The Big, Brown Cat Eye (plus Cat-eye Liner tutorial)
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There were a couple of requests for a sexy look that was based around neutral shades. Instead of the usual smoky eye or cut-crease eye, I decided to do one that was more sultry and evening-appropriate, and centered around a very strong liner.
This look is good for:
- Regular double lids, mono-lids
- All skin tones (if you are very dark skinned, switch the grey to a darker charcoal)
- Any eye color since it’s neutral, but especially brings out blue/grey and lighter-brown eyes
- Eyes that are not close-set
Special note: If you have hooded eyes, this still works. Just don’t wing the liner out too far. The transition of brown to grey shadow will be the main focus for you.
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You will need:
- A rich brown shadow (all shadows I used were from the 88 Warm palette but feel free to substitute with any similar brown)
- A smoky grey (also from the 88 palette; this can be matte or swapped for a deeper shade)
- A brown gel liner (I used my staple Maybelline Lasting Drama #02)
- [Optional] A lighter peach/bronze shadow
- Mascara
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Step 1: First apply the rich brown all over your lid. Avoid winging the color out at the outer corners.
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Step 2: Choose a grey that is about the same depth and intensity as the brown, and then sweep it along the socket line (the hollow above your eye ball). Don’t bring the grey all the way to the inner corners. It should stop and fade away about 2/3 of the way in.
IF YOU HAVE HOODED EYES, you can extend the grey a little at the outer corners and buff it out so it creates a slight wing.
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STEP 3: THE CAT-EYE LINER!
A) First run the brown liner along the lower lash line. I actually ran it along the waterline to hide that strip of bare skin. This creates a more cat-like effect.
B) Along the upper lash line, apply a very thick strip of liner. IF YOU HAVE MONOLIDS, you can actually go ahead and apply a much thicker strip than I did.
C) One of the problems with winged liner is that it’s hard to get the angle the same on both sides of the eye. To make it easier, simply follow the angle of your lower lash line and extend it up slightly.
D) To complete the wing, go from the outside in this time, and connect the outer tip of the wing with the center of your upper lid. After this, you can go back in to neaten and straighten the line as you need.
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Step 4: [Optional] Use your ring finger to tap a tiny bit of a lighter bronze shade onto the center of your lid for extra dimension. This is only recommended for double-lidded eyes. If you have mono-lids or hooded lids, skip this.
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Finish with mascara!
