Master The Bat Wing Eyeliner Look With These Simple Steps
You're in love with the cat eye look, but it can be challenging to make your hooded eyes cooperate since your crease always seems to get in the way. Thankfully, the bat wing liner style offers a flawless wing every time by working around the crease rather than against it. The bat wing eyeliner hack gets its name from the shape it creates when your eyes are closed. It looks like the tip of a batwing ready to soar in the sky.
This lining technique has two lines that connect and a C-shape going around your lid. It makes it so that when you open your eyes, the line along your lash line and the wing connect to create a seamless shape by preventing your wing from getting distorted. It's also helpful in keeping smudging to a minimum since it goes around the crease. It's time to try out an edgier alternative to a classic cat eye that looks flawless on any eye shape. You'll fly through these easy steps by keeping a few useful hacks in mind.
Get your eyelids ready for liner
Prior to grabbing your eyeliner, make sure your eyes are ready for it. Fiona Tayler, the owner of Faces by Fiona, told Makeup.com by L'Oreal that first and foremost, you want to "Prime [your] eyelid with eyeshadow primer." The primer helps you get the perfect wing because it provides a base for the liner to stick to and creates a smooth canvas. Make sure to use an eyeshadow primer that works well with your skin, and finish off by adding some loose powder to set it in place.
It's important to use a powder that works well with your skin tone and eyeshadow too, naturally, so always think ahead about your overall look. Next, tackle your eyeshadow. It can be difficult to go in after your bat wing is in place to add shadow without messing up your crisp lines. Since this look goes with just about everything, you can try rainbow eyeshadow makeup or even a sultry smoky eye. Then, it's time to get batty. Grab your liner to start planning out your wing.
Sketch out your design
Some people can grab their liquid liner and just start winging it out. However, having a rough sketch to work with can help to keep you from going wrong at the start. If you're new to the wing game, you might want to rough out your lines with an eyebrow pencil. However, if your lining game is strong, go in with a liquid liner. Start by using your preferred liner to line your lash line. Depending on your preference, you can line the entire lash line or just the outer half.
Pull the line out from the corner to create a crisp, light wing that goes toward your brow tip. You can make this line long or short, depending on how dramatic you want your wing. If you struggle to create a straight line from your lid, it can be helpful to use makeup tape or even Scotch tape to give you a line to follow. An angled eyeshadow brush can also help you pull out that line perfectly.
Once you have the bottom laid out, use dots or dashes to mark out where the rest of your lines will go. Do this on both eyes and double-check to make sure everything looks even before you start connecting the dots to create your outline.
Create an angled point
With a rough sketch laid out, you're well on your way to that pointed bat wing look. Take your liquid liner and create some crisp lines to connect everything you sketched out. Just remember to keep your lines thin at this point so that you can quickly fix any errors. Starting at the corner of your eye, create a thin line that stops at your crease. Make sure you're looking directly in the mirror when making the line to keep everything straight. You should have a sharp V-shape that runs from the corner of your eye to your crease.
Now, close your eye and create an Inverse C that goes from the end of your crease and meets up with your lid line. You should see the outline of a bat wing in the mirror. Follow the same step with the other eye, checking again that everything is even. If you make a mistake, use a dampened cotton swab to wipe away the thin line and start over again. Patience and a steady hand are key to making sure your angle is crisp. Once you've got the outline perfect, it's time to finish off the look by finally filling everything in.
Get creative with your bat wing
Once your outlines for both eyes look flawless, it's time to fill everything in. While this might seem simple, taking your time and filling in the lines carefully is essential. One small swipe to the left can lead to a disaster pretty quickly. To add a bit more impact, you can draw a bolder line over your wing to make it an even deeper black.
If you want the look to be a bit more bat-like, use your liquid liner to create small Vs along the line that swoops up from the corner of your eye that mimic the webbing at the bottom of a bat wing. You can then fill this in with black to create a fun Halloween vibe or more gothic flare. This looks great with bold pops of color along the lid.
Have a damp cotton swab or angled eyeshadow brush to help you clean up any rough areas or edges. Add a bit of concealer to an angled makeup brush to clean up any stray lines along that C area. Makeup remover on a cotton swab also works wonders to help make your wing angle perfect. If you're still hesitant, a few smart hacks will help.
Tips to get flawless bat wing liner
Sometimes getting the perfect wing can be a struggle, especially if you don't have a steady hand. Therefore, it can be helpful to incorporate a few tips so your batwing looks flawless every time. It might sound like a no-brainer, but supporting your elbow on your countertop or table when trying to draw that wing can make a huge difference. It keeps your arm steady while you're drawing the lines.
Additionally, if you're new to the wing game, starting out with a pen liner is easier than going right in with a small brush applicator. The pen gives you a bit more grip, and it's easy to use for practicing on your arm before hitting your lid full force. You might also want to use some kind of straight edge to help guide your lines, like a credit card or a fork.
Above all, practice makes perfect, so the more you practice and work at those strokes, the easier they will become. Getting the perfect wing for hooded eyes takes some work since you have a crease that gets in your way. The bat-wing eyeliner trend is ideal for enhancing your natural eye shape and getting the perfect wing every time.