17 Eyeliner Looks to Transform Your Eyes
Eyeliner has always been more than just a beauty staple. With a few strokes, it can change the shape, accentuate your features, and express a range of moods—from sultry to sophisticated. Here are 17 distinctive eyeliner techniques that can transform your eye shape, add flair, and enhance your overall look.
Here is an eye shape reference guide to help you find your best fit:
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1. Cat Eye (Classic and Colorful Variations)
Ideal for all eye shapes, especially almond and round eyes, this look lifts and opens the eyes for a subtle, polished elegance. It’s the perfect choice for an everyday, effortless style.
How-To: Draw a thin line along your upper lash line, extending it slightly at the outer corner for a soft flick.
2. Negative Space
Best for almond and monolid eyes, this minimalist yet striking look uses empty spaces to create a sophisticated, graphic effect. It’s perfect for adding dimension without overpowering your eye makeup.
How-To: Draw a wing along your upper lash line, but leave the center of the wing unfilled to create a “cutout” effect. You can also add another line slightly above the first to add depth.
3. White Eyeliner
White eyeliner is a makeup tool used to brighten and enlarge the eyes, creating a wide-awake and fresh appearance. It is typically applied to the waterline or inner corners of the eyes, and can also be used creatively for graphic or floating liner styles.
How to: For a brightening effect, apply white eyeliner directly to the waterline, gently pulling down your lower lid for easy application. You can also dab a small amount of white eyeliner on the inner corners of the eyes to make them pop. For a more artistic look, use white eyeliner to draw lines or shapes above the crease or alongside black eyeliner for contrast.
4. Wedge Flick
This is a classic sharp-winged eyeliner look, featuring a thick and straight line that extends dramatically past the outer corner of the eye into a bold, pointed wing. The emphasis is on precision and sharpness, making the eye appear more lifted and elongated. This look is particularly flattering for round or hooded eyes, as it helps create a more almond-like shape.
How to: Start by drawing a thin line along the upper lash line, gradually thickening it as you reach the outer corner. Extend the line outward in a straight, upward angle to create a sharp wing. Make sure the wing is clean and precise for maximum impact.
This bold, exotic style suits almond, deep-set, or hooded eyes, adding depth and a sultry, mysterious vibe. It creates a dramatic frame around the eyes that draws intense focus.
How-To #2: Line both the upper and lower lash lines, connecting them at the inner and outer corners with slight extensions for extra drama.
5. Fox Eyeliner
The Fox Eyeliner look is designed to elongate and lift the eyes, mimicking the sharp, almond-shaped eyes of a fox. This look features a winged liner that extends both from the outer and inner corners of the eyes, creating a more exotic and lifted appearance. It’s ideal for anyone wanting to give their eyes a sleek, elongated look.
How to: Start by creating a sharp wing from the outer corner, angling it upwards for a lifted effect. Next, extend a thin line from the inner corner of your eye, bringing it slightly downward to create a pointed inner eye. Connect both the upper lash line and lower lash line with this inner flick for a seamless and sleek look.
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6. Soft/Smoky Glamorous
Ideal for all eye shapes, especially round and almond, this softer look gives the eyes a red-carpet vibe with its sultry, subtle wing. It’s perfect for a glamorous night out.
How-To: Draw a thick bold line along the upper lash line with a natural color or powder, extending and blending extensively into a long, slightly exaggerated shadow of a wing.
7. Graphic Cut Crease Liner
This high-fashion, editorial style works well for monolids, hooded, or almond eyes, adding dimension and structure. It’s a unique and artistic look that creates visual depth.
How-To: Instead of lining the lash line, draw a line above the crease, following the natural curve of your eyelid without connecting to the lash line.
8. Sixties Mod
Suited for almond and round eyes, this style is playful and vintage-inspired, giving the eyes a doll-like, retro appeal. It’s perfect for anyone channeling a ’60s mod vibe.
How-To: Line the upper lash line with a bold line, curving the flick outward slightly to follow the natural shape of the eye.
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9. Gothic Liner
Deep-set and hooded eyes benefit most from this intense, moody look, which adds depth and a mysterious vibe. It’s perfect for goth-inspired makeup or a dramatic night out.
How-To: Draw dark, thick lines around the entire eye, including the waterline, then smudge slightly for a soft, smoky effect.
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10. White Inner Corner
Inner corner white eyeliner is used to brighten and open up the eyes by adding a touch of white liner to the inner corners. This technique gives the eyes a more awake, illuminated look and can also add a subtle highlight effect to your makeup.
How to: Using a white pencil or gel eyeliner, lightly apply the liner to the inner corner of your eyes, making a small 'V' shape. You can blend it slightly with a small brush or your finger for a softer look. For more intensity, layer the white eyeliner with a shimmery eyeshadow or highlighter to enhance the brightness further. This technique pairs well with neutral or bold eye makeup looks to make your eyes appear more open and radiant.
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11. Arabic Style
This bold, exotic style suits almond, deep-set, or hooded eyes, adding depth and a sultry, mysterious vibe. It creates a dramatic frame around the eyes that draws intense focus.
How-To: Line both the upper and lower lash lines, connecting them at the inner and outer corners with slight extensions for extra drama.
12. Reverse Cat Eye
Downturned and round eyes shine with this unexpected twist, which brings attention to the lower lash line for a bold, chic edge. It’s a daring, reversed take on the classic cat eye.
How-To: Apply liner along the lower lash line and extend it into a small wing at the outer corner, mirroring the angle of a traditional cat eye.
13. Floating Liner
Suited for hooded and almond eyes, this avant-garde style gives the illusion of a lifted, open crease for a futuristic, editorial look. It’s a statement look ideal for experimenting and standing out.
How-To: Draw a line slightly above your crease, following the natural curve of your eye. Keep it detached from the lash line to create a “floating” effect, and extend it outwards like a wing.
14. Thick Flick
Perfect for large, round, or almond eyes, this intense look focuses attention on the eyes for a bold, high-impact effect. It’s ideal for nights out or any time you want a more striking gaze.
How-To: Start with a thicker line along the lash line, extending it into a bold flick that’s wider than the classic wing.
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15. All-Around Winged Liner
Ideal for almond, round, and deep-set eyes, this fully outlined look defines both the upper and lower lash lines, creating a fierce, intense gaze. It’s perfect for a bold night out or when you want your eyes to stand out.
How-To: Start by lining your upper lash line with a thick wing that extends outwards. Then, line your lower lash line, connecting it to the upper wing at the outer corner. For extra drama, add eyeliner to the waterline on both the top and bottom.
16. Double-Winged Eyeliner
The double-winged eyeliner look in this image adds an extra layer of dimension by featuring two sharp, parallel lines extending from the outer corner of the eyes, creating a bold and dramatic effect. This style is ideal for almond-shaped or upturned eyes, as it enhances the eye's natural lift while giving an edgy, artistic appearance.
How to: Begin by applying a classic winged eyeliner along the upper lash line, extending it outward. Then, create a second wing just below the first, following the same angle but leaving a small gap between the two lines. Keep both wings clean and sharp for a striking contrast.
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17. Feline Eyeliner
The feline eyeliner look is bold and angular, with a sharp cat-eye effect that accentuates the outer corners of the eyes, creating a lifted and elongated appearance. It’s particularly flattering for almond-shaped or hooded eyes as it emphasizes their natural shape while adding drama and definition.
How to: Start by creating a sharp wing on the outer corner of the eye, then line the upper and lower lash lines, extending slightly beyond the inner and outer corners. Keep the lines crisp and symmetrical for the most striking effect.
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These eyeliner techniques allow you to explore different looks based on your eye shape, style, or even your mood for the day. Experimenting with eyeliner is a fun way to discover how simple lines and angles can shift the vibe of your whole look—and whether you're looking to enhance your natural eye shape or make a statement, there’s an eyeliner style to match every aesthetic!
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