3 Steps to a Perfect Cat Eye, According to a Pro Makeup Artist

I’ve been a beauty editor for more than a decade, and though that doesn’t mean I’m a makeup maven by any stretch of the imagination, I can do a full face of color when I need to, and it’s not half bad. However, there’s one skill I have yet to nail—the cat eye—but I chalk it up to the fact that it’s not part of my everyday look, so “practice makes perfect” doesn’t apply. I’ve tried the stamps, stencils and just about every pencil, marker and liquid sent my way, but it still takes me forever to get it right.

Now there’s a new formula on the market that makes the process just a little bit easier (and looks gorgeous on the eyes, too): Lancôme’s new Idôle Ultra Precise Waterproof Liner, a bold, felt-tip, glossy-black marker with 24-hour lasting power. “It’s perfect for beginners to get that perfect winged look,” says Jasmine Ferreira, the brand’s director of makeup artistry education. “There’s no flaking, smudging, bleeding or skipping. You don’t have to worry that you’ll get that mark if you blink because it dries in five seconds. Plus, the ergonomic packaging is square, instead of the traditional round, which makes it really easy to hold and control the liner—you don’t get that shaking that can occur with a round shape.”

To master the cat eye wing, Ferreira recommends three steps: 1) “Use the tail of your brow and the outer corner of your eye as a guide, and draw the wing up that line, and then glide back down into your lash line to fill the corner. 2) Lay the tip of liner on its side on your lash line and press and stamp it from the outer corner into the mid point. Pros can do one sweep, but I think the best cat eyes are born outward in, so you can create the lift you want on the eye. If you go inside out, the liner can drop your eye downward. 3) Go inward to where your lashes start, and then go back and build where you want to for an ultra-pigmented look.”

And in honor of National Lash Day, it’s only right to give a shout-out to Lancôme’s other new launch in the Idôle family, the waterproof version of Lash Idôle, our 2021 NewBeauty Award winner for Best Fan-Effect Mascara. It boasts a curved brush with 360 micro-bristles in 90 different sizes to push up and fan out every single tiny lash. Pairing the two makes for a perfect cat eye and a winning combination. “It’s a power system that I now have in my kit that can weather any storm,” Ferreira says.