Ah, liquid eyeliner, the bane of shaky-handed beauty enthusiasts all over. With its fine tip and intense pigmentation, a liquid liner is the perfect makeup product for creating a classic cat eye.
Nailing a winged eyeliner look is undoubtedly challenging for beginners and pros alike. One wrong move can undo all your progress, leaving you with no choice but to start over. And as you draw each stroke with bated breath, you can only hope that your wings turn out remotely symmetrical. Even with tons of eyeliner experience, the perfect cat eye is elusive.
Winged eyeliner will never really be the easiest part of your makeup routine. Thankfully, there are a couple of ways to make this painstaking process a bit less challenging.
In this eye makeup tutorial, we’ll guide you on how to create the perfect cat eye using liquid eyeliner and give you a few tips for smooth application. Are you ready? Let’s begin!
Step 1: Choose the right eyeliner
Using the right eyeliner can make a world of difference. We all have our own unique way of doing winged eyeliner, so choosing the “right” one ultimately boils down to preference. What type of eyeliner feels more comfortable in your hand, and what kind of look you are you going for?
A felt tip liner has a stiff tip that’s easier to draw with, but it can’t achieve super precise thin lines. A brush tip liquid applies smoothly and fluidly like a paintbrush but requires more precision and finesse.
Feel free to experiment with different products until you find what fits your makeup style. With the right tools and enough practice, you’ll master the art of the cat eye in no time. Learn how to do cat eyes with a pencil eyeliner here.
Step 2: Determine the angle of your wings
Getting the angle of your wings is tricky. Generally, you want it to go upwards and outwards, towards the tip of your eyebrow. Following your eye shape results in a more natural look. To create a straight line, take any eyeshadow brush and angle it from your nose to the outer tip of your brow and draw a dot to mark the tip of the wing. Alternatively, you can cut a piece of tape and place this along the outer corner of your eye, just beneath the bottom lash line. Do this on both eyes and make sure that the pieces of tape are positioned in the same angle.
Step 3: Draw a line from the outer corner of your eye
Position the tip of your eyeliner on the outer corner of your eye, then draw a line that follows the angle you’ve marked. To ensure that your wings are symmetrical, repeat this on the other eye before moving on to the next step. Avoid lifting your upper lid as you draw because this stretches out your skin. Instead, tilt your head back slightly and lower your eyes as you draw. This will allow you to see the true shape of your cat eyes.
Step 4: Connect the tip of the wing to your lash line
Carefully draw a line from the tip of your wing to the outer third of your upper lash line. For a bolder cat eye, extend this line to the middle of your lid. This will result in a thicker winged eyeliner. You should be left with an outline of a triangle on the outer corner of your eye.
Step 5: Fill in the outline
It’s time to put all your coloring book experience to use! Use long strokes to fill in the outline of your wings, being sure to cover any empty areas and the lash line. Try your best to color within the lines. But if you make any mistakes, don’t worry, you can clean them up later.
Step 6: Draw a line from the inner corner of your eye to the wing
Position the tip of your eyeliner at the inner corner of your eye, then draw a thin line towards the cat eye. Try your best to do this with a single, fluid brush stroke. Otherwise, your eyeliner may look jagged and uneven.
Step 7: Refine the shape
To get the tapered look of a classic cat eye, you’ll want to gradually increase the thickness of your eyeliner as you move from the inner corner to the outer edge of your eye. Examine the shape of your cat eye and use small strokes to thicken any areas if necessary. Then, go over the top edge of your eyeliner with one sweep to smoothen and refine the line. For more stability, rest your pinkie finger on your cheekbone. This will reduce shakiness and help you get a smooth, straight line.
Step 8: Check for symmetry
Once you’ve applied eyeliner on both eyes, look straight into a mirror to check the symmetry. Your cat eyes should be equally as long and thick on both eyes. You can correct any unevenness by applying more eyeliner or clean it up with makeup remover, which we’ll discuss in the next step.
Step 9: Clean up any mistakes
Take a clean cotton swab and dip it in a bit of eye makeup remover. Carefully wipe off any mistakes. You can also shorten or thin out your wings if they ended up looking too long or thick in certain areas. Alternatively, you can use a brush and concealer to cover up any excess eyeliner.
Pro tip: If applying eyeliner over eyeshadow, avoid using makeup remover as it might ruin your eye makeup. Instead, use a clean cotton swab to clean up minor mistakes You can also dip the swab in a bit of primer or eye cream to remove any excess liner.
Step 10: Apply mascara
Carefully curl your lashes then apply a few coats of your favorite mascara to complete your cat eye makeup!
Unfortunately, no makeup tutorial is one-size-fits-all. This is especially true for winged eyeliner looks, where eye shapes can drastically affect the final result. If you have round or almond-shaped eyes, consider yourself lucky because most makeup methods work well for your eye shape. Do you have a different eye shape? Check out our other step-by-step guides on winged eyeliner for hooded eyes and monolid eyes.
