There’s something about a classic cat eye that is simply stunning.
The look is fresh, retro, and timeless all at once. It’s also one of the best ways to make your makeup look ultra-romantic.
Creating the perfect cat eye is a difficult technique to master.
Because your eyeliner is taking center stage, each eye has to have an identical width, shape, and angle.
With the right tools and some tutorials, however, you’ll be rocking the winged eyeliner look in no time. Plus, there are a few different takes on this trend that bring the difficulty level down a few notches.
THE CLASSIC CAT EYE
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE CLASSIC CAT EYE:
Eyeliner Stylo – NARS – $28
Pump‘N’Volume Mascara – Dior – $30
Legendary Lipstick in Bing – Smashbox – $21
HOW TO GET THE PERFECT CAT EYE:
To begin, find a liquid eyeliner that is easy to control. A pen with a pointed tip is the most popular and most effective. Start by faintly drawing a line that starts at the outer corner of your eye.
Ideally, the angle of your “flick” will continue the upward line of your bottom lid. Then, add eyeliner to your lash line like you normally would.
When you get to the end, connect it to the line you originally drew.
From there, fill in and extend the line of your cat eye to make it more dramatic. Once you have both sides looking perfect, add some mascara to really plump up your lashes.
Finally, add a statement lipstick and you’re good to go. A bright red lip always looks classy, while corals and pinks add extra pop.
Beauty blogger Eman has a super helpful “How To” guide on YouTube that will walk you through creating the perfect cat eye.
HELPFUL TIP TO GET PERFECT CAT EYE
If you are having trouble creating that perfect “flick,” use a piece of tape as your guide. Place a small square at the outer corner of your eye and angle it upward.
Then, trace the edge with eyeliner. When you take it off – Voila! You should have a crisp, clean line at exactly the right angle. If you feel silly using Scotch tape from your desk drawer, there is also tape specifically designed to create flawless cat eyes.
Line & Define Eye Tape – E.L.F. Cosmetics – $2
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET THE SMOKY CAT EYE:
Smudge Kajal Eyeliner – Stila – $20
Mad for Matte Holy Smokes Eyeshadow Palette – E.L.F. Cosmetics – $10
Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette – Urban Decay Cosmetics – $54
Eye Enhancing Brushes – Ecotools – $7
Girly Up Lash – Benefit Cosmetics – $15
Sunbeam Golden Goddess Highlighter – Benefit Cosmetics
Nude Creme Lipstick Set – KKW Beauty – $144 (also sold individually)
HOW TO GET THE SMOKY CAT EYE:
The smoky eye is an evening wear staple. Deep, dark, and beautiful, it your eye makeup will pop even more when you add winged liner.
For this look, you’ll use an eyeliner pencil to create your desired shape. After drawing an initial line, you’ll smudge the line to get a smoky, smudgy effect.
The trick here is that you want to be precise, but you don’t want it too look too perfect.
After applying eyeshadow to your lids, use a black eyeshadow to enhance the outer corner of your eye. Use the smudgy line you initially created as a guide.
Once that is complete, line your entire lash line and apply false lashes for added drama. Lashes that gradually get longer towards your eye’s outer corner will make the entire look come to life.
Smokey eyes look best when paired with a gorgeous glow. Use a liquid highlighter and a natural nude lipstick to create this fabulous effect.
For a tutorial on how to create this look, check out YouTuber Jaclyn Hill’s awesome video. She has great tips and tricks that will turn you into a cat eye pro.
HELPFUL TIP TO GET SMOKY CAT EYE
Powder can get everywhere when you are creating a smoky eye.
To prevent your smoky eye from spreading to the rest of your face, try a lid primer. Applying a primer to you lids before applying makeup is helpful for a variety of reasons. It not only helps eyeshadow go on smoother, it also keeps it in place all night long.
Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion – Urban Decay – $24
THE NATURAL CAT EYE
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET THE NATURAL CAT EYE:
Soft Matte Complete Concealer – NARS – $30
Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer – NARS – $45
No Blush Blush – Perricone MD – $35
Need It Nude Eyeshadow Palette – E.L.F. Cosmetics – $10
M165 Angled Liner/Brow Brush – Morphe – $3
HOW TO GET NATURAL CAT EYE:
Cat eyes are awesome, but they’re also usually dramatic.
Luckily, there is also a cat eye look you can wear absolutely every day. Easy to create, this doesn’t rely on messy liquid eyeliners.
All you need to create this look is dark eyeshadow and an angled brush.
Begin by applying concealer, foundation, and blush to create a “no makeup” makeup look on your face.
After applying a natural colored eyeshadow, grab a dark shade and get ready to draw your cat eye. An angled brush actually makes it easy to create that perfect line at your eye’s outer corner.
Plus, if you mess up, powder is easier to clean up than actual eyeliner. Once you have the initial line in place, continue using the angled brush. Just blend dark powder into your lash line make it look more natural
To see this cat eye look in action, make-up maven Joanna Spicer shows us how. Her look ends up a bit more dramatic, but the technique is exactly the same.
Feel free to skip to the 2-minute mark if you only want to check out her amazing cat eye skills.
HELPFUL TIP TO GET NATURAL CAT EYES
If you want an everyday cat eye look that is still natural, consider applying individual false lashes. Placing a few on the outer corners of your eye will draw attention to the subtle cat eye you’ve created.
Plus, they are so small that it won’t look like you are wearing fake eyelashes at all. It will just look like you are having a really, really good lash day.
