“Perfect Eyeliner” by Garann is licensed under CC-BY SA 2.0
My favorite way to wear my eyeliner is the “cat-eye.” I find it really opens my eyes, and gives the illusion of larger-looking eyes. I also like that its a more classic and refined look.
In finding a way to create the perfect cat-eye look, there are two major issues:
- Finding natural products that actually work (they won’t run or smudge and will hold all day).
- Finding the right method to creating the perfect cat-eye that doesn’t take 20 minutes out of your morning routine.
Before I switched from using toxic makeup to clean beauty products, I relied on my trusty Maybelline Gel Eyeliner. It was easy to apply using the tiny brush, was waterproof, and lasted all day. Since then, it’s been a challenge to find a natural alternative that works just as well.
For a while I was using Zuzu Luxe Liquid Eyeliner in Raven. This eyeliner applies like a traditional liquid eyeliner, so it requires a very steady hand – which I do not have! I almost always had to rely on using a q-tip with a tiny bit of One Love Organics Vitamin B Enzyme Cleansing Oil to clean up any mistakes. Although I loved the polished, sleek look of this eyeliner, I found it was taking a very long time to apply it. It also tends to run easily when getting wet. However, I still enjoy using this eyeliner for more special occasions.
Which brings me to my new favorite way to create a cat-eye – it’s fast and easy!
Here’s the trick:
- Black powder eyeliner
- An angled eyeliner brush.
That’s it! Simple, right? The powder I use is Nvey Eco High Definition Cake Eyeliner. It’s really pigmented, so even though it is a powder, the color still stands out. The angled eyeliner brush I use is from Sephora. You can pick one up at any beauty store.
Here’s what I do:
- I dip the brush into the powder.
- Begin applying along the lash-line (where the pupil begins) and work toward the edge of the eyelid, using short quick strokes.
- Pull the outer corner of the eyelid taut, and angle the brush so that the long end of the bristles are pointed toward the outer corner of the eye, and the shorter end is pointing toward where the eyebrow ends.
- Use short, quick strokes to create the line of the “wing.” You can make the wing as long as you would like. Sometimes I dip just the tip/pointy part of the brush in the powder and use only the tip to gain more precision.
- Lastly, fill in the wing area, making the liner closest to your eye thicker, and gradually thinner as it connects to the tip of the “wing.”
It may sound tricky, but trust me, this is the fastest and easiest way to do a cat-eye! The whole process only takes a couple minutes. The benefit of using a powder, is that you don’t need to be as precise. The powder has a softer look, so mistakes aren’t as noticeable compared to using liquid eyeliner. It also has incredible staying-power, and seems to hold up well to humidity. You can even wet the brush and mix it with the powder to get a liquid before applying. I have not tried this method, as I prefer to apply eyeliner as quickly as possible. I only apply eyeliner to my top lash-line, but you could certainly use a smaller eyeliner brush to fill in your bottom lashes as well.
Have you tried powder eyeliner? What is your favorite way to achieve the cat-eye look? Please share!
