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First came smudgy and smoky. Then the kitten eye. Now double winged eyeliner is here, and it’s the latest twist on liner that will have you reaching for your makeup bag yet again.
Most current beauty trends are firmly rooted in nostalgia for the ’90s and early ’2000s, like bouncy blowouts, brown lip liner, and smoky eyes, which doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. However, what we’ve coined batwing liner is a nice break from the early-aughts mania, and takes us a little further back, all the way to the ’60s.
Despite the intense name—no, it has nothing to do with Robert Pattinson’s sad-boi eyeliner in The Batman—the result is pretty and feminine. Essentially, it’s double winged eyeliner, with one lining the top lash line and one extending from the bottom lash line. The trend has been making the rounds on TikTok, as well as on celebrities like Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and Devon Lee Carlson. It was also featured heavily on the most recent season of Euphoria, and the show’s lead makeup artist, Donni Davy, told Glamour that she played a lot with accenting the lower lash line this season.
Part of the appeal of this liner is that it can range from a small natural flick to a totally dramatic wing, depending on your vibe—see Euphoria’s Cassie and Maddy, respectively. Both are the same basic principle of a wing both on top and bottom but have a very different feel. To make it even more dramatic, take a cue from Charli XCX, who has been making the look her staple as of late, and start your first wing in your crease for an exaggerated look.
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The trend is a personal favorite of celebrity makeup artist Lily Keys, who is behind some of Charli XCX’s recent interpretations of the trend. “It’s a take on the retro ’60s Twiggy eye,” she tells Glamour. “It opens your eyes and makes them appear bigger and more feminine, almost doll-like. You need a steady hand and some practice, but anyone can do it.”
The first step in getting the look is finding a great liner; Keys likes the Catrice Glam & Doll Easy Wash Off liner, since it’s precise and super pigmented. “Sit in front of a mirror and lean your elbow on the table for steadiness,” she recommends. “Looking straight ahead, take your eyeliner and draw a line along the lash line, starting from the inner corner of the eyes to the outer corner. Make sure that the line is close to the root of the lashes, and use small strokes with a wing at the end for that cat-eye look.”
“Then, using your liner, draw gently on the upper eyelid in one stroke from the inner corner of your eye to the outer corner of your eye, parallel to the lower wing,” she says. Don’t worry about getting things too perfect in one swipe, as Keys recommends using a pointed cotton swap dipped in makeup remover to clean up any smudges or to perfect the line. Stop at just liner if you please, or add a swipe of color or shimmer on your lid to take it to the next level. For an extra ’60s vibe, use a white eyeliner to highlight the space between the two wings.
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Ready to get in on the trend? Shop some of our favorite liners, below.
Catrice Glam & Doll Easy Wash Off Power Hold Eyeliner
Nyx Professional Makeup Mechanical Eyeliner Pencil
Glossier Pro Tip Liquid Eyeliner
Nars Climax Liquid Eyeliner
Lancôme Grandiose Bendable Liquid Eyeliner
Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.
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