Best False Lashes for Deep Set Eyes: Reach Past the Shadow

Eye shape guide

Deep set eyes sit further back in the socket, behind a brow bone that projects forward over them. The lash line lives in that shadow, which means a lash has two jobs rather than one: it has to be long enough to reach past the recess, and light enough to still read as lashes once it gets there. Most people solve the first and make the second worse.

Quick answer

Buy on the maximum. On a deep set eye the longest fibre is the number that matters, because it is the part that clears the socket. Astral has the longest tip we make at 15mm.
Curl matters as much as length. The lash needs to travel forward out of the recess, not just upward into the brow bone.
Go lighter, not darker. A dense black lash in an already-shadowed socket reads as more shadow. Brown fibre and clear bands are counter-intuitively better here.
Choose texture over density. Wispy and criss-cross constructions let light through, so the lash reads as separate hairs rather than a dark mass.
Skip anything under 10mm. Merida, Serena and Fantasy are lovely lashes that will disappear on you.
If you wear glasses, your longest option is Belle at 12mm. Everything longer is marked not glasses compatible.

Written by Shirley Be, Youthphoria founderPharmacist (BPharm), cosmetic chemist, 5x certified master lash artist and skin therapist. Shirley sees clients in person at Youthphoria's Balwyn North salon in Melbourne.

How to tell if your eyes are deep set

Turn side on to a mirror and look at your profile, or take a photo from the side. If your brow bone projects further forward than your eyeball does, your eyes are deep set. From the front you will usually also notice that the space between your lash line and your brow looks short and shadowed, and that your crease is often lost in that shadow even though it is definitely there.

The second check is a light one. Stand under a downward light such as a bathroom ceiling light. Deep set eyes cast a distinct shadow across the upper lid that does not move when you raise your brows, because it is coming from bone rather than skin.

Deep set is not hooded, and the difference changes what you buy. Hooded means a fold of skin sits in front of your lash line. Deep set means your eye sits behind a prominent brow bone. Both hide the lash, so people confuse them constantly, but hooding is solved by a high minimum fibre length while deep set is solved by a long maximum and real curl. If you have both, you need both, which narrows things considerably.

The rule: buy on the maximum

On a hooded eye the shortest fibre decides whether the lash is visible, because anything below the fold line is hidden. On a deep set eye it is the other way around. The socket does not hide part of your lash line, it sets the whole thing back, so what you need is reach. The tip of the lash is the part that comes forward past the brow bone and catches light, and that is the longest fibre.

Styles ranked by longest fibre, the reach number
Style	Length	Reach	Shape	Glasses
Astral	7 to 15mm	15mm	Wispy, round	No
Divine	8 to 14.5mm	14.5mm	Flared cat-eye	No
Mystic	9 to 14.5mm	14.5mm	Flared cat-eye	No
Crystal	8.5 to 14mm	14mm	Flared, textured, wispy	No
Tiana	6 to 14mm	14mm	Flared	No
Tiger Lily	9 to 14mm	14mm	Round, doll-eye	No
Mulan	5 to 13mm	13mm	Flared	No
Belle	5 to 12mm	12mm	Flared cat-eye	Yes
Rapunzel	8 to 12mm	12mm	Round, doll-eye	No
Dream	8 to 12mm	12mm	Wispy, round, clear band	No

Length alone is not enough. You need direction too.

This is where deep set eyes differ from every other shape in this series. A long lash that points straight up runs into the brow bone, which is the thing causing the problem in the first place. What you want is a lash that travels forward and outward, so the tips emerge from under the brow and into the light.

Two things get you that. The first is the curl built into the lash, which is why a well-curled 12mm style can outperform a straighter 14mm one. The second is your own lashes: curl them before you apply anything, because a curled natural lash tucks up into the false band and pushes the whole assembly forward. On a deep set eye that step is not optional, it is half the result.

The counter-intuitive part: go lighter, not darker

The instinct with a shadowed eye is to add definition, which usually means more black. On a deep set eye that backfires. Your socket is already casting a shadow across the lid, and a dense black band with dense black fibre adds a second layer of darkness in the same place. The eye reads the whole area as one dark recess, and the lashes stop being legible as lashes.

Three ways to go the other way, all of which we make:

Brown fibre. Reads as a lighter, softer lash line that separates from the shadow rather than merging into it. Lucinda and Ariel are both made in brown, and the whole brown range is worth a look for this reason.
Clear bands. The Crystal Clear range removes the dark line at the base entirely, so the only dark thing on your lid is the fibre itself. Dream at 8mm to 12mm is the one with enough reach.
Skip heavy black liner. A thick black line in a recessed socket closes the eye visually. Keep it thin, or use the clear adhesive liner with a Crystal Clear band.

Texture beats density

A solid, uniformly dense lash in a shadowed socket reads as a dark block. A criss-cross or wispy construction has gaps in it, and those gaps let light through so the eye reads individual hairs with depth behind them. On a deep set eye that difference is much more visible than it is on a prominent one.

Astral is the best of both here: 15mm of reach in a wispy round construction. Crystal does the same at mega volume, and Dream is the clear band version.

The picks

Astral

7mm to 15mm wispy round on a fully invisible magnetic band. The longest tips we make, in a textured construction that lets light through. The single best answer for a deep set eye.

Shop Astral, $49

Mystic

9mm to 14.5mm flared cat-eye on an invisible band. Nearly the same reach as Astral with an elongating shape, and the high 9mm minimum means it also handles a hood.

Shop Mystic, $49

Crystal

8.5mm to 14mm flared, textured and wispy at mega volume on a narrow 31mm band. Reach plus texture plus drama, and the narrower band suits deep set eyes that are not especially wide.

Shop Crystal, $39

Tiger Lily

9mm to 14mm round doll-eye mega volume. Puts the reach through the centre of the eye rather than the corner, which opens a recessed eye upward as well as forward.

Shop Tiger Lily, $39

Belle

5mm to 12mm defined cat-eye in full Russian volume, and the longest glasses compatible style we make. The pick if the 14mm options are ruled out by your lenses.

Shop Belle, $39

Dream

8mm to 12mm wispy round criss-cross on a 27mm Crystal Clear band. Reach without adding any darkness at the base, which is the whole problem on a deep set eye.

Shop Dream, $39

What to skip

Anything with a maximum under 10mm. Merida (4mm to 9mm), Serena (5mm to 9mm), Fantasy (5mm to 9mm) and Jasmine (8mm to 10mm) simply do not reach past the recess. They are excellent lashes on a prominent or level eye.
Dense black on a dense black band, for the shadow-on-shadow reason above.
Heavy black liner along the whole lash line. Keep it thin, or go clear.
Straight, uncurled styles. Reach without direction just puts the tips into your brow bone.

Deep set, and something else

Deep set and hooded

The hardest combination in this series, because you need a long maximum and a high minimum at the same time. Only three styles do both: Mystic (9mm to 14.5mm), Tiger Lily (9mm to 14mm) and Divine (8mm to 14.5mm). See the hooded eyes guide for the rest.

Deep set and downturned

Reach, but through the centre rather than the corner, since a flare on a downturned eye deepens the droop. Tiger Lily and Astral are the two that give you length without a corner gradient. See the downturned eyes guide.

Deep set almond

The most forgiving version. Almond proportions take a long lash well, so you can simply take the reach and choose the shape you like: Mystic to elongate, Astral to keep it soft. See the almond eyes guide.

Deep set and round

Round wants elongation and deep set wants reach, which combine neatly. Divine at 8mm to 14.5mm has both a long maximum and a 6.5mm spread, so it does the two jobs at once. See the round eyes guide.

Deep set and glasses

The awkward one, because the reach you need is the reach that brushes a lens. Belle at 12mm is your longest compatible option, then Elsa, Humble and Pocahontas at 11mm. Fastbond clusters are also worth considering, since you cut the length yourself.

Application: three changes for a recessed eye

Curl your natural lashes first, and hold the curler for a full ten seconds at the base. On a deep set eye this is the step that pushes the whole lash forward out of the socket, and skipping it wastes the length you paid for.

Apply with your eye open, looking down into a mirror held below eye level. A recessed lash line is hard to see from directly in front, and applying with the eye closed puts the band in the wrong place relative to the shadow.

Check the result in normal overhead light, not in a well-lit magnifying mirror. The magnifier removes the exact shadow you are trying to work with, so a lash that looks perfect there can disappear the moment you stand up.

Full technique is on our how to apply magnetic eyelashes page. Cared for properly, Youthphoria magnetic and clear band lashes give 30+ wears.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best false lashes for deep set eyes?

Long styles with real curl and a textured construction. On a deep set eye the longest fibre is the number that matters, because it is the part that reaches past the brow bone into the light. Astral at 7mm to 15mm is the best all-round answer, Mystic at 9mm to 14.5mm suits deep set plus hooded, and Belle at 5mm to 12mm is the longest option if you wear glasses.

How do I know if I have deep set eyes?

Look at your profile in a mirror or a side-on photo. If your brow bone projects further forward than your eyeball, your eyes are deep set. From the front, the space between your lash line and your brow will look short and shadowed, and your crease often disappears into that shadow even though it is present.

What is the difference between deep set and hooded eyes?

Deep set means the eye sits back behind a prominent brow bone. Hooded means a fold of upper eyelid skin sits in front of the lash line. Both hide the lash, which is why they get confused, but the fixes differ. Hooding is solved by a high minimum fibre length so nothing is lost behind the fold, while deep set is solved by a long maximum and strong curl so the tips reach forward out of the recess.

Should deep set eyes wear dark or light lashes?

Lighter, which surprises most people. A deep set socket already casts a shadow across the lid, so a dense black band with dense black fibre adds darkness on top of darkness and the whole area reads as one recess. Brown fibre separates from the shadow instead of merging into it, and a clear band removes the dark line at the base entirely. Keep liner thin, or use a clear adhesive liner.

Do deep set eyes need long lashes?

Longer than most, yes, but direction matters as much as length. A long lash that points straight up runs into the brow bone. What works is length combined with curl, so the tips travel forward and out of the socket. Curling your natural lashes before you apply is half the result, because a curled natural lash pushes the false band forward.

Can you wear false lashes with deep set eyes and glasses?

Yes, with a compromise. The reach a deep set eye wants is the same reach that brushes a lens, so most 14mm styles are marked not glasses compatible. Belle at 12mm is the longest compatible option, followed by Elsa, Humble and Pocahontas at 11mm. Fastbond cluster press-ons are another route, since you trim the length yourself.

How long do these lashes last?

Youthphoria magnetic and clear band lashes are reusable for 30+ wears when cleaned and stored in their case after each use. Fastbond press-on clusters are single use and stay on for up to 10 days at a time.

Reach past the shadow

Every style with the reach to clear a deep set socket, ordered longest first. Or have Shirley look at your eye depth in person in Melbourne.

Shop lashes for deep set eyes Take the lash finder