16 Eyeliner Looks That Will Transform Your Gaze
When it comes to makeup moments, well-executed eyeliner looks tend to be among the coolest—and the most transformative.
“Liner is sharp, graphic, dramatic, often shape-shifting, meaning it can really transform an eye shape,” says celebrity makeup artist Jo Baker. “Creating an optical illusion is made easy if you have the right skills.”
She’s right: a wing of liner can open and extend the eye, while white applied along the waterline can create a doe-eyed effect. Add to that various palettes, distinct or softer detailing, and the option to smudge, and the humble pencil (or pen) becomes a makeup magic wand. Liner plays well alone and with shadows and lashes, acting as a standalone, standout detail, or a means of italicizing an entire aesthetic.
For her part, Baker—a go-to for the likes of Daisy Edgar-Jones, Lucy Boynton, and Olivia Wilde—favors anything feline or 1960s, mod-inspired. “Those looks are all about femininity, but in a badass, cool-girl way, which is forever on trend in my book,” she says.
Application tools and tricks abound, but Baker considers the classic firm wedge sponge to be the ultimate liner BFF. “It’s old school and definitely the opposite of the beloved Beauty Blender styles that have been so popular,” she says. “But the classic edge, when damp, gives you the perfect invisible shaping tool to get those lines extra sharp and elongated.”
While trends, old and new, can inspire your eyeliner look, so can your own eye shape. Take a few minutes to analyze your eyes, the better to determine what type of liner will best enhance your gaze.
Here, 16 eyeliner looks designed to transform your face—or simply your next makeup moment.
Smoked Edges
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For a more subtle look, you can achieve the sultry effect of a smoky eye using just eyeliner. Gracie Abrams’ softly smudged black liner complements her natural, brushed brows. This effortless application works well for both daytime and evening looks.
Theatric Wing
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Chappell Roan’s avant-garde makeup draws inspiration from drag and editorial. In this instance, brows are traded for a hyper-extended liner pull, the wing serving as a springboard for a bronze-dusted lid.
Saturated Line
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Megan Thee Stallion’s bold femme fatale beauty is defined by deep onyx tones, and her liquid eyeliner is no exception. A thick line of black liner along her upper lash line enhances her feathery lashes even more.
White Waterline
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Applying white liner along the waterline is a foolproof means of brightening (and widening) your eyes. Sabrina Carpenter presents the point with aplomb, a touch of luminous highlighter at the inner corners enhancing the effect.
Onyx Rim
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An all-around encasing of black liner, smudged along both lash lines and the waterline, gives way to a hazy wing.
Pierrot Puppy
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Baker’s looks for Lucy Boynton pull inspiration from playful places. This Pierrot-inspired look is essentially a hyperbolized puppy liner moment, with negative space and spidery lashes lending to the edgy moment.
Classic Cat
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In the world of cool girl beauty, the classic cat eye reigns. Olivia Rodrigo’s feline flick of liner, executed in a soft ombré that echoes her lip look, proves its prowess.
Naked Space
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Here, Baker balances sharp, inky lines with naked space, leaving a gap in application along Olivia Wilde’s lower lash line. “I love playing with the negative space to enhance the eye shape, and sometimes less is more,” says Baker. “Naked space goes hand in hand with liner styling and play.”
Baby Wing
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A wing doesn’t need to fly too far to make a visual impact. Jennie Kim’s diminutive swoop of liner swings just as far outward as the longest of her lashes.
Metallic Edge
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Liner can enhance any color palette—even one that’s warm and soft. Sydney Sweeney’s rim of metallic bronze liner plays up petal pink lids, cheeks, and lips.
Icy Blue
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Cheeky Y2K colorways are easy to incorporate when layered with a black liquid line. For Yara Shahidi, an icy blue edge is the perfect punctuation to a sharp wing of black liner.
Full Smoke
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Emily Ratajkowski’s velvety smoky eye is all down to liner. A medley of waterline kohl and smudged shadow result in a darkly chic moment.
Siren Liner
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Some TikTok trends have staying power. One of them is the siren eye, a look that combines a winged liner with sharp definition at the inner corners. Gigi Hadid enhances the look with touches of pearlescent shadow, adding a literal brightness to her eyes.
Super Siren
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Siren eyes are made even more dramatic (and graphic) with some negative space and a partially darkened lid.
Kitten Eye
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A baby take on the classic cat, Zoë Kravitz’s liner look features sharp wings along the outer corners, minus liner along the upper lash line.
Mod Cat
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A cat eye that extended from a wing so thick it colors the entire lid, seen here on Kristen Stewart, makes for a decidedly ’60s look.
