HOW TO DO WINGED EYELINER

The glamorous, super-elongated eyeliner look of winged eyeliner is perfect for drawing attention to the natural beauty of your eyes or for creating a dramatic evening look. To achieve the clean, rich lines this winged eyeliner look requires, Maybelline New York advises “sketching” on eyeliner first with an easy to use pencil, then layering your liquid liner over that. This creates extra-rich, high-impact eye color that looks incredible and stands up to all kinds of elements.

But more on that later. First, what is winged eyeliner?

What Is Winged Eyeliner?

Winged eyeliner is a popular makeup technique that involves creating a sharp, upward flick at the outer corner of the eye. It is often referred to as a cat eye or flicked eyeliner look and has been a staple in the beauty world for decades. This technique is perfect for adding drama and definition to the eyes, making them appear bigger and brighter. With the added challenge of wearing face masks over the past few years, winged eyeliner has become even more popular as it draws attention to the eyes and adds an extra touch of glamor to your makeup look.

The winged eyeliner technique works especially well for those that may have hooded eyes, as it helps elongate and lift the eye, giving it a wider, more awake look. So, whether you've been searching for how to put on winged eyeliner in general, or are looking for winged eyeliner for hooded eyes, this tried-and-true technique is a great place to start.

Winged Eyeliner Tutorial

WINGED EYELINER TUTORIAL STEP 1: PRIME LIDS WITH CONCEALER

You’ll want to prep your eyelids with a bit of concealer first. This will act as a base for the eyeshadow, ensuring that it blends smoothly and stays in place. Additionally, the concealer will help to keep the colors of the eyeshadow rich and true. You don't want to skip out on this step if you want your eyeliner wing to look its best!
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WINGED EYELINER TUTORIAL STEP 2: DRAW THE WING

Start creating your winged eyeliner by applying black eyeliner with an eyeliner pencil, starting at the outer corners of eyes first, winging the pencil out to make a glamorous, Sophia Loren-esque line. You can make the wing as long as you want it, but try to keep it proportional to the size of your eye so that it looks natural. Then, line right along the lash line into the inner corners of your eyes.
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WINGED EYELINER TUTORIAL STEP 3: LAYER ON LIQUID LINER

To achieve a precise and defined winged eyeliner look, layer a liquid liner over your eyeliner pencil line. This technique will help enhance the intensity and staying power of your eyeliner, ensuring a flawless finish that lasts throughout the day. Make sure to sketch deep into the inner corners of your eyes with your liquid liner.
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WINGED EYELINER TUTORIAL STEP 4: CREATE DEPTH & DIMENSION

Create depth and dimension to the eye with eyeshadow. Buff a blushing pink shade right into the crease, followed by a darker pink to further intensify the effect. For extra drama, add a touch of red-brown to the outer corners of the crease, making sure to wing it out for that perfect winged eyeliner effect. Whisk a touch of a pale, neutral peachy color right under your brows. Finish the look by following the rest of the steps in this winged eyeliner tutorial.
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WINGED EYELINER TUTORIAL STEP 5: LOCK-IN COLOR

Layer a pink eyeshadow over the entire crease to lock-in color so that it's vibrant and smudge-proof.
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WINGED EYELINER TUTORIAL STEP 6: DEFINE THE LOWER LASH LINE

Now for the lower lash line! Once you've completed your upper wing, apply brown eyeliner along your lower lashes, ensuring that the color extends just beyond the outer corners of your eyes until it’s parallel to (but doesn't meet) your black eyeliner wing.
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WINGED EYELINER TUTORIAL STEP 7: USE WHITE LINER TO OPEN EYES

One final step will really make your look pop. Open up your eyes by applying white eyeliner along the lower waterline then winging it out, sketching it between the upper and lower eyeliner wings you already have. This will help to brighten your eyes and make them look more awake. You can also use a tiny bit of white liner in the inner corner of your eye to further brighten it up.
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Winged Eyeliner FAQ

There are no hard and fast rules for winged eyeliner, but there are some good rules of thumb:

- Start with your lash line and wing outward.

- Unless you’re going for an extra dramatic look, the wing should be about the same width as the lash line.

- The wing should be angled slightly upward.

- Consider your eye shape, following your natural contours, and look straight ahead as you work.

Winged eyeliner can look good on most people. For hooded eyes, simply alter your application slightly. Extend your lower lash line to create the wing, keeping it low to avoid the crease in your eye. To make winged eyeliner even on both eyes, follow the angle of your bottom lash line to create a consistent angle. Map out the eyeliner first with a pencil eyeliner, then, once you’re satisfied, go in with a liquid liner. The easiest way to do quick winged eyeliner is to use a piece of skin-safe tape as a guide. Simply place the tape along the outer corner of your eye, angling it up towards your temple. Then, trace along the tape with your eyeliner, and remove the tape to reveal a perfect wing.