This is how to update your classic winged liner

With the recent slew of red carpet events – think the Oscars and Grammys (not to mention the after parties), as well as fashion month having just wrapped up around the world – there have been plenty of fresh new hair and makeup trends emerging, and one in particular has been a standout in our eyes: the graphic eyeliner look.  A fresh and modern take on the classic winged eyeliner, this look is perfect for those game enough to experiment with their liquid and gel liners.

We spoke to makeup artist Hayley Dutton about why we should all give this makeup trend a try, as well as her top tips for achieving the perfect graphic eyeliner technique at home. 

Dutton explains “the [best] thing about a graphic eyeliner design is it is an open brief; you can be as outlandish or conservative as you want – and that is what makes this such a wearable trend.”

One of her best tips is to keep your eyeliner super simple. “When you are first trying this trend, opt for a soft kohl pencil. This makes it really easy to draw the line and limits the wobbly finish you can get when using a gel or liquid eyeliner,” she says. When you get more confident with the shape of your graphic eyeliner, feel free to move to a liquid or gel eyeliner product for a bold, striking and slightly more dangerous effect. 

Dutton’s other major tip is to create the shape of your eyeliner based on the shape of your eye. “You might like to just bring the line a quarter of the way into the crease for a really subtle effect, alternatively you might like to bring this all the way along the crease towards the inner corner of the eye,” she says. For hooded eyes Dutton recommends working your line just above the crease, otherwise it will disappear into the fold. Dutton also suggests you “keep the focus of your graphic eyeliner to the outer corner, rather than bringing it all the way to the inner corner.”

Dutton explains that with down-turned or round shaped eyes, the goal of the graphic eyeliner is to lift and elongate. This can be done by using the angle from the outer bottom lash line and taking it up towards the outer corner of your eyebrow as your liner angle.

Some products we recommend include: Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Pencil, L'Oréal Paris SuperLiner Perfect Slim and Lancôme Grandiôse Eyeliner Liner.

If you love the classic eyeliner look but are still trying to finesse the technique, here are our tips for nailing the traditional winged eyeliner look.

Image credit: Getty