A makeup pro shares her must-try tips on getting the perfect cat eye look every single time.
Nod if this sounds familiar: you are drawing your eyeliner on, and as you try to even out your eyeliner on each side, you end up with lines that become blobs of black eyeliner. Despite all your best efforts, your makeup has now become more raccoon looking rather than feline-esque.
The good news is that you’re not alone. “Achieving the perfect cat eye takes a bit of practice,” says Hong Ling, a beauty insider and makeup artist. “But with enough practice, you can easily get the cat eye look without wasting a whole lot of time.”
Image: Alamy
To help you get that perfectly smooth and sharp eyeliner flick, Hong Ling shares three easy steps.
Step #1: Build your base well
Before the first swish of eyeliner is even applied, Hong Ling’s advice is to first build a proper base of nudes and neutral metallics. “I like to blend the bronze, orange and peach tones of Ais Kacang Multipurpose Palette from NITA Cosmetics on the lids,” she tells us. “Apply a mid-tone colour across the lid, then add your darker colours on the outer corner of the lid. Doing so will help add more depth to your cat eye look and accentuate the ‘almond’ shape of the eye lid.”
Step #2: Use a liquid eyeliner
“When it comes to the actual eyeliner, precision is key,” Hong Ling declares. “I prefer a liquid eyeliner as opposed to an eyeliner pencil because the brush tip offers a more defined and sharper line at the end.” For this, she recommends the Micro Black Myliner Liquid Eyeliner from Solos Cosmetics, due to its water-resistant formula that will prevent smudging.
When applying your eyeliner, Hong Ling’s first step is the map out the flick. “Place your eyeliner on the side of your nose and have the eyeliner tube form a straight line beyond the outer corner of the eye. That will determine the direction of the cat eye ‘flick’.” Once you find that direction, she recommends dotting out the eyeliner flick first, as this allows you to check each eye for consistency. Furthermore, the dots make it easier for you to clean off and start again.
Next, grab your eyeliner and beginning from the inner corner of the eye, draw a line out and fill in the dotted area.
Before you finish off, Hong Ling’s star tip is to use a Q-tip bud soaked in micellar water to clean up the tail of your cat eye, so you are left with a pin-sharp point at the end.
Step #3: Finish with mascara
As a final step, Hong Ling finishes the eyes off with a swipe of mascara. “NITA Cosmetics’ Mata Kucing Mascara is a great product because the wand doesn’t clump lashes together,” she remarks. “Also, the formula delivers intensely long lashes that are also water-resistant.”
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