Winging it

With retro-themed shows like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire racking up some serious ratings, and Hollywood turning to history for inspiration, it's safe to say that period is the new vampire. That means that in the fashion world, retro is back, in a way it has never been before. We're seeing a revival of vintage styles, and old-school Hollywood glam in make-up. The winged eyeliner or 'cat eye' is one such timeless look that's enjoying a resurgence in popularity this season.

The winged liner basically consists of a line drawn across the eyelid, that extends beyond the natural lash-line and ends in an upward tilt. You can either have a single 'wing' taking flight from your eyelid, or have a second, parallel line going under your eye. In both cases, the effect is to make the eyes look larger and dreamier at once.


How to achieve this look:


* Practice makes perfect. It's hard to get it right at one go, so invest in a lot of cotton swabs, which minimize the mess.

* Draw finer lines. That means sharpening your pencil, or getting a thinner brush, depending on which tools you use. Try sticking as close to your lashes as possible, without actually lining the inner rims of your eyelids (doing so will make your eyes look smaller and beadier). Try leaving no skin showing between line and lash.

* Draw two lines. A single line is hard to achieve, and doesn't always flatter your eyes. Instead, start with an 'under liner' in a gold or similarly light colour, and draw a prominent wing that starts at the corner of your eye and extends upwards until it is slanting towards your brow. Then, when you have achieved the desired shape, using your dark liner (black is default, but dark browns and plums look even better), colour over the lighter liner.

* Gel > Solid > Liquid. Liquid liner is hard to be accurate with, even if you're not drawing wings. It tries quickly, smudges easy, and is hell to remove. Solids are a lot better; you can achieve greater control with them, especially if you're prone to making mistakes. Gel liners marry the utility of the pencil with the precision of liquid liners and allow for more comfortable applications.  Laura Mercier also has a superb cake liner that is applied with a teardrop shaped brush.

* Get rid of excess. Wipe down your brush or pencil, to prevent smudges caused by excess make-up.

* And finally, a bright idea: amp up the winged look by using pencil or cream in jewel tones.

Products to watch out for:
(Source: Sephora.com)

- Stila Stay All Day waterproof liquid liner in Alloy
- Smashbox Jetset waterproof liner in Midnight Black
- Guerlain Terracotta kohl kajal in 01 Black Frida