The Fraidy Cat’s Guide to the Perfect Cat Eye

Last week I promised you last minute Halloween make-up tutorials. That’s out the window. Turns out I need more than a week to come up with lighting that doesn’t make me look like I’ve emerged from a nap beneath a highway offramp and truth be told, all I really wanted to tutorial was how to be a kitty cat. And we can still have that discussion. Basically, go grab some waterproof liquid black eyeliner and do this to your face. 

BOOM. Halloween-ed.

With tutorials and felines on the brain I decided instead we could look into how to create the perfect cat eye. I know. I too am a fraidy cat when it comes to bold eyeliner. It feels a little cavalier. Kind of like doing your algebra homework in ink. What if you make a mistake!? What then!?

But! You can do it! Trust me.

By implementing these tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way it really isn’t so bad.

First, you want to pick your angle. Generally picking a 45 degree angle or less from the lateral corner of your eye works best. If you’re going for a more Amy Winehouse my-eyeballs-might-take-flight look, then you can make the angle sharper.

Next you will start building up your shape.

I really like the way Lisa Eldridge (my fave professional make-up artist)(I just love listening to her, her accent makes me feel like I’m doing some far more cultured than just watching make-up videos on the internet) uses eyeshadow powder to create the “kitten flick” eyeliner. She refers to more conservative winged liner as kitten and the bolder looks a true cat eye. She sets up the angle very softly to start and then keeps adding shadow mindfully to create the triangular wing (she starts talking about the eyes approx 4:47 in this video).

If you are using liquid liner, besides my respect, you should also have some Q-tips on hand. You can dip these in make-up remover and drag them along your shape to really clean up the edges.

Although if you’re super uncomfortable with the liquid, there’s always the Scotch Tape trick.

It’s basically the same idea as painter’s tape. Work all you want, then peel off the nice clean edge!

The skin around your eyeball is very thin and delicate so you don’t want to go tugging on it all the time. That’s how laugh lines happen. And I’d much rather you accumulate those through actual laughter. You know, instead of ripping adhesive for the sake of vanity.

So, those are the basics! If you’re going to be Cat Woman or a kitty, you’re totally set. And if you’re anybody else, you now have insight into the ease behind a timeless and on trend look.

Nancy Novak, MD

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