The four inputs the classifier uses

Canthal tilt. The angle between the inner and outer corner of the eye. Positive tilt (outer corner higher) above 5 degrees indicates upturned; negative tilt below 0 degrees indicates downturned. Neutral tilt sits between 0 and 5 degrees and combines with the other inputs.

Crease visibility. Whether a defined upper-lid crease is present and at what height above the lash line. Absent crease indicates monolid. A crease partially hidden by an overhanging upper-orbital ridge indicates hooded.

Upper-lid coverage. How much of the iris the upper lid covers in a relaxed forward gaze. Low coverage (visible sclera above the iris) shifts toward round. High coverage (lid touching pupil) shifts toward hooded.

Eye aperture ratio. The height-to-width ratio of the visible eye opening. Lower ratios (longer, narrower) shift toward almond or monolid. Higher ratios (more circular) shift toward round.

The seven eye shapes

Almond

The reference shape. Slight outward tilt, defined crease, balanced lid coverage. Almond eyes provide the most flexibility for makeup and brow shaping decisions.

Round

Visible sclera around the iris. Aperture ratio above 0.5. Reads as expressive and youthful. Makeup goal is usually to elongate horizontally.

Hooded

Upper-lid coverage above 0.4 with the crease partly or fully hidden by an overhanging ridge. Common with age but also present from genetics. Makeup goal is usually to lift the visible lid space.

Monolid

No visible upper-lid crease. Aperture ratio low. Common in East Asian and some Central Asian populations. Makeup goal is usually to add dimension along the lash line.

Upturned

Positive canthal tilt above 5 degrees. Outer corner sits higher than the inner. Reads as alert and youthful. Makeup goal is usually to balance with subtle inner-corner enhancement.

Downturned

Negative canthal tilt below 0 degrees. Outer corner sits lower than the inner. Reads as soft. Makeup goal is usually to lift the outer corner visually.

Deep-set

Eyes sit recessed under a prominent brow ridge with visible upper-orbital depth. Reads as intense. Makeup goal is usually to add light to the recessed lid space.

Combination

Most real eyes combine two shapes. Almond plus upturned is common. Hooded plus downturned is common. The test returns the dominant shape with the secondary read.

How to take the photo for the cleanest read

Forward gaze with iris centered in the visible opening. Camera at eye level. Flat daylight without strong overhead shadow. Eyes fully open in a relaxed expression, not strained. No glasses. Eyelashes mascara-free if possible to keep the lash line visible.

Downcast gaze, partial squint, and overhead shadow are the three most common input errors. Each can shift the classification by one full shape. If confidence comes back under 70 percent, retake with relaxed forward gaze under diffuse daylight.

Eye direction and openness are central to executive-presence reads — recruiters and investors scan the eye line first. The LinkedIn / Executive Pro Audit ($49) scores the same eye metrics weighted for confidence and trust signals on LinkedIn primary photos.

Honest limits

  • Orbital bone structure does not change in adults. Deep-set eyes do not become almond eyes without surgery; the underlying anatomy is fixed.
  • Periorbital puffiness from sleep, sodium, or allergens can shift a same-day classification by one shape. Re-test on a well-rested morning for the stable read.
  • Brow shaping changes the apparent hood and is the largest free lever. A higher brow line reduces visible hooding by a measurable amount.
  • Makeup recommendations from the report are starting points calibrated to the dominant shape. Individual preference always overrides; the report is a base, not a prescription.
  • Eye shape interacts with canthal tilt and eye area aesthetic. The full report shows all three together for the complete picture.

Wide-set vs close-set eyes — the 60-second explainer

The episode as straight text — no fluff, no dodge:

Are your eyes wide set or close set? And what does that spacing actually mean?

Eye spacing measures the gap between your inner eye corners, compared to the width of one eye.

The old artist's rule says about one eye width apart. That is a drawing convention, not a law of attractiveness.

Here is the honest part. Turn your head even slightly, and your spacing reads wider or narrower than it really is.

It is so photo sensitive that we refuse to fold it into any overall score. It is a measurement, not a verdict.

Glasses frames and brow grooming change how spacing reads. That changes the look, not the bone.

See your real number, measured straight on. One of seventeen measurements, free, at realsmile.online.

Measure your eye spacing free →

Eye shape test FAQ

What are the standard eye shapes a test should distinguish?+
A clean classifier returns one of seven shapes: almond, round, hooded, monolid, upturned, downturned, and deep-set. Almond is the reference shape (oval with a slight outward tilt). Round shows visible sclera around the iris with low upper-lid coverage. Hooded shows partial upper-lid coverage by an overhanging brow ridge. Monolid lacks a defined crease above the lash line. Upturned has a positive canthal tilt above 5 degrees. Downturned has a negative canthal tilt below 0 degrees. Deep-set sits recessed under a prominent brow ridge with visible upper orbital depth. Many real eyes combine two shapes (almond plus upturned, or hooded plus downturned); the test returns the dominant shape with the secondary signal.
How does the test classify the eye from a photo?+
The test measures four inputs from facial landmarks. Canthal tilt: the angle between the inner and outer corner of the eye. Crease visibility: whether a defined upper-lid crease is present and at what height. Upper-lid coverage: how much of the iris the upper lid covers in a neutral resting state. Eye aperture: the height-to-width ratio of the visible opening. The combination maps to one of the seven shapes and to a confidence band that reflects how cleanly the eye fits the prototype. A confidence under 70 percent usually means the photo had glare, downcast gaze, or partial lid closure that biased one of the inputs.
Why does eye shape interact with attractiveness?+
Three published mechanisms link eye shape to attractiveness ratings. First, canthal tilt: Cunningham (1986) and Said & Todorov (2011) found upturned eyes correlated with higher attractiveness ratings in both sexes, with a stronger effect in male faces. Second, eye-to-face ratio: larger relative eye size correlates with neoteny and is rated as more attractive in female faces (Cunningham et al., 1995). Third, limbal visibility: visible sclera around the iris (the "puppy eye" effect) interacts with perceived emotion and trustworthiness (Willis & Todorov, 2006). Eye shape is not a single attractiveness signal; it is a configuration that interacts with the rest of the face.
Can I change my eye shape?+
Bone structure (orbital ridge depth, supraorbital projection) does not change in adults. Soft-tissue eye shape responds to three categories of intervention. First, fat distribution: periorbital fat loss reveals deeper-set anatomy that was hidden by fullness. Second, lid hygiene: chronic puffiness from sleep deprivation, sodium, or allergens can shift apparent shape from almond toward round or hooded by 10 to 20 percent. Third, brow shaping: where you set the brow line changes how hooded the upper lid reads, often by an amount large enough to shift the dominant classification on the test. None of the three changes orbital bone; all three change the visible shape.
What is the relationship between eye shape and canthal tilt?+
Canthal tilt is one of the four inputs the eye shape test uses, but it is a separate metric in its own right. The dedicated canthal tilt test on the site scores the angle alone with population norm comparison. Two eyes can share an almond shape but have very different canthal tilts; conversely, two eyes can share the same canthal tilt but be classified differently because their crease and lid coverage inputs differ. If you have already taken the canthal tilt test, the eye shape test adds the other three inputs to put your tilt in geometric context.
Why do different photo angles change my eye shape result?+
Eye shape is sensitive to gaze direction and head pose. A downcast gaze increases apparent hooding by 30 to 50 percent. A head tilt of 8 degrees can shift apparent canthal tilt by 2 to 4 degrees, enough to move an eye from almond to upturned classification. The test normalizes for head pose using facial landmarks but cannot correct for gaze direction; the photo must show a forward-facing gaze with the iris centered. Re-take with relaxed gaze straight at the camera if the first scan returned low confidence.
How does eye shape interact with the full 17-metric scan?+
The 17-metric scan includes canthal tilt, eye area aesthetic, and inter-canthal distance as separate metrics. The eye shape classification gives the geometric type that those three metrics sit inside. A high score on eye area aesthetic looks different on an almond-shaped eye versus a monolid eye, and the makeup and grooming recommendations differ accordingly. The full report includes the shape classification plus the three eye-related metrics scored in the context of that shape.
What does the $14.99 PDF unlock for eye shape?+
The free test returns the dominant shape and the confidence band. The $14.99 report adds the four input values with population comparison, a written interpretation of how your specific eye configuration interacts with your brow, cheekbone, and midface metrics, ranked makeup and grooming suggestions for your specific shape, and the 30-day action plan for the soft-tissue and brow levers that can shift the read.

Seven shapes. Four inputs. Makeup and brow picks calibrated to yours.

Unlock the eye-shape report.

$14.99 unlocks the full 17-metric PDF: four input values with population comparison, eye-shape interpretation, and 30-day brow and makeup action plan.

Unlock The Report — $14.99 →or try the free score first

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Free, instant, private. Seven possible shapes, four ratio inputs — plus 16 more metrics in the full scan.

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