HOW TO DO WINGED EYELINER
If there’s a make up technique everybody should master, it’s how to do a winged eyeliner . But unfortunately, not everyone has nailed how to achieve this classic eye make up look. From overlining your eyes to transferring pigments, getting your eyeliner to sit exactly where you place it requires steady hands and a little bit of dedication... which is why here at Cult Beauty, we’re going to teach you how to do winged eyeliner to rival Marilyn Monroe.
In This Article:
- How To Create A Cat Eyeliner Look
- How To Do Winged Eyeliner on Hooded Eyes
- How To Do Double Winged Eyeliner
- Winged Eyeliner FAQs
HOW TO CREATE A CAT EYELINER LOOK
Dating back to ancient times and adored by the likes of Cleopatra, the cat eyeliner look was embraced by the early Egyptians and Mesopotamians. In more recent times, a winged eyeliner make up look has graced the faces of everyone from Amy Winehouse and Sophia Loren to Audrey Hepburn, Dita Von Tesse and Billie Eilish... just to name a few. But how to a winged eyeliner that’s perfectly placed? Get your liquid liners at the ready...
Prep your eyes with either a loose setting powder, eye primer or a nude hued eyeshadow. - Using a liquid eyeliner, lay the applicator flat against the outer corner of your eye following the natural extension of your lower lash line as a guide.
- Slowly draw a diagonal line starting from the outer corner of the eye towards the centre of your eye.
- Draw along the lash line from the inner corner to the outer joining your feline flick.
- If there are any blank spots fill them in.
If your make a mistake, use an angled brush and make up remover to fix it and create a sharper line.
HOW TO DO WINGED EYELINER ON HOODED EYES
If your blessed with sultry hooded eyes, learning how to do winged eyeliner on your particular eye shape is slightly different. This is because of the excess skin above your eyes hiding the majority of your make up artistry. As such, doing a winged eyeliner on your hooded eyes means your need to create the illusion of bigger eyes without tugging and pulling back your eye shape. Simple follow the steps below:
Look into your mirror straight ahead and keep your eyes looking relaxed. This will help you determine exactly where to place your eyeliner. - If your lid folds over the crease of your eyelid on the outer corner, you may need to adopt the ‘batwing’ method of drawing straight across that fold and connecting to the line on your upper lash line. When you close your eyes or look downwards your eyeliner should look like a bat wing or check mark.
- Don’t be afraid of winging out your liner further than you think. Because of the excess skin, those with hooded eyes can get away with drawing a more exaggerated flick than those with an open lid.
- Try the reverse eyeliner method of following your lower lash line and using that as your guide instead of applying your eyeliner on your top lid and winging it out. This method works best with an eyeliner pencil that you can smudge and blend for a more subtle sign off.
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HOW TO DO DOUBLE WINGED EYELINER
More dramatic and bold than the other types of eyeliner looks, a double winged eyeliner is essentially creating a traditional cat eye flick that is then mimicked on the lower lash line. Now it’s your turn to have a go...
- Draw your cat eye as you would normally using your favourite liquid liner.
Using an eyeliner pencil or dark brown eyeshadow and angled make up brush, delicately etch a line below your lashes following the feline flick you drew above. - If the line is too harsh, blend it out with a make up brush but be sure to always maintain the sharp line of the flick.
- To exaggerate the look, you can use a nude-coloured eyeliner pencil to tightline the lower lash line and make your eyes look bigger.
Finish off with a few coats of your favourite mascara or fake lashes.
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WINGED EYELINER FAQs
How to cheat winged eyeliner?
There are a couple of ways to cheat a perfectly placed winged eyeliner. The most common method is using tape placed exactly where you want your eyeliner to be. This negates the need to be delicate and precise, as once you remove the tape the eyeliner will be sharp and straight. Another hack is the dot-and-draw method. This is where you place dots across your eyes where you want your line to be and then simply connect them.
Should eyeliner go on top or bottom?
This is dependent on your eye shape and the look you want to achieve. For a lifted, open and more defined eye, your eyeliner should typically go on the top of your lash line. However, if you want something more dramatic and bolder, lining your lower lash line is ideal for a full glam or smoky sign off.
Does eyeliner go over or under lashes?
Again, this depends on the make up look you want. Most people usually use their eyeliner over their lashes to create graphic lines, feline flicks and bold and defined finishes. However, you can also use an eyeliner under your lashes to tightline your eyes. Typically, a waterproof pencil is used to tightline and is the perfect way to make your lashes look fuller and your eyes more defined without looking like you’re wearing any eyeliner.
And there you have it—your crash course in how to do winged eyeliner without the meltdown! Whether you're going for a cat eye vibe or a soft, flirty flick, remember practice (with the help of Q-tips and micellar water) makes perfect.
Rina is Cult Beauty’s Midweight SEO Copywriter and has always had a passion for beauty and skin care (rich moisturisers are her obsession). What started as a love for The Body Shop and their famed Born Lippy lip balms (in ‘Watermelon’ of course!), she is now more interested in finding products with proven effectiveness instead of broken promises. A loud and proud VIEVE fan, Rina owns nearly every item of the range and recommends the brand to anyone who will listen... When she’s not intently reading ingredient lists, you can find her either immersed in multiple true crime podcasts or a fantasy romance novel, with an *extra* hot cappuccino in hand.
