The Makeup Box

The Long Cat-Eye: Dramatic Liquid Liner Look for Small or Mono-Lid Eyes (and anyone else)

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This is a very intense black liquid liner look that extends straight out horizontally instead of winging up into the typical cat eye shape.

It’s quite common look among Asian pop stars because it emphasizes and flatters a small or mono-lid eye without having to change its shape unnaturally. Even if you don’t have a mono-lid or hooded eyes, this is a great look for a party or an evening out, and you can either pair it with nude lips and bronzed skin, or go all-out with dark lips as well.

You will need:

• A soft duochrome peachy-gold shadow like MAC Melon or Majolica Majorca BE286 (if you don’t have a duochrome, use a gold)
• A matte brown shadow like Revlon Rich Sable
• A very intense black pencil like Maybelline Master Drama Cream Pencil in Midnight Drama (or a black gel liner)
• A black liquid liner (anything with a fine brush is better for the super-precise edges we want to create here; I used Japanese brand Heroine Make’s Impact Liquid Liner)

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Smoky Lavender Silk (Requested: Lavender, Purple and Brown Tutorial)

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It was interesting to get a request for a tutorial featuring lavender, purple and brown. Now I can’t be exactly sure how deep or light each of those tones were  imagined to be so I had to do a bit of a guess. (You could have light brown, medium lavender and dark purple, or dark brown, light lavender, medium purple, etc.)

I decided to go for a smokier look with brown and purple that is deeper but sort of melded into each other, so it doesn’t stick out as 2 very separate shades. 

You will need:

• A pale lavender (I used Coastal Scents’ Ice Ballet Hot Pot)
• A deep, rich, metallic purple (MAC Grape pigment)
• A dark matte brown (Revlon Rich Sable)

As always, you don’t need to use the exact shades I used. If you have similar colors from other brands, by all means use those.

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Step 1: I first used a flat brush to pack on pale lavender from the inner corners slightly past the center of the eye. It should not extend up past the socket line.

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Step 2: Next, use the same brush to pick up a deep purple. I actually did not clean the brush because I wanted the pale lavender to soften the deep purple a little. I did not want a very harsh line between the pale and deep purples.

Run the tip of the flat brush along the socket line, 2/3 of the way from the inside out, but not reaching the outer corners. Then run the purple along the lower lash line as well.

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Step 3: Last shade; the brown. I used a small pointed brush to pack a matte, dark brown into the remaining bit of skin at the outer corners, blending up into the socket line where the deeper purple is. Keep the shape very round and avoid winging the shape outwards at the corners. 

Run the brown along the outer portions of the lower lash line as well.

When you’re done, take a look and see if the overall look is too smoky, too light, etc. If it’s too light, add more brown and purple. If it’s too dark, run the pale lavender over everything gently and use a fluffy blending brush to smoke everything out.

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Step 4: The smoky eye line. I love it because it gives the illusion of fuller, longer lashes. First, I applied black pencil along the water line. THEN I used a pointed brush to pick up some of the pencil or gel liner (just run the brush along the tip to pick up some color) and then apply that along both top and bottom lash line. This gives you a very soft smoky look which blends with the shadow and I do this. The effect is softer than when you apply the liner directly to the lid.

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Step 5: Finish with black mascara and you’re done! The final look is soft, but still sultry. If the purple or brown is too harsh, you can always go over it with a tiny bit of the pale lavender just to soften things out.