EYE MAXXING: A TIMELINE OF CHASING BIGGER EYES

Eye maxxing might sound like another TikTok buzzword, but the obsession behind it is far older than social media.

At its simplest, eye maxxing is the idea of making your eyes appear larger, brighter or more striking. On TikTok, that can mean everything from lash serums and brown eyeliner to canthal tilt discussions, circle lenses and even surgery. The name is new. The pursuit isn't.

Long before algorithms existed, beauty trends were already revolving around the eyes.

Twiggy's painted lower lashes in the 1960s deliberately exaggerated the size of her eyes, creating one of the most recognisable beauty looks in history. Through the 1980s and 1990s, dramatic eyeliner, volumising mascara and carefully shaped brows all worked towards the same goal of making the eyes the focal point of the face.

In East Asia, circle lenses became hugely popular for their ability to make the iris appear larger, while double eyelid tape and later cosmetic procedures reflected different beauty ideals around eye shape. None of these trends were called eye maxxing at the time, but they all shared the same intention.

More recently, beauty trends like the fox eye look shifted the conversation again. Instead of making eyes simply appear bigger, the focus became creating a lifted, elongated shape through makeup, brow placement and, for some, cosmetic treatments. The trend sparked debate around cultural appropriation, unrealistic beauty standards and the increasing overlap between makeup and cosmetic procedures.

TikTok has simply packaged decades of beauty techniques under one new label.

Part of the reason eye maxxing has taken off is because it sits inside the broader world of looks maxxing, where people share advice on maximising their appearance through grooming, skincare, fitness, fashion and cosmetic enhancements. While some of the advice is harmless, like learning how to shape your brows or apply eyeliner differently, other corners of the internet push unproven claims or encourage invasive procedures without much discussion of the risks.

That's where the conversation becomes more complicated.

Not every beauty technique belongs in the same category. A lash lift isn't the same as surgery. Trying a new eyeliner placement isn't comparable to altering your facial structure. Social media often presents these things side by side, making them feel like equally casual decisions when they're not.

What I find interesting about eye maxxing isn't the trend itself. It's what it says about how beauty evolves.

Every generation gives the same pursuit a new name. Bigger eyes. Higher cheekbones. Fuller lips. More defined brows. The tools change, but the desire to enhance certain features rarely does.

In some ways, beauty has become more accessible. People are sharing techniques that were once kept within the fashion industry or passed between makeup artists. Someone can learn to shape their brows, lift their lashes or use eyeliner to complement their natural eye shape without spending thousands of dollars.

That's the version of eye maxxing I actually like.

It's people experimenting, finding techniques that suit them and feeling more confident because of it.

Where I become more cautious is when makeup, cosmetic treatments and surgery all get grouped together as though they're interchangeable. They're not. One washes off at the end of the day. The others can permanently change your face.

Maybe that's why eye maxxing fascinates me.

Not because it's a revolutionary beauty trend, but because it proves the beauty industry has always found new ways to describe the same old pursuit.

With love (and frankness),

Bea x