15 Eyeliner Styles to Enhance Your Eye Shape

Makeup is a great way to enhance your natural beauty. One excellent tool to use is eyeliner. Eyeliner helps to define your eyes and can help lift and maximize their size. Another bonus about eyeliner, you can create a ton of different looks with the thickness, color, and placement. You can keep it basic or go rogue with something a bit wild. Here are some top eyeliner styles to enhance your eye shape. 

1. Cat Eye 

The cat-eye liner style began in ancient Egypt, commonly worn by Cleopatra, Queen Nefertiti, and Pharaoh Seti I. Initially worn for health reasons, the cat-eye look re-emerged in the 1920s by Josephine Baker. The look continued throughout the years, worn by people such as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, and Audrey Hepburn. Cat-eye liners are still popular today both on and off the runway. First, consider your eye shape to create the perfect cat-eye look. If you have round eyes, stick to thinner lines. But, if you have hooded eyes, you will want a thick, more defined line along your upper lash. Keep your lines relatively thin and straight for almond or downturned-shaped eyes. You will likely want to use a gel eyeliner pencil for a cat eye style. One excellent option is the 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil by Urban Decay. This eyeliner glides on smoothly and offers complete control. It is rated 4.5 out of 5-stars and is $23. The Cat-eye liner style is a great option for any eye shape. 

2. Subtle Wing 

The subtle wing look is another option if the cat eye is too much drama for you. You can still have a winged style without the flair if you opt for a subtle wing. Subtle-winged eyeliner was made popular by Lauren Conrad and Adele. While Adele does have some of the top makeup artists in the world to do her makeup, you can still work to get the look at home. Glamour magazine explains a top tip for the subtle wing, “For a lifted effect, Pat McGrath (makeup artist to the stars) ensures the lower part of the wing was in line with the outer corner of the eye, extending upward to create the wing shape.” This trick is essential for those who have downturned or almond-shaped eyes. You want your eyeliner to lift and lengthen your eyes to create an enhanced eye shape. Of course, Pat McGrath uses her liner on Adele to create this look. Check out the PERMA PRECISION Liquid Eyeliner by Pat McGrath labs if you are on the hunt for the best liner for a subtle wing. This liner has a matte finish, is waterproof, and is vegan. It offers precision to create the “ultimate eye lift” and lasts up to 24 hours. It is rated 3.8 out of 5-stars and is $34 at Sephora. 

3. Dramatic Angle 

Do you like to have a little flair when it comes to makeup? If so, a dramatic angle may be the eyeliner style you need to enhance your eye shape. Dramatic angles can work for any eye shape, but the thickness of the line will vary. For a monolid eye, stick to thicker eyeliner. For hooded eyes, a thinner dramatic angle will be more beneficial. Consider using a piece of tape along the outer corner of your eye to create a dramatic angle. Doing so will help to make a perfect and precise angle for your eyeliner. A dramatic angle is a fun way to enhance your eye shape for a girl’s night or date. 

4. Extended Wing

Talented singer Amy Winehouse was known for her gorgeous extended wing eyeliner style. Her eyeliner was always dramatic and flawless, which led to its iconic status. Start lining the inner corner of your eye with your eyeliner for this look. Extend the liner to the outer corner and begin to work your way up with your eyes open. For the extended wing, you will want to almost reach the bottom corner of your brow with the tip of your wing. Liquid eyeliner is great for this style. You will want to use a liquid liner for this type of eyeliner. Try the Kylie Cosmetics Kyliner Brush Tip Liquid Eyeliner Pen. This eyeliner is great for most eyeliner styles but would work well with the extended wing. It’s water-resistant and has a deep black color. The pen style has excellent precision and control. It’s rated 4.5 out of 5-stars and is $18. This eyeliner style is ideal for taking enhanced eyes to the next level.

5. Smudged to Perfection

While the smokey eye of 2010 was all the rage, the style never completely left the beauty arsenal. Smudging your eyeliner is a great trick to enhance your eye shape. If you have an almond eye, smudging helps to give you a more rounded and prominent eye appearance. You can still look great with a smudged liner if you have downturned eyes. Just be sure to smudge in an upward motion and keep the liner close to your eye to help your eye shape look more lifted. The remaining eye shapes also look great with the smudged look but should stick to the basic style. For smudged eyeliner styles, begin by lining the upper lid. Connect the upper and lower lines at the outer corner as you move to the lower lid. Take a cotton swab and gently smudge your liner. Consider adding a similar color eyeshadow to your lower lash line for a long-lasting look for a professional hack. The top tip for this type of eyeliner style is to keep your liner close to your lash and avoid liquid liner. One great pencil eyeliner option is the Makeup by Mario Master Pigment Pro™ Eyeliner Pencil. It has a velvety-gel-based formula with a built-in tool perfect for smudgy eyeliner styles. It’s available for $22 at Sephora. Smudged eyeliner styles are a great choice to help enhance your eye shape. 

6. Thin to the Waterline 

While a thick black cat-eye can be a fun look, it can sometimes cause certain eye shapes to look smaller. Eye shapes that are small, asymmetrical, or hooded can benefit from a tightened look. To achieve a thin eyeliner style, use precision eyeliner and keep your line thin and as close to the waterline and lashline as possible. Eyeliners like the Shiseido MicroLiner Ink Eyeliner are the perfect choice for a thin eyeliner style. It’s long-wearing, weightless, and smudge-proof. It’s rated 4.1 out of 5-stars and offered at $22. Bigger isn’t always better, especially when it comes to eyeliner. Consider thinner eyeliner styles if smudged or thick lines make your eyes appear smaller.  

7. Connect the Dots

This eyeliner style is for you if you struggle to get the perfect line. Begin by creating a small dot near the lash line at the center of your eyelid. Make another dot at the inner and outer corners, then connect the dots with a steady hand. You can then repeat the process for a thicker line or stick to thin and simple. This eyeliner style is excellent for everyday wear. 

8. Graphic Arrow Liner 

This option comes straight from the experts at Maybelline. The graphic arrow liner is somewhat similar to a cat eye style but with a bit more edge. This type of eye makeup is great for those with round or almond eye shapes as it helps to lift and lengthen your eyes. Most women use some tape to create this look to get a nice straight line at the edge. After placing the tape, begin lining your top eyelid from the inner eye towards the outer edge. Continue this movement until you have created a wing. Then, draw a line from the mid-brow bone down to the wing tip. Remove the tape carefully, and you will have the perfect Graphic Arrow liner. For this look, you will need a liner that is easy to control. Consider the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner for Intense Color. This option includes a liner brush for clean and smooth application. The product boasts 24-hour wear and is waterproof. It’s also budget-friendly at $7.36 and rated 4.4 out of 5-stars by over 13,000 reviewers. It is the perfect gel eyeliner for your graphic arrow look.

 

9. Experiment With Color

One of the best aspects of eyeliner is that it’s available in every color imaginable. Colored eyeliner styles offer a pop you don’t always get from a traditional black liner. For blue eyes, consider a purple, blue, or brown option. Opt for metallic bronze or violet liner if you have green eyes. For brown eyes, try navy eyeliner to give your eyes a little something extra. Color is a great way to enhance your own eye color and try something different.

10. Just the Top 

For a quick eyeliner style that will enhance your eye shape, stick to lining just the top lids. Sometimes lining your lower lashes can cause your eye to appear smaller. Lining just the top lid is quick and great for those whose eyes sit closer together. It’s also a great option if you already have smaller eyes. If you want something a bit sassier, consider adding a pair of false eyelashes. Sticking to just the top eyelid is a great eyeliner style that’s a solid choice for a quick everyday look. 

11. Two-Toned Queen 

To spice up your regular eyeliner style, consider adding a second color. A two-toned eyeliner look is perfect for your next night out. To get the look, start by choosing two different liner colors. Place one color on your top lid and one on your bottom. You can easily play with the lines’ thickness to meet your eye shape’s needs. A two-toned eyeliner is a fun way to change up your eyeliner style. 

12. Eyeliner Art

This eyeliner style is an excellent option for those with deep-set eyes, monolids, hooded eyes, or small eyes. Eyeliner art helps to create shape and enhance your natural beauty. One of the best things about makeup is creating any look you want. If you aren’t in love with your eyes, you can create eyeliner art to give them any shape you desire. Stars like Julia Fox and Lady Gaga are known for their wacky style, and unique eyeliner art looks. Try bat wing or floating eyeliner to create a look of your own. For floating eyeliner, start with a traditional wing liner and then draw another line across your eyelid, almost to the inner corner. If you want to add a little extra pizazz, fill the space with a bright eyeshadow. To create a batwing eyeliner art, draw a wing from the outer corner of your eye and make an angled point at the end. Finish the look by lining your upper lid and adding some mascara. Eyeliner art is one of the eyeliner styles you can truly make your own. It is a great way to enhance your eye shape while adding drama.

13. White Waterline 

A white waterline is one of the best eyeliner styles you can use to brighten and enhance your eye shape. Sometimes the dark and thick black eyeliner styles will cause your eyes to shrink. White is known to brighten your eyes and cause them to appear more prominent and more awake. To get this look, lightly line your lower waterline with a white liner. This eyeliner style will work well for any eye shape. Be sure to reach the inner and outer corners for the best results. Add a few coats of black mascara for a great daytime look. You could also add false eyelashes for a more dramatic evening eyeliner style. Check out the Mac Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eye Liner if you need great white eyeliner. It’s an ultra-pigmented waterproof liner with up to 12 hours of wear on your waterline. It’s highly rated with 4.6 out of 5-stars and is $23. The white waterline look is one of the best eyeliner styles for bright and wide-enhanced eyes. 

14. Reverse Liner

Reverse liner is a re-emerged trend focusing on the lower lash line versus the top. This eyeliner trick is unexpected but can be easier than other eyeliner styles. Beauty site Popsugar states, “The reverse-eyeliner trend is bold enough to wear with just a few swipes of mascara and nothing else on your eyes or, for a more high-glam look, with eyeshadow.” Use gel eyeliner to line your lower eye and waterline to get this look. Be sure to extend just outside of your eye to help enhance your eye shape. Then, smudge the liner with a flat, dense makeup brush to create a bold and defined eye. Feel free to try different colors, such as a brown liner instead of a black one, to soften the look, especially for those with colored eyes. Try a pencil such as the Boy De Chanel 3-in-1 Pencil liner to create a reverse liner. This liner is perfect for lining and smudging, making it also great as an eyeshadow. The matte finish of the liner can last up to 12 hours and is available for $34. 

15. Sparkle and Shine

If you are looking for a fun and flirty eyeliner style, try an eyeliner style with a glitter finish. For this look, it’s a good idea to complete all of your other makeup first. Glitter eyeliner will be a bit trickier to clean up. With glitter eyeliner, you have several options. First, decide how intense you want your glitter to be. Using glitter eyeliner styles alone will be somewhat subtle. But, if you layer your glitter eyeliner styles on top of a black liner, your result will be intense and dramatic. You can also choose from a wide variety of colors. Add a thin line with the glitter shadow, or apply it on top of your regular liner to get this look. Add a few coats of black mascara, and you are ready for a night out! One great glitter eyeliner option is the Stila Stay All Day ArtiStix Graphic Liner. This eyeliner is long-wearing, shimmery, and full of gorgeous glitter. It creates an eye-catching definition for one of the best-enhanced eyeliner styles. It is available in pink, neutrals, blue, red, silver, and gold. It is $22 and is available at Ulta Beauty. 

Final Thoughts About Eyeliner Styles

No matter which eyeliner styles you look best, you can make any of them work. Enhancing your eye shape is a great way to create a striking look. Play with different levels of thickness to find the shape that works best for your eyes.