outer-corner half lashes or a flared strip draw the eye outward.
What to skip
- Dark shadow or liner at the inner corner: it closes the gap further.
- Brows filled in toward the center: they make the eyes look closer.
An everyday look, step by step
- Pat a light shimmer onto the inner corner and inner third of the lid.
- Blend a medium shade across the outer two thirds and out toward the brow tail.
- Start your liner a third of the way in and extend it past the outer corner.
- Curl your lashes and build mascara on the outer half.
- Tidy the inner brows so they start in line with your inner corners.
Brows and glasses for close-set eyes
Brows
Brows do the most for close-set eyes. Start each brow in line with the inner corner of the eye, or a hair further out, and tidy any hairs between them. Extending the tail slightly also widens the look.
Glasses
Choose frames with a thin or clear bridge, or a bridge set high, so the space between the lenses looks open. Frames whose lenses are wider at the outer edge pull the eye outward; heavy, dark bridges make the gap look smaller.
Common combinations
Each eye shape describes one part of the eye, so most close-set eyes come with other traits too. These pairings come up most often:
Close-set and deep-set eyes read closer still in shadow. Light shimmer on the inner corners opens both.
Close-set almond eyes take an outer-corner wing well; it extends the shape and adds space.
Round, close-set eyes can be lengthened and spaced at once with horizontal outer liner.
Check your eye shape from a photo
The detector measures the gap between your inner corners and divides it by the average width of your eyes. Under 1.10 eye widths reads close-set. The face model marks each inner corner where the white of the eye ends, a little outside the pink corner you would measure from in a mirror, so its gap reads a little wider than a ruler's, and the bands allow for that.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my eyes are close-set?
Look straight into a mirror and compare the gap between your inner corners with the width of one eye. If the gap is clearly smaller, your eyes are close-set. The eye shape detector measures both from a photo.
Are close-set eyes unattractive?
No. Eye spacing varies a lot between faces, and there is no correct amount. Many faces people find striking have close-set eyes.
What is the average distance between the eyes?
In one photo study of adults, the gap between the inner corners averaged about 29 to 33 mm depending on the group, and each eye was about 26 to 28 mm wide (Fry et al., 2017).
Can glasses make close-set eyes look wider apart?
Yes. A thin or clear bridge and lenses that are wider toward the outer edge add visual space between the eyes.
