Cat’s Eye Eyeliner
The thicker wing that wraps both lash lines — tutorials and technique for the classic cat eye.
Eye liner or eyeliner is a cosmetic used to define the eyes, applied around the contours of the eyes to create a variety of aesthetic effects — and the cat eye is its most famous effect. A cat eye looks similar to a winged liner, but it has a thicker wing that involves the bottom and the top lash line. Winged eye liner defines the shape of the top eyelid and extends to a point or ‘wing’ about halfway toward the end of the eyebrow; the cat eye takes that wing, thickens it, and ties the lower lash line into it, so the whole outer eye reads as one elongated, feline sweep.
Cat Eye Video Tutorials
What Each Tutorial Teaches
Emily DiDonato’s Cat Eye Makeup Tutorial for Dummies is the beginner’s entry point: she shows how she achieves the perfect cat eye after once being so intimidated by this type of makeup herself, and the tips and tricks she learned are aimed at exactly that intimidation. Hindash’s How to Create Cat Eyeliner goes for precision — a crisp, cat eyeliner that really elongates and wings the eyes. The ByJeannine tutorial shares her own tips and tricks for a perfect cat-eyeliner look, and Hindash returns in Using Gel Cat Eyeliner to show the same family of looks built with gel liner, which gives a softer edge and more working time than liquid.
Building the Cat Eye, Step by Step
Start from the wing you already know: draw the top lash line and extend it to a point angled toward the end of the eyebrow. The cat eye difference comes next — thicken that wing instead of leaving it a hairline flick, then line the lower lash line and join it to the wing at the outer corner, so top and bottom lines meet in one continuous point. Keep the inner corner fine and let the weight sit at the outer third of the eye; that gradient is what reads as feline rather than heavy. Gel liner with a small angled brush forgives slower, buildable strokes; liquid liner rewards confidence with the crispest edge. Practice on a quiet evening, not before an event: the shape is mostly symmetry, and symmetry is mostly repetition. Research the winged eyeliner techniques and the fox eyeliner look as well — the three styles are one family, and learning them together makes each one easier. The next time someone asks how you created that fabulous cat eye look, let them know you learned by doing your research.
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Common Questions
What is a cat eye, exactly?
A cat eye looks similar to a winged liner, but it has a thicker wing that involves the bottom and the top lash line. Where winged liner defines the top eyelid and extends to a point about halfway toward the end of the eyebrow, the cat eye wraps both lash lines into one bold, elongated shape — which is what gives it the feline look.
Which tutorials teach the cat eye on this page?
Four videos: Emily DiDonato's Cat Eye Makeup Tutorial for Dummies, for beginners who find the look intimidating; Hindash's How to Create Cat Eyeliner, for a crisp, elongated wing; a ByJeannine cat eyeliner tutorial of tips and tricks; and Hindash's Using Gel Cat Eyeliner, for the gel-and-brush version of the technique.
Cat eye or winged liner — which should a beginner learn first?
Learn the winged liner first: it is one line along the top lid ending in a flick, and every cat eye builds on it. Once the top wing is reliable, thickening it and joining the lower lash line turns the wing into a cat eye. The Winged Eyeliner Techniques page linked from this page is the natural first step.