Kitten Eye Liner Is a Subtler Winged Look & Easy to Achieve

Eyeliner defines and draws attention to the eyes, and the latest trend is kitten eyeliner, a playfully sophisticated look that is surprisingly easy to achieve.

Women have been using eyeliner for thousands of years. You shouldn't be surprised to see ancient Egyptian and Cretan murals showing women wearing trendy cat eye eyeliner.

But the dramatic cat's eye isn't for everyone, so the latest trend is a derivative look labeled kitten eye. So what is the difference between the two, and how do you achieve the sizzling new kitten eye?

Woman with eyeliner. | Source: Getty Images

In the '50s, the cat's eye was the hottest look for the sophisticated, perfectly groomed femme fatale; it adds a dark seduction to the eye and is incredibly flattering. No wonder it has endured and evolved over the years

From the smoky eye to the emo smudge, the cat's eye has ruled supreme in its various incarnations. But the cat's eye is sometimes difficult to get right, and it only looks good if it's perfect.

The two-part application of the eyeliner makes the kitten eye easier to perfect.

The cat's eye demands full makeup, which, as many of us know, can be a lengthy and complicated procedure. For those who want the glam of a cat's eye without the fuss, a new eyeliner look is taking social media by storm.

The Kitten Eye Liner Is the Newest Trend after Cat Eye

The latest makeup trend has been labeled the kitten eye. Whereas the cat's eye is achieved by applying a bold top and bottom line that meet in a dramatic wing, the kitten eye is more subtle and more wearable daily.

The kitten eye has been showing up on runways and among celebrities who have embraced the look's simplicity. Makeup artist Cara Lovello said:

"We still want to recreate that lifted outer corner that we see so many supermodels doing, but it's a little bit more wearable and more everyday."

The soft wing on the outer corner of the eye created by using the kitten eye technique is smaller, more playful, and just as effective in enhancing the shape of the eye and distracting from hooded lids.

How to Get the Kitten Eye Liner Look in Easy Steps

What intimidates most women is the cat's eye's perfect continuous line. It takes a lot of practice to get it right, and it's a nightmare on a bad eyeliner day. The kitten eye, however, is achieved in several simple steps.

Makeup artists advise that you start with the wing. Makeup artist Christine Cherbonnier explained:

"I created the liner tail first, starting from the outside of the lash line, following with a pointed cotton bud with a tiny amount of makeup remover on it, to sharpen the line, making it perfect by pulling the cotton bud outwards and removing any mistakes."

The second step is to lay small liner strokes from outside the lash line toward the iris. The third step is to reverse the direction of the eyeliner and go back toward the original wing.

The two-part application of the eyeliner makes the kitten eye easier to perfect. The last and fourth step is to place a line underneath the eye and perfect it with a matt eyeshadow the same color as the eyeliner. If the eyeliner becomes smudged or seems to be off,

Makeup artists advise using good liquid eyeliner, or you can use eyeshadow to give that sultry kitten eye effect. For those who find it all too unnerving, there are even stamps to apply.

To correct any mistakes, have an earbud on hand, dipped in the tiniest amount of makeup remover to "clean up" that line and perfect your kitten eye.