History of the 'Cat' Eye

Whether you refer to them as wings or cat eyes, this eye liner trend is here to stay after its many successful decades of existence. The first known use of eyeliner was documented as early as 400BC according to professional make up blog Illamasqua’s post Eyeliner: A History. Records state that royals in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia wore makeup, especially winged out liners. During 400BC, the amount of makeup worn determined class and status. While it was mainly worn by royal women, royal men also wore makeup to physically reflect their financial and social class. (Side note from Shelby: I would have been the most made up poor person back then. My face would have been completely caked and I would have had 2 ancient coins to my name.) Elizabeth Taylor, famous for her dramatic cat eye liner in the 1963 movie Cleopatra, is responsible for setting and influencing many beauty styles and trends still around this very day.

Elizabeth Taylor as her character Cleopatra:

Now, I know what you’re thinking, she had a professional stylist and makeup artist, how am I, one of the little people attempt such a task? I know how you’re feeling and I agree with you 100%. Applying a cat eye look is indeed difficult if you’re not a celebrity. We all know the struggle of perfecting a signature cat eye look. It’s more of a test of mental stability in my opinion. The final, most difficult event in a tournament of wit and strength (and a flawless face). Enough with the dramatics though, because this is the true and honest systematic process of how to apply eye liner in the cat eye fashion.

Step 1: BUY SOME LIQUID LINER

• Liquid liner is your best friend when it comes to statement liner. It gives your top eyelid a more precise, dramatic look. I prefer a liquid gel liner. It produces cleaner lines and less flaking.

Step 2: CHOOSE AN APPLICATOR

• Choosing an applicator can be the trickiest part of cat eye liner makeup. Personally, I prefer using a small angled brush with a predominant sharp tipped edge.

Step 3: APPLY EYE SHADOW OR FACE PRIMER

• Nothing kills a good cat eye quite like not putting a small amount of primer on your top lid. My advice, apply a small, extra amount of face or eye shadow primer on the lower part of your top lid (focusing on the lash line). Allow this to set and dry for a minute or so before applying the liquid liner.

Step 4: DO THE DARN THING

• Make a small, diagonal line of liquid liner a small distance away and up from the outside corner of your eye lid. Then, apply more liner to the brush and sweep the brush from the top corner of the liner over and down your eye lid to create a wing shape. Finally, fill in the outline with more liquid liner until it is shaded in completely and you are satisfied.

Step 5: THEY MAY NOT MATCH SO BREATHE, IT’S OKAY

• It is okay if your cat eyes do not match. A wise woman, my mother, once told me that your eye liner doesn’t always have to match because they’re sisters, not twins. In the heat of the moment, that saying will give you no relief. However, it is entirely true.

Step 6: IF YOU CAN’T STAND THEM THEN DO THIS

• Clean up the edges by washing your liquid liner applicator/brush. Then apply a small amount of concealer to the clean brush. Finally, go over the edges and the top point of the cat eye to clean up or blur any imperfections or any doubt you may have about your eye liner.

Step 7: ADMIRE YOUR WORK, BECAUSE YOU STUCK IT OUT

• Don’t let your hard work go unnoticed. Snap a selfie or five, I won’t judge.

Photographic evidence of my, attempted, cat eye look:

The process of creating a good cat eye can take many, many tries, but the end results can be absolutely amazing. Take your time and take some breaths. I challenge all of you to channel your inner Elizabeth Taylor this week and try something different with your usual makeup routine, whether that be a cat eye or not. However, for extra guidance, I have provided somewhat of a cat eye cheat sheet for your convenience.

http://www.illamasqua.com/blog/eyeliner-a-history/

http://carliedaly.com/health-and-beauty/cat-eyes-cleopatra-beauty-icon/

https://www.shopstyle.com/browse?crlt.pid=camp.Oi2auNah7nvb&fts=liquid+eyeliner&utm_campaign=SRP_cateyetutorial&utm_medium=SMM&utm_source=pinterest