3 Easy Ways to Apply Cat Eye Makeup

Ah, cat eye makeup. While other makeup trends come and go, this one has stuck around for the better part of a century. With its dramatic, enhancing appearance, it’s no wonder the classic cat eye style has stuck around for so long.

Like most other classic makeup styles, cat eye makeup looks simple, but can require a precise approach to apply correctly. Get it wrong, and it’s surprisingly easy to end up with uneven eyes that are more of a distraction than an enhancement to your appearance.

Luckily, learning how to do cat eye makeup isn’t complicated. Below, we’ve listed three ways to master the art of cat eye makeup, from using cat eye products to drawing a small dotted line on the outer corner of your eyes.

Like with all eye makeup styles, cat eye makeup looks best with long lashes. We recommend a set of false eyelashes or professional eyelash extensions for the most dramatic and impressive results.

Method 1: Draw a dotted line

This method, known as the “dotted line method”, is one of the easiest ways to draw symmetrical cat eye makeup.

Using the dotted line method is simple. Starting from the outer corner of your eye, draw a small dot at the place you’d like your cat eye makeup to end. Then, draw a matching dot at the same place on the opposite side of your face.

Now, draw a series of dots from the outer dot towards your eye. Using your eyeliner, complete the cat eye by drawing from one dot to the other, then filling in the entire wing to create the final look.

Method 2: Use a Cotton Bud

Got a pack of cotton buds handy? If so, you can use them to draw a flawless cat eye wing on one side of your face, then replicate it on the other.

Here’s how to do this trick (courtesy of Bustle): Paint the top of a cotton swab with a black, liquid liner. Make sure to paint it in a classic wing pattern, since you’ll apply this cotton bud to the other corner of your eye to create the makeup wing.

Once you’ve applied the liquid liner to the cotton bud, gently press it against the skin around the corner of your eye. Switch hands, flip the cotton bud and apply it to the other side for a flawless, perfectly symmetrical pair of wings and an impressive cat eye effect.

Method 3: Use a makeup stamp

Can’t quite get a perfect cat eye by hand? No problem. If you have shaky hands or just struggle to get a symmetrical cat eye shape, there’s no need to worry. Instead of putting your eyeliner on manually, you can use a makeup stamp to simplify the process.

There are countless makeup stamp lines on the market, most of which include options for wings and cat eye makeup. Options like the Vamp Stamp are a good choice, letting you press down on the skin around the corner of your eye for a flawless wing, every time.

Other good stamps include the Lyda Beauty Cleopatra Cat Eye Stamp, which is in Allure’s list of preferred stamps.