This timeless beauty look has graced the lids of style icons from Cleopatra to Adele, but recreating the perfect feline flick can be notoriously tricky to master. If your latest attempts are looking a little more wonky than winged, read on for our step-by-step guide to achieving winged eyeliner excellence…
Step 1
There are differing opinions on where to begin your liner, but we recommend starting with the flick. This is the most crucial part of the look – and may require a bit of rubbing out to get right – so best to do it first rather than risk smudging your carefully drawn lash line.
Close your eye and, using your lower lash line as a starting point, draw up and away from the eye at a slant. Try to make the angle of the line follow on from the natural curve of your lower lash line. Extend this line further than you think, as it will look shorter with your eye open.
Step 2
Now, starting where you finished step 1 – at the end of the flick – draw a line back towards the upper lash line, finishing around the outer edge of your iris. The further in that you finish this line, the thicker your overall liner will look. You should now have what looks like a little triangle, or arrowhead.
Step 3
At this stage, you want to repeat steps 1 and 2 on the other eye to ensure that your two cat eye flicks are even. Next, you need to draw a thin line of eyeliner across your eyelid to connect the flick with your tear duct. Start where your triangle meets the lash line and draw in toward your tear duct. Make sure to apply the liner thinner as you move towards the inner corner of your eye for a true cat eye shape.
Step 4
Now it’s time to fill in and thicken your line if you so wish. Using an angled eyeliner brush or pen can help you get the most precise line.
Step 5
Fill in your triangle for the final step in your gorgeous cat-eye look.
Step 6
If you’ve managed steps 1-6 without a hiccup, then bravo, we bow down to your beauty skills. However, if your eyeliner is looking less cat eye and more cockeyed at this point, use a cotton bud dipped in makeup remover, or Vaseline, to neaten up the line. Voila, go forth you cat-eyed beauties.
