The days of sultry eye makeup are coming to a close. While siren eyes and exaggerated wings have their place in makeup history, the internet’s newest obsession is all about innocent doe-eyed makeup. The trend, featuring wide-rounded doe eyes with floaty lashes, is all but taking over TikTok, and it’s not hard to see why. We all want a more youthful appearance, and this look instantly gives you a more brightened and awake look. It also breathes some much-needed variation into the makeup space. Doe eyes completely contrast with the popular siren makeup trend and offer a fresher look. Below, we tapped two celebrity makeup artists for a full breakdown of the trend and their tips for recreating the look at home.
Featured experts
- Christian Briceno is celebrity and editorial makeup artist
- Erika La’Pearl is a celebrity makeup artist and I-ENVY Lashes ambassador
What is doe-eye makeup?
The name of this trend alludes to a wide-eyed, bright and innocent look—think Bambi or other cute Disney characters with babydoll aesthetics. “It’s all about making the eyes appear larger for a more youthful look,” says celebrity and editorial makeup artist Christian Briceno. That said, it features a few staple elements including fluttering lashes, round shapes and an intensified look. “The doe-eye look blends diffused lines with well-blended shades and highlighting tones to create a more rounded and innocent shape,” says Briceno. While you can’t exactly change the shape of your eyes with makeup, celebrity makeup artist Erika La’Pearl notes that the idea is to create the illusion of bigger and brighter eyes for a more awakened appearance.
Doe-eye makeup vs. siren eyes
With the popularity of doe-eyed makeup growing on TikTok, it’s natural to want to compare it to the trendy siren eyes look. However, the pros note that aside from being an eye makeup style, the two couldn’t be more different. Briceno explains that siren eyes are designed to create a lifted look by dragging the product up and outward for a smokey, elongated wing shape. “Doe eyes uses the shadows differently, usually keeping them inside the eye space to emphasize the round shape,” adds La’Pearl.
How to do doe-eye makeup
Since this look is all about a wide and awake look, recreating it takes a bit of knowledge and a handful of products. To begin, Briceno suggests prepping the eye area with a skin-care-focused routine. “Exfoliating pads will help make your skin look brighter and following with a light moisturizer or primer like Mineral Fusion Luminous Pore-Refining Primer ($26) adds a touch of glow.” Once your skin is prepped, it’s time to get to work with the shadows.
Both the experts note that you’ll want to start with a nude or bone eyeshadow shade as the base to help build the intense look. If you want to add an extra pop to your doe eyes Briceno says that adding a dab of shimmery light color to the center of the eyelid usually does the trick. After applying the base shadows, La’Pearl says that eyeliner is the next key step. “A nude liner applied to the inner waterline helps open up your eyes to create the doe effect.”
No doe-eyed makeup look is complete without a set of fluffy lashes. “This is the final and most important step,” says Briceno. If you’re using mascara, he recommends curling your natural lashes first and applying the product with precision. “Concentrate the mascara on the center of the lashes, and add a coat to the lower lashes for more eye expression,” he notes.
False lashes are a good way to amplify the look and add intensity to doe eyes. However, this look is more about enhancing the appearance of your natural lashes than adding lots of length or volume. That said, La’Pearl suggests using a wispy style, like i-ENVY Classic Timeless Wispy Lashes ($5) that allows you to customize the look.
