The ultimate make-up trick for bigger eyes (that suits everyone)

Here’s how to pull off the cat-eye look that’s been used by Hollywood actresses since the 1960s

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Old school glamour prevailed at the Governors Awards on Sunday night in Los Angeles. Nicole Kidman in black Celine, Angelina Jolie in vintage burnished gold, J-Lo’s embellished platinum lace and Jennifer Lawrence’s bitter chocolate Bottega Veneta gown harked to days of a bygone elegance. Most accessorised with diamonds and nearly all were accompanied with the oldest eye make-up trick on the book; the heavily kohl’d black feline flick.
Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie, J-Lo and Jennifer Lawrence all showcased it in many of its nuances. Classic, a modern minimalist version or a sexy, smokey look.
“The cat-eye is the ultimate make-up illusion for making the eyes look bigger,” says Wendy Rowe, Nicole Kidman and Demi Moore’s make-up artist. “It’s a classic, Hollywood make-up artist trick that has been used since the 60s and was made famous by Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren. Alberto de Rossi, Hepburn’s make-up artist used to apply so much mascara when doing Hepburn’s heavily kohl’d cat eyes, he apparently used to separate the lashes with a safety pin.”
Thankfully, formulations today are much easier to apply, but can you pull off this look without a professional make-up artist? And does it suit everybody?
“It’s still a classic and yes it does suit most eye shapes,” says Rowe. “Essentially, it’s a heavily eyelined upper lid with not so much liner on the bottom. To make it more flattering for every eye shape, I don’t use liner on the bottom and instead I just use some taupe-coloured eyeshadow applied with a small brush just underneath the bottom lashes. It looks more flattering, is easier to apply than eyeliner and looks modern.”
“If you want to go for the classic, vintage look, use a liquid liner on the top lashes only, and you’ll get a really dense line which is what this look is all about,” says Rowe, “but my tip would be use an eyeliner pencil first to dot on a rough shape, especially of the flick, to follow. And don’t worry too much about it being absolutely symmetrical on both eyes as when the eyes are open you won’t see it. People are rarely going to see you with your eyes closed.”
If liquid eyeliner isn’t for you (and I know it definitely isn’t for me), then Rowe suggests using a satin kajal liner. Victoria Beckham Beauty was one of the first to bring these out and they are still hard to beat in terms of texture and colours. I love them as they are super easy to use and when you buff them in with an eyeshadow brush they give a really professional finish.
You simply apply the liner and you have about 15 seconds of “playtime” before the colour sets. I like to smudge it out on the top lid, using an eyeshadow brush and this for me is a foolproof route to pulling off a smoky eye in under 60 seconds.
What about hooded eyes which have extra skin and soft tissue near the brow bone which creates a deep crease and a “hood” over the eyelid? In non-hooded eyes, you can see the eyelid, the crease, and the remaining space up to the brow bone – whereas in hooded eyes, you can’t.
“Because there’s less space to work with on hooded eyelids you want to make quite a minimal flick, more of a straight line rather than a tick,” says Rowe, “And make sure the tip of the line isn’t sloping down or that will drag the eyes down.”
The other consideration is the colour of the eyeliner. A bit like wearing a black blazer or jumper, black liner is not always the most flattering choice for ageing eyes as it can be too harsh. Brown is a better option for most and the new Irish eyeliner brand, Hildun Beauty, have four different versions of brown eyeliner from lovely chocolates to shimmering pecans. They collaborated with Royal make-up artist Hannah Martin for their shimmery range which are lovely for Christmas time.
When it comes to mascara, Rowe says that she always uses waterproof mascara as it’s less likely to smudge. And avoid any mascara that is volume building as it can have the effect of making the eyes look smaller which is the opposite of what I want. She loves Clinique High Impact Waterproof mascara because it has a very small brush and is flattering on the lashes. And absolutely zero need to use a safety pin to separate.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Eyeliner, £32, Selfridges
HIdun Beauty Silk to Set Kajal Liner, £16, Hildun Beauty
Suqqu Nuance Liquid Eyeliner, £23, Selfridges
Yeux Paint Liquid Eyeshadow and Liner, £33, Violette Fr
Caroline Barnes make-up brushes, £85, Otis Batterbee
Thin stem cotton buds, £2.95, Muji
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