How to Do Winged Eyeliner Like a Pro (No Steady Hand Required)

How to Create Winged Eyeliner Looks on Any Eye Shape

The step-by-step guide to applying winged eyeliner will, of course, depend on your eyeshape, says Holm. Here’s how to apply eyeliner per each eye shape.

Upturned Eyes

An upturned eye shape is defined by the slight upturn at the outer corner of your lash line. The key to mastering your perfect winged eyeliner for this eye shape is to create an extra-graphic wing to draw attention to your eye’s natural feline shape. 

For this eye look, try a gel liner to draw the outline of a scalene triangle (remember those from high school geometry?) on the outer corner of your eye, along your upper lash line. Then, extend one leg of the triangle down to your bottom lash line, filling in the resulting blank space with your liner to create your wing. 

Finally, take your eyeliner game to the next level by lining your upper lash line all the way into the inner corner of your eye. But you don't have to stop there! Extend the liner down to your tear duct, creating a tiny point for the ultimate siren cat-eye look. 

Downturned Eyes

The ideal winged eyeliner for downturned eyes should lengthen and lift up your lash line. To do this, look straight ahead and identify where the center of your eyelid is (it's usually around where your pupil rests when looking straight). Begin lining your line starting from the center of your lash line, moving outward towards the outer corner of your eye, with your eyes still open. 

Then, extend the line upward to the outer edge of your brow (the further you extend, the bolder the look). Fill in the tapered wing to your desired thickness. While you can certainly line your bottom lash line and the inner corner of your eye to emphasize your eye's downturned shape, leaving these areas without eyeliner will create an elongated and lifted winged eyeliner look.

Monolid

 If you have a monolid, you can easily enhance the strong lines of your eye shape by lining your upper lash line with short, feathery strokes. 

To build your winged eye look, being at the inner corner of your eye and work your way to the outer corner while keeping your eyes open. Once you reach the end of your upper lash line, taper the line outwards and upward. “Take the tip of your liner or angled brush, and place it at the last eyelash,” says Holm. “Then drag it in an upward direction, aiming toward the tail end of the brow.”

To finish off your eye look, start a new line at the outer edge of the lower lash line and connect it to the wing on your top lash line, filling in the shape as much as you like.

Round Eyes

The easiest way to make eyes pop is to draw a line close against your upper lash line, from the inner corner of your eye to the outer corner of your eye, angling slightly upward at the end of your lash line.

For a natural winged eyeliner look, you'll want to keep the wing tip short, stopping it right about where your natural crease ends. This will be just the right amount of feline flare to give you a stunning cat-eye look. Choose from a liquid liner, gel eyeliner, or eyeliner pencil, depending on your desired look, and you can even bring your liner into your waterline for an extra boost of boldness. 

Almond Eye Shape

If you have an almond eye shape, there are a variety of different methods you can take for building your winged eyeliner look. One method is the classic "outside-in" liner technique from our eyeliner guide). Simply start by drawing a straight line from the upper outer corner of your eye to the center of your upper lash line, angling down as you go. Draw another line just underneath the wing on your outer corner to form a winged tip. Fill in the rest of the line across your eyelid, keeping your eyeliner as close to the lash line as possible. 

Another option is the “inside out” trick. To use this technique, begin your eyeliner at the center of your upper lash line, extending it out and up toward your eyebrow as you go. Then, angle another line from the point of your wing down and across your lash line until it connects to create your winged tip. 

Remember, Don’t Make These Eyeliner Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when applying eyeliner is thinking that it has to be perfect. Getting in your head about drawing the “perfect” line is one of the most surefire ways to mess up. But the good news? You can always wipe off the line and try again or adjust the line as needed with a Q-Tip, some makeup remover, or some concealer. 

In fact, this is even what the pros do: “To make your eyeliner extra sharp, pick up a clean angled brush with some concealer, and sweep it under the wing,” says Holm. There are even easy clean-up makeup remover pens on the market, like the HALF MAGIC BEAUTY Flik Eraser Makeup Correcting Pen that allows you to clean up lines like, well magic.

Remember, when it comes to drawing on your face or paper, practice makes perfect. And there are a few “training wheel” application methods that can help get you started. One is the connect-the-dots method. It’s a super fun and easy way to make applying eyeliner a breeze and takes the intimidation factor out of the equation. 

Another trick you can do at home is sticking a piece of tape, Post-It, or even an eyeliner tool to your face and trace your line in a straight motion. If you do decide to use tape, though, you'll want to make sure it isn’t too sticky to avoid pulling on the sensitive skin around your eyelids. When in doubt, place it on the back of your hand, and lift and remove it a few times to dull the stickiness first.

Our Ipsy-Approved Eyeliners for Your Newfound Skills

As always, we couldn’t walk you through a literal step-by-step guide for how to apply eyeliner without suggesting a few of our faves. Here are the IPSY-approved best eyeliners for winged liner.

1. ONE/SIZE  Point Made 24-Hour Gel Eyeliner Pencil

To create that siren-eye look we mentioned earlier, a gel liner is key. Liquid liners can look a little too stiff and harsh when adding sharpness to the inner corners, so we prefer a gel liner like this one from ONE/SIZE as it’s slightly blendable before it sets in for its 24-hour wear.

2. R.E.M. BEAUTY At The Borderline Eyeliner Marker

Courtesy of Ulta

When shopping for a liner for downturned eyes, you want to make sure your liner has staying power, baby. Downturned eyes tend to cause liner flake-off as they blink, but don’t worry; there are plenty of options that stay locked in place all day long. Personally, we love the R.E.M. BEAUTY At The Borderline Eyeliner Marker for this. You practically have to pry it off and we’d know—we love a bold and geometrical eyeliner look. 

3. PÜR On Point Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Pen

For monolid eyes, we recommend a felt tip liquid eyeliner for this look, like PÜR On Point Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Pen, to create dimension-building strokes. Top with a few swipes of mascara and a swipe of eyeshadow for an effortless winged smoky eye.

4. FENTY BEAUTY Flypencil Longwear Pencil Eyeliner

Holm doesn’t recommend extending a huge winged liner if you have round eyes (but of course if the urge to do so ever calls to you, absolutely go for it). A great way to accentuate round eyes is by hugging them in a soft, blendable eyeliner, like the FENTY BEAUTY Flypencil. We love that even though it’s a pencil, it has longwear abilities. Plus, it comes in four different shades. 

5. IL MAKIAGE Black Card - Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

A bold, graphic eyeliner (maybe even one that extends beyond your brows???) is the perfect complement to almond eyes, so make sure to grab a waterproof longwear ink liner, like the IL MAKIAGE Black Card - Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. The ultra thin flexible tip ensures you can control the sharpness of your wing and it’ll never smudge whether you laugh, cry, or sweat it out on the dance floor all night long.

Final Thoughts

Once you get over the mental stress of feeling like you’re going to mess up your eyeliner before you even start, the entire process will finally be fun, which is what makeup is all about. Plus, now you have new tricks up your sleeve, like the aforementioned concealer hack to sharpen your wing, or the tape hack that we’ve personally been obsessed with to create effortless wings in a snap. Try these methods before you give up for good. The good news is, eyeliner formulas have come such a long way over the past few years, so once you do nail your look, it’ll stay in place all night. Make sure to scour the rest of the IPSY Shop to grab the eyeliner you’re looking for for your next look.