Double-Winged Eyeliner Is Trending. Here's How To Pull It Off
This year will be the year of fun eyeliner, which means you can say goodbye to your classic everyday wing. Instead, it's all about fun colors, odd shapes, and multiple stacked wings. And before you decide that this trend isn't for you, we're here to tell you that everyone can pull it off, and no — you don't have to have a super calm hand and excellent drawing skills.
"A lot of times people go for perfection, but if you look back at those looks [in the '60s], they weren't perfect, Twiggy had drawn on eyelashes, but they weren't necessarily even on both sides. So, sometimes perfection isn't the key," celebrity makeup artist Allan Avendaño tells The Zoe Report. "Of course, if you're going for straight lines, symmetry and all that [precise liner] is great, but I always encourage people with a graphic liner to play around and see where you can make the most impact [on your eyes]." It's safe to say if a celebrity makeup artist doesn't strive for symmetry and perfection, neither should you, and that means you have no excuse not to try at least one of the fabulous eyeliner suggestions we gathered. Whether you like the classic black wing, fun bold colors, or prefer drawing your wing with eyeshadow, we've got you covered!
White cut-crease eyeliner
A great way to explore a different eyeliner look without using vibrant colors is to opt for a white one. While many people might be scared of this color, white is actually more forgiving than black, which makes drawing the cut crease eyeliner much easier. Both white liquid eyeliner and white pencil eyeliner work well for this makeup look!
Rounded eyeliner
Getting that sharp wing is what tends to scare people away from experimenting with eyeliner. Getting two even wings is an even bigger challenge. However, creating a round edge instead of a classic wing is much easier, and it also looks edgy and cool. Consider using your pen eyeliner to round out the ends and take it up toward your crease. If you're feeling extra funky, add another line from your inner corner to the end of your eyebrow!
Classic wing + eyeshadow wing
If a sharp double-winged eyeliner isn't your cup of tea, consider creating a second line with eyeshadow — one that is much softer and blended. To achieve the look, go with the classic dramatic wing (and bring it to your inner corner as well), and then create a parallel line above it with dark eyeshadow. Make sure the eyeshadow line is more blended toward your brow and a bit sharper towards the actual winged liner. This is another eyeliner look that looks incredible in any color, but a dark one is obviously the most dramatic option!
Purple crease eyeliner
Fun eyeliner doesn't have to be at the ends of your eyes; you can also use it to accentuate the inner part of them. A unique way to do this is to draw two lines above your crease, but don't come too close to the end of your eye. While you can do this with a black liner, using a bold color will immediately make the look even more interesting. And if you're feeling extra brave, opt for a couple of gems!
Minimalist golden wing
Golden eyeliner is an easy way to add drama and sparkle to your look. In fact, it is so lovely on its own that you can entirely forgo mascara. To create a bit more dimension, take the golden eyeliner into a wing and then bring it back towards your crease, where it will subtly disappear. We predict metallic makeup to be a massive trend this year, and a classic cut crease eyeliner is an easy way to rock it every day!
Triple eyeliner
Doing three lines of eyeliner instead of one is a quick way to add more pizzazz to your look. All you really need to focus on is making that first eyeliner even and sharp — the other two you just add above it by following it. As far as the colors go, the limit does not exist (if you know the reference, here's a virtual high five). You can go ombré and take different shades of the same color, pick pastels, or even do a black-white-black combo!
Bejeweled eyeliner
If simple double eyeliner is too boring for you, upgrade it by gluing gemstones on top of it. Doing this will make your eyeliner look super fancy, even though you didn't spend that much more time on it. If you prefer one shade, go with the same gemstones all over, but we suggest going colorful and making an even bigger statement. Trust us, you will make the whole place shimmer.
Puppy eyes
Winged eyeliner doesn't always suit every eye shape, and it can be challenging to execute for those who have hooded eyes. If you like the idea of winged eyeliner, but it somehow always looks odd on you, consider giving puppy eyes a try. All you have to do is make the win follow the line of your upper eyelid instead of the lower one. From there, feel free to add a thin line toward the center of your lower lid to create a double effect!
Negative space eyeliner
An eyeliner look that isn't for beginners but is absolutely stunning is negative space eyeliner. To achieve it, you first do your eyeshadow, making sure that it's dark towards the outer third of your eye. Once satisfied with it, dab a thin eyeliner brush into makeup remover or micellar water and clean out the area where you want the eyeliner to be. This way, your eyeliner will technically be skin-colored, and everything else will remain covered in eyeshadow.
Over + under lid eyeliner
A lot of people buy eyeliner in a fun, bold color and end up never using it as they don't know how to wear it. The most common way we wear eyeliner is on our upper eyelid, right above our lashes, but with color eyeliner, other placements can make a more significant impact. A fun way to rock it is on both, the upper and lower lid. On the upper, draw a line right above your crease, and on your lower, draw a line just under your lashes.
White and pearls
If you're into pearls, why not incorporate them into your makeup? All you need to do is draw out a thick winged eyeliner with a white shadow or pencil. You can make the wing bright and sharp or cream-colored and blended — whatever you prefer. All you have to do after that is add tiny pearls to create a line above it. While you can use pearls of the same size, using two sizes will give the look more dimension.
Dotted eyeliner (and eyebrow)
A simple way to spice your eyeliner game up is by adding a dotted line under or over it. This is much easier than adding a parallel line, as dots are much more forgiving (and can be erased much easier). If you're feeling extra brave, add some dots under and/or over your eyebrows as well. For those who want to make this even more unique, consider doing the dots in another color!
Graphic eyeliner
Those who love exploring different geometric shapes can let their imagination run free with graphic eyeliner looks. From sharp angles to wiggly lines, unique shapes can take a simple makeup look to the next level. However, if you can't think of a cool graphic eyeliner shape, you can get plenty of inspiration from images online. The picture above is just one example of how to execute this look. Since graphic liner usually involves plenty of intricate lines, it tends to look best when done in black.
Funky eyeliner
While black eyeliner gives the most drama, sometimes it's easier to get away with funky eyeliner shapes when they are in vibrant or pastel colors. To achieve this look, pick two shades that complement each other and do a fun line with each of them on one eye, after which you can replicate the look on the other. Once you're done, you can always add a couple of gems for that extra sparkle if you feel like something is missing.
Lash-like wings
Creating faux lashes with eyeliner is a great way to enhance your eyes. To recreate this look, use liquid eyeliner to draw three connected wings from the outer edge of your crease towards your eyebrow. While you can rock the lash-like eyeliner on its own, you can also add a couple of tiny stars. If you're not well-versed in drawing them, consider using temporary face tattoos, as those look intricate but only take a minute to add to your look!
Rainbow eyeliner
Rainbow eyeliner is not easy to execute, but if done correctly it looks absolutely incredible. For it, you'll need either colorful eyeliner pencils or eyeshadows, as liquid liners won't blend well. Start by drawing short lines after each other making each line a different color of the rainbow. Once satisfied, begin blending the spots where the lines touch to achieve that seamless transition. Of course, you can't really use a blending brush for this. Instead, you'll have to opt for a much smaller one.
Sharp metallic eyeliner
Since we predict metallics will be big in 2023, we absolutely had to include another double eyeliner look that features them. This time, the eyeliner is metallic green, a shade that looks great on all eye colors. If you don't want to spend money on a bunch of metallic eyeliners, try making one yourself out of micellar water and metallic eyeshadow. All you have to do is dip a liner brush into the micellar water and then pick some of the eyeshadow up with it — and voilà, you just made yourself some metallic eyeliner. Just like the previous one, this metallic eyeliner look also doesn't need much — just a tiny bit of mascara and lip gloss, and you're ready to go out the door.
Bold black wings
A classic way to achieve the double-winged eyeliner look is to opt for two black wings. To start the look off, draw on a traditional cat wing — one that you adjust to your eye shape. (If you have hooded eyes, you might want to opt for a bat wing.) After that, add a smaller wing either under or above that one, depending on which position you think would suit your eyes more. This is the perfect way to dabble in double-winged eyeliner looks if you're intimidated by the trend.
Hot pink
With Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" on the horizon, there is no doubt hot pink makeup will be trending. While the expected way to incorporate the color into your makeup routine is by adding pink lipstick, eyeshadow, or blush, pink eyeliner is a way more dramatic and eye-catching option. To begin, add a thin layer of a sparkly nude eyeshadow to your lid, and then feel free to experiment with any double eyeliner shape you like. And as previously mentioned, if you have pink eyeshadow, you can quickly turn it into a liner with the micellar water trick!
Outlined eyeliner
Outlined eyeliner might take a bit more time, but the end result is worth it. For the look, you will need a sharp pencil eyeliner or a liquid one that allows you plenty of control. Of course, any mistakes can always be erased with a small brush dipped into some makeup remover. Because of this, we recommend you do this eyeliner style on a clean eyelid and avoid eyeshadow, at least until you've had enough practice to execute it without any need for cleaning up!
Dramatic fox-eye
Fox eye makeup has been popular for a couple of years now, and a simple way to take the trend to a much more dramatic level is by adding a second eyeliner line. Start a bit before your inner corner, and then follow your crease line by drawing right above it. Towards the end, turn the line into a dramatic wing that ends past the end of your eyebrow, and then take it back towards the outer corner of your eye. Trust us, your eyes will look super foxy and elongated!
Outlined eyeshadow
If you're more comfortable with eyeshadow than liquid liner, this cut-crease look is perfect for you. First, you need to pick two eyeshadows, preferably in the same color but in different shades. After that, take an angled eyeliner brush and apply the darker eyeshadow in a V shape around the outer third of your eyelid. Once satisfied with how it looks on both eyes, fill the eyelid with the lighter eyeshadow you chose. While you can blend the lines out a bit, ensure they remain visible enough so the end result looks like an outline.
Tripple wing
There are numerous ways to do a triple wing, but the most classic is adding one wing above your usual one and one below. Since this is a relatively simple method, you can easily combine it with eyeshadow looks, as the chances of you messing the wings up are rather low. If you do end up making any tiny mistakes, you can cover them up by adding gems on top. Needless to say, a triple wing definitely looks intricate enough, so you can always rock it on its own!
Subtle brown + glitter
While double, cut-crease, or triple wings tend to be the most dramatic part of eye makeup, that isn't always the case. Doing a subtle cut-crease eyeliner is not only possible, but it looks absolutely ethereal and breathtaking when paired with gems and glitter. To recreate this look, make sure you draw on the eyeliner with a brown pencil liner that you will slightly smudge, or you can grab your trusty brown eyeshadow. To top the look off, opt for either brown, blue, or green mascara to keep the eye makeup soft and fairy-like!