How to Do Winged Eyeliner with Eyeshadow

If you love the look of winged eyeliner but are interested in creating a softer, flirtier look, you can absolutely have the best of both worlds. Using eyeshadow instead of eyeliner is the perfect way to make your winged eye look more romantic and gentle while still having the drama and definition. All you need is a favorite color of eyeshadow—black and brown work great, but don’t be afraid to branch out to more unique colors—and a thin, angled brow brush.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Prep Work

1. Wash away oils and old makeup before doing your makeup. A clean face is important for your foundation, but it’s super essential for your eye makeup! When you wash your face, pay attention to your eyelids and the area surrounding your eyes to make sure you rinse away any leftover residue.^[1]
   
   • Most people do the rest of their makeup before doing their eye makeup, which is totally fine. Just make sure to start your routine with a clean face.
2. Apply eyeshadow primer to keep your winged liner from smudging. Use your fingers, a makeup brush, or a beauty sponge to apply and blend primer over your eyelids and around your eyes. The last thing you want is for your perfectly-applied eye makeup to crease or smudge during the day!^[2]
   
   
   • Make sure to get the area outside the corner of your eye where the winged part of your liner will be.
3. Set your entire eyelid and the surrounding area with a powder. Apply a light layer of translucent powder with a soft makeup brush. With using both primer and powder, you might worry about your makeup looking cakey, but rest assured that your finished liner is going to look great (and stay in place!).^[3]
   
   
   • Prepping your skin is the best way to create a defined and dramatic look.
4. Put on your eyeshadow if you’re planning on wearing it. By this, we mean shadow on your eyelids and not the shadow you’re going to use to create your winged look. Winged eyeliner looks perfectly fine all on its own, but you can also combine it with a regular eyeshadow style for even more oomph. Wait to put on your mascara until your makeup is all done.^[4]
   
   
   • Start by applying a base color to your lid and then use a slightly darker shade for the crease. This technique adds dimension and makes your eyes pop.^[5]
   • If you want your brows to stand out, apply a lighter, shimmery shade along your brow bone.^[6]
   • Check out this great article on how to apply eyeshadow if you’re looking for some inspiration.
5. Pick a thin, angled brow brush to apply your eyeshadow-liner. With winged eyeliner, it’s all about that sharp point and defined edge! Using a thin, angled brush gives you more control over the application and shaping of your winged eyeliner.^[7]
   
   • A brush that’s too wide, soft, or flexible won’t work well for this makeup technique.
6. Use matte or shimmery eyeshadow to line your upper lid. Matte shadow works best for a bolder, more defined look, while shimmery eyeshadow will make your winged liner look softer and more delicate. Put a little eyeshadow on your angled brush. Use the sharp edge to gently line your lash line. Create a more “open” eye by stopping about two-thirds of the way across your lid, or go for a more dramatic look by lining the entire thing.^[8]
   
   
   • Some people wait until the end for this step, but it’s easier to fix a mistake at the beginning before your wing is in place.
   • If your liner tends to smudge near your tear duct, don’t bring it fully across your lid. Stop about halfway or two-thirds of the way across.^[9]

[Edit]Winging It

1. Look straight ahead and don’t pull your skin to make it tighter. It’s easier to apply a winged look if your skin is taut, but that can mess up your edge and make it look strange when it's back to its natural relaxed position. Resist the temptation to pull your skin and instead just relax your face and look straight ahead into the mirror.^[10]
   
   • This tip is especially helpful if you have hooded eyelids.
2. Draw a slanted line from the outer corner of your eye toward your brow bone. Imagine a line connecting the outer corner of your eye to the end of your eyebrow. Use light pressure as you work so you don’t smudge the eyeshadow into your skin, and stop once the tip is as long as you want. Make sure to stop at the same point on either side so your wings look as even as possible. If you have trouble keeping the edge straight (we all do at times!), try one of these hacks:^[11]
   
   
   • Use the bottom edge of a tube of foundation or cream to create a straight line.^[12]
   • Stick a short piece of tape from your brow bone to the outer corner of your eye. Just keep in mind that this might mess up or smudge your foundation.
   • Conversely, some people find it easier to start the winged line out toward the brow line and bring it down to the corner of their eye. In the end, you have to find out which works best for you!^[13]
3. Make a triangle by drawing a second line from the slanted one to your eyelid. Go about three-fourths of the way up the winged line you just made and draw across to about halfway down your eyelid. You can adjust these proportions to make your wing either thinner or thicker, depending on the look you’re going for.^[14]
   
   
   • For example, take the line all the way to the inner corner of your eye for a dark, dramatic look.
   • If you’re nervous about making both sides look even, try lightly tracing the lines with an eyebrow pencil first. You can check that they line up before covering them up with eyeshadow.
4. Fill in the triangle you just made with eyeshadow. Add more eyeshadow to your brush if needed. Carefully cover up all the skin in the wing of your eyeliner and add more layers to darken the shading if you want to.^[15]
   
   
   • Try holding the brush closer to the tip for better control.
5. Lengthen the wing by dragging it out further with your brow brush. If the length seems good to you, then skip this step. But, if you’d like a little more length for a slightly more dramatic look, it’s simple to do! Just be careful that the ends of the two lines blend well.^[16]
   
   
   • The length of your wing is a total matter of preference! Some people prefer a super short wing for just a hint of flair, while others prefer a long, bold look.

[Edit]Final Touches

1. Clean up the outer edge of your winged eyeliner with your fingernail or Q-tip. Drag your nail right along the edge of your eyeliner, up toward your eyebrow. If you’d rather not touch your face with your hands, a pointed cotton swab works just as well. This essentially sharpens that edge and makes it look super defined.^[17]
   
   
   • If your line looks good to you, there’s no need to mess with it!
2. Apply highlighter along the edge of the liner if you want it to pop more. If you don’t have highlighter, a light-colored eyeshadow will work just as well. Just be careful not to cover up the actual wing accidentally.^[18]
   
   
   • This is entirely optional, but it can give your look just a touch more radiance.
3. Curl your lashes and apply mascara to finish your look. If you don’t have a lash curler, just skip ahead straight to putting on your mascara. Beautiful, long lashes are the best complement to your winged eyeliner.^[19]
   
   
   • Mascara makes your eyes look more alert.
4. Apply a setting spray to lock your look in place. In general, hold the bottle about away from your face, close your eyes, and spritz your entire face. Let it dry completely before getting dressed or heading out for the day.^[20]
   
   • Always read the instructions to make sure you’re using best practices for your particular product.
   • You might want to use hairspray as a kind of DIY setting spray, but you should avoid this. The ingredients in hairspray can irritate your skin and eyes.

[Edit]Tips

• Winged eyeliner is definitely a skilled makeup technique! Don’t feel bad if it takes you a while to master it.
• Keep in mind that if you do a winged look with eyeshadow, it probably won't last as long as liquid liner.^[21]
• If you made a small mistake, don’t panic! Grab a pointed cotton swab and put a little makeup remove on it. Use it to wipe and dab until you’re back on track.^[22]
• Keep in mind that you can use any color of eyeshadow to make your winged eyeliner. It doesn’t have to be brown or black—you can use orange, green, blue, or any other shade that strikes your fancy.

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

• Eyeshadow primer
• Translucent powder
• Makeup brushes
• Eyeshadow
• Angled brow brush
• Eyelash curler
• Mascara
• Setting spray

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.livinggorgeous.com/eyeshadow-primer-substitute/
2. ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-do-a-perfect-winged-eyeliner#how-to-do-winged-eyeliner-in-5-easy-steps
3. ↑ https://youtu.be/nAz18p75XMQ?t=100
4. ↑ https://youtu.be/oVq6uIV_8C8?t=70
5. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/makeup/a35631/how-to-apply-eye-makeup-guide/
6. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/makeup/a35631/how-to-apply-eye-makeup-guide/
7. ↑ https://youtu.be/YTY3NYIGluk?t=344
8. ↑ https://youtu.be/YTY3NYIGluk?t=385
9. ↑ https://youtu.be/nAz18p75XMQ?t=242
10. ↑ https://youtu.be/YTY3NYIGluk?t=403
11. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/makeup/eyes/winged-eyeliner
12. ↑ https://youtu.be/oVq6uIV_8C8?t=208
13. ↑ https://youtu.be/_sbCHDFwfiA?t=125
14. ↑ https://youtu.be/YTY3NYIGluk?t=464
15. ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-do-a-perfect-winged-eyeliner#how-to-do-winged-eyeliner-in-5-easy-steps
16. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/makeup/eyes/winged-eyeliner
17. ↑ https://youtu.be/YTY3NYIGluk?t=499
18. ↑ https://youtu.be/oVq6uIV_8C8?t=359
19. ↑ https://youtu.be/oVq6uIV_8C8?t=409
20. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty-products/g3683/makeup-setting-sprays/
21. ↑ [v161022_b01]. 7 March 2019.
22. ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/makeup/eyes/winged-eyeliner