If you’ve made your way onto makeup TikTok, you’re probably used to following the biggest trends as they come on the scene. As a new look becomes popular, makeup tutorials begin to appear left and right - and not just on Tiktok, but on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, too. If you know what I’m talking about, then you’re probably familiar with the term “doe eyes.” If not, here’s all you need to know: it’s the trendiest makeup look out there right now, and everybody wants to know how to do it.

There are a few ways to go about achieving doe eyes. Some people work in white eyeliner, some use DIY lash extensions, and some do it with just a simple eyeliner pencil and some mascara. If you’re looking for the best way to make this new look work for you, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to rock the trendiest makeup look out there for your next night on the town. 

What Are Doe Eyes?

In case you haven’t heard of doe eyes yet, here’s what you need to know: doe eyes are sort of like a sister to a previous makeup trend, siren eyes. You’ve probably seen siren eyes before; they involve a winged eyeliner style to elongate the eyes and give the wearer a sultry look. Doe eyes, on the other hand, are going for more of an innocent look than a sultry one. Rather than elongating your eyes with makeup, you’ll achieve the doe eye look by using makeup to make your eyes appear rounder, bigger, and wider. Like a doe.

Creating the Look

If you’re not a makeup connoisseur, altering how your eye shape appears to others may seem like a difficult task, but in reality, it’s pretty simple. We have to thank those makeup pioneers before us for figuring all this out and making tutorials for those of us who are less naturally skilled with an eyeliner pencil. But the bottom line is, don’t be intimidated. Part of what’s great about doe eyes is they’re extremely easy to achieve. Here’s what you need to know.

Top Liner

The doe eye look begins with your eye liner choices. To be honest, top liner isn’t 100% necessary for this look, depending on your eye shape, your eyelashes (or DIY lash extensions if you’re opting for those), and the vibe you’re hoping to give off. If you want to go for a softer look, you can skip the top liner altogether or use a brown shade rather than black. If you’re not aiming for soft, apply a line of black eyeliner to your top eyelid, thickening the line slightly in the center of the eye. This will help your eyes appear rounder. Finally, unlike with the siren eye makeup style, don’t create much of a wing at the outside corner of your eye. A wing helps elongate the eye, so it would counteract the thicker eyeliner in the center of your eyelid that’s making your eyes look rounder and wider. Keep your top liner in the lash line for the most part, with just a flick at the end for dramatic effect. 

The Waterline

As we mentioned above, doe eyes are all about making your eyes appear rounder. That’s where white liner comes into play. You don’t want to use dark eyeliner for your waterline when you’re rocking doe eyes. Dark liner on the waterline shows everyone precisely where the bottom of your eye is; you can’t give the illusion that your eyes are rounder than they really are if you’re putting your bottom eyelid on display with dark eyeliner. Instead, you’ll want to use white liner on the waterline. Doing so will make the white in your eyes appear slightly extended, which, in turn, makes your eyes look even bigger and brighter. 

The Lashes

The lashes are the easiest part of doe eyes to achieve, in my humble opinion. If you have naturally long lashes, you’re in luck. If not, consider DIY lash extensions or even a lash lifting kit; they're simple to apply and will do wonders for your look. DIY lash extensions can also give you a little more control over the doe eye look. Not only can you potentially skip the mascara, depending on the type of lash extensions you’re using, but you can also apply longer lash extensions in the center of your eye, helping achieve that rounded, wide-eye look that doe eye makeup is all about.

If you’re not using DIY lash extensions, you’ll want to make sure you curl your lashes first. Then, apply mascara evenly across the eyelashes. You can then add a second layer to the center lashes to accentuate that area of your eyes and add to the rounded effect. The key is to ensure that you’re hitting all the lashes with your mascara, even as you accentuate the middle ones. This is in contrast to the outer lash mascara that many accentuate when applying the siren eye look. In this case, you’d go extra light towards your inner eyelashes (or skip the mascara altogether) and go heavy on the outer ones, helping to elongate the eye. Since you’re aiming for round rather than elongated eyes, you want to ensure you hit the center, middle, and outside of your eyelashes with mascara, but go for a little extra in the middle.

Conclusion

Just like that, you should have achieved the doe eye makeup look. See? It’s not too hard, and it’s certainly an easier option than the siren eye look. All you’ll need is a brown or black top liner, a white liner for the bottom, and either a good volume mascara or some DIY lash extensions. So go find the best lighting in your home and be confident. You’ll have those round, deer-in-the-headlights eyes before you know it.