Eyes and lids

Lids and creases

Many upper eyelids have a crease a few millimetres above the lashes, where a band from the lid-lifting muscle meets the skin. Lids without a visible crease are monolids; lids where a fold of skin covers the crease are hooded. An epicanthic fold covers the inner corner of the eye. These forms are common among peoples of East, Central and North Asia, the Americas and parts of Africa, and in babies everywhere.

Tilt and colour

Canthal tilt is the angle of the line from the inner to the outer corner of the eye; most people's is slightly upturned. Iris colour comes from melanin: brown, the world's most common colour, has a lot; blue has little. Many genes are involved, so eye colour does not follow the simple rules once taught in schools. Heterochromia, two colours, is uncommon and usually harmless.

Framing the eyes

Eyes are where some of the oldest makeup is worn: kohl in ancient Egypt, kajal in South Asia and surma across the Islamic world. Makeup artists adapt liner and shadow to each lid, and opticians check that frames sit at the right height for the eyes and the brow. Lash length and thickness are largely inherited.

Famous eyes face guides

Epicanthic foldSkin fold over the inner corner of the eyeMonolidsUpper lids without a visible creaseEyelidIts crease and fold shape the eyeCanthusThe eye corners that set its tiltEye colorSet by melanin in the irisEyelashFramed by kohl, kajal and mascara

Further reading

• Epicanthic fold on Wikipedia
• Eye color on Wikipedia