How To Do Winged Eyeliner For Beginners – 8 Tips & Tricks

In this article, I share the tips you need to create beautiful winged eyeliner for beginners.

There are tons of how-to videos on YouTube that show how to do winged eyeliner, so I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here.

However, I often have people ask me how I do my winged eyeliner, (also referred to as a “cat eye”) so I thought a few tips might help the cat-eye challenged out there.

While this look isn’t impossible (trust me), it does require a bit of practice to get the technique right.

I’ve also included some tools you can shop to get your eyeliner just right at the end of the post!

*this post contains affiliate links*

1. Use An Eyeliner Brush

So…you’ve decided to try winged eyeliner for beginners and run to the closest Sephora to grab a liquid eyeliner. What could go wrong, you ask? The truth is, liquid eyeliner, while super convenient for a cat eye, requires a lot of steadiness.

While I’m sure there are superstars out there who will pick up such an eyeliner and pull off a perfect cat eye on the first try (we hate those people, right?), most of us mere mortals will have some trouble with this.

For a bit more control, I learned to do my cat eye with a thin eyeliner brush (something like this MAC angled brush, seen here). You can dip the brush in an eyeliner gel (I currently use Maybelline’s Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner) or run a liquid eyeliner over the bristles of the brush to apply.

I found practising with an eyeliner brush and some black eye shadow to be the easiest way to play around with winged liner looks when starting out (it’s a lot easier to clean up too). An eyeliner pencil is also a lot easier to practice with – just make sure it’s super sharp.

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 2. Start Small

Don’t go for an over the top Amy Winehouse winged eyeliner on your first try. Start off small and add to the look if needed. Remember, it’s always easier to add rather than remove eyeliner.

 

 3. Start The Wing 

An important part of doing a great cat eye depends on where to place your tail (also referred to as the “wing”) at the end of your eye. After lining along the upper lash line, I normally start the tail at the corner of my eye (the outer corner of your eye where the top and lower lash lines meet). From there, I’ll draw a small line upwards and outwards towards the end of my eyebrow.

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4. Sometimes Your Eyes Just Don’t Cooperate

You may find that you need to pull your eye outwards with your other hand to make the skin lie flat to get a more steady line. I know, I know, makeup artists and YouTube gurus don’t need to do this, but I do. Some people find they can better line their eyes while they are open. I find that I need to line my eyes while they’re closed. Remember, do what works for you.

 

5. Upwards or Flat?

Once you’ve created your first cat eye, you need to decide what type of “wing” or tail makes your eyes look their best depending on the shape and size of your eyes and the look you’re going for. For example, if I lift the wing upwards towards my eyebrows, I find it helps open my eyes.

If I leave the wing more flat, it will elongate the look of my eyes. Experiment with a few different looks and decide which cat eye you like best. Looking at pictures of winged eyeliner on people with similar eye shapes to yours can also help. Don’t be afraid to play around with your look.

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6. Really Struggling? Consider Some Eyeliner Cheats…

If you feel that the cat eye look is a lost cause after many failed attempts, don’t give up! Just head to your desk and grab some tape. Place the tape at the corner of your eye just below where the upper and lower lash line meet, angling the tape upwards. You can also be makeup tape here.

The tape works as a stencil, so even if your hand is unsteady, it will ensure you make a straight line. You can also try other items with a straight edge, like a business card, to get a perfectly straight line. A YouTube video of the “tape” method can be found here (around the 3 minute mark). A video of the “business card” method can be found here (around 4:50 minutes in).

 

7. Fixing Eyeliner Mistakes

Like anything that requires practice, you can expect to make a few mistakes along the way.

To fix sloppy liner, drag a Q-tip dipped in eye makeup remover/micellar water along the edge of the tail to clean up any uneven bits or to better define the point. Dragging an eyeliner brush with a bit of concealer on it along the wing can also clean up the look.

8. The Final Challenge – Making Them Symmetrical

I have to admit, after years of doing a cat eye look on myself, getting both eyes to look symmetrical is still a pain (especially at 6am in the morning). Again, this requires a bit of practice.

I usually do my right eye first, and then look straight into a mirror to figure out how long and at which angle the wing should be on my left eye. You can also try using a white eyeliner first to see if the two sides match before lining over top of it for the final look.

Shop some winged eyeliner for beginner tools!

 

Learning how to do winged eyeliner for beginners is tricky at first, but practice makes perfect!

Have you tried a winged eyeliner or cat eye look?