The art of the perfect winged eyeliner can be tricky to master. Still we all want to able to recreate that flawless feline flick, because winged eyeliner is here to stay! It’s been many years since icons like Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren used to wear it, but nowadays celebrities are still rocking the feline flick. So, does your winged eyeliner always look as if you applied your make-up in a moving car? Or have you never tried this look even though you always wanted to? Then these failsafe tips & tricks will help you to finally nail that look!  

Tips for applying your winged eyeliner

Create the perfect base for your eyeliner by applying a thin layer of concealer on your eyelids. Then use a pencil to measure out where your wing should go. Do this by placing one side of your eyeliner pencil to the side of the tip of your nose and the other end at your temple. Once you know the angle and placement of the wing, use the pencil to trace a line across the eyelid, trying to get as close to your lash line as possible. No worries if you don’t end up with a perfect straight line, because now it's time to blend! Use a small eyeshadow brush to blend the liner into a nice wing. Now carefully use liquid eyeliner to trace over the pencil line that you just drew. You can try steadying your hand by leaning your elbow on a flat surface. To achieve the perfect wing, start lifting your line before you reach the outer corner of the eye, because a droopy wing can pull the corner of your eyes down. Complete your look by applying some (optional) eyeshadow, curling your lashes and finish off with a few lashings of mascara. WOOHOO! You did it!

What is the difference between a winged eyeliner and the cat eye?

The winged eyeliner and the cat eye look are very similar but there is a real difference. For the cat eye look, liner is used on both the upper and lower lid. These lines are then joined, resulting in a wing that is usually bolder and thicker than the wing of the classical winged eyeliner look, since for a winged eyeliner look you only line the upper lid. The cat eye is a classic look that gives your eyes that fierce feline shape. Isn’t that something we all want? Eyeliner looks are also more versatile than you might think. Keep it clean and simple with a subtly lined upper eyelid for your daytime look and then pair it with a smokey eye for a more glamorous night-time look. Either way, you can never go wrong with the always trendy cat eye look. 

Eyeliner looks in the 50s, 60s and 70s

Many of the eyeliner looks we see today seem to be inspired by the 1950s, but with a slightly exaggerated pin-up twist. Back in the 1950s, all the iconic actresses of that time could be seen wearing a very typical eyeliner look. For an authentic 50s look you need a neutral eyeshadow base and a wing at the outer corner of the eye. 1960s make-up on the other hand, probably conjures up an image of the iconic model Twiggy. Big, bright eyes accentuated with liquid eyeliner along the upper lid and drawn-on lashes. Moving on to 1970s, we find ourselves in the disco era with its very own make-up looks. Those looks were all about glittery eyeshadows and thin eyeliner. For example a smokey eye in shades of blue and grey paired with just a touch blush and a bright red lipstick for a real disco diva look! 

Long classic winged eyeliner, the wonder wing, smokey eye and so much more 

You don’t need to be a professional make-up artist in order to be able to apply the perfect eyeliner, but before you start it’s good to know which style looks best on you. Almond eyes have long been regarded as one of the seven facial beauty signs. If you have almond eyes, your eyes are actually shaped like almonds, meaning narrow at the inner corner and widening upwards while the outer corner rises slightly.  Angelina Jolie, Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé are some of the lucky ladies blessed with this ideal eye shape. Do you feel like your eyes are too round or wide-set?  By applying your eyeliner the right way, you can fake that coveted almond shape!  

If you have down-turned eyes, a cat eye will give them a nice lift. If you have big eyes, a double wing will be your best friend. The double line will make your eyes stand out even more. But maybe your eyes are wide-set? Then you should put the focus on the inner corners of your eyes so that they seem closer together. Round eyes on the other hand benefit from an eyeliner that starts off thin on the inner corners and gradually becomes thicker, this will emphasise the outer corners of the eyes. If you have almond eyes, you should consider yourself extra lucky because they are a great match with any eyeliner look. At the end of the day though, there is a perfect winged eyeliner look out there for everyone, you just need to figure out which look you like best with your eyes! 

The easy eyeliner stamp is here to the rescue

Still struggling despite these tips? No problem! Nowadays you can also use a so-called ‘eyeliner stamp’. This beauty tool allows you to create the perfect wing by simply putting a stamp at the outer corner of your eye where you want your wing go to. Once you’ve done that you simply use the other side of the eyeliner pen to draw a quick line from your upper eyelid to the wing and you’re done. Ready to wing it!

Bag your eyeliner and other vintage make-up at TopVintage

My favourite eyeliner is the Schwing Liquid Eyeliner by The Balm. This liquid eyeliner allows you to create a sultry eye look in an instant. Built with a thin and tapered felt-tip applicator that makes applying your eyeliner feel like a homerun… SCORE! But you can also score other gorgeous vintage make-up at TopVintage. Perfect for creating a look reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe or Dita von Teese. Think red lips, eyeshadow and gorgeous powdered skin. So be sure to have a look! And don’t forget: practice makes perfect!