Kailey Strachan for E! OnlineA popular makeup look since Cleopatra's day, the cat eye is arguably the LBD of the beauty world. But just because the look reigns supreme as a never-ending classic doesn't mean it has to be worn the same way, every day.
As more adventurous celebs have shown us, the classic cat—a sexy red-carpet staple which gives the illusion elongated eye—can be sported, quite literally, six ways to Sunday (and makes our own single-stroke liner seem downright boring).
To amp up our cat eye game, we tapped makeup artist and E! Style Collective member Julianne Kaye (who works with celebs like Kate Hudson and Nicole Richie). Here are her tips for creating some of the more modern feline eye looks.
Ease into the week by creating a kitten eye—a clean and playful look that works for big events (like Mila Kunis's red carpet) and respectably-casual affairs (like your work day). To create the slightly-flicked line, Kaye advises using a tightline technique. "You want to make sure the line is feminine and soft, so it's important to line as close to the lash liner as possible," she said. If drawing precise lines isn't your strong suit, try using short, feathering strokes, rather than one long motion to help prevent mistakes.
Hailee Steinfeld continues a long tradition of knockout women who wear a classic cat eye when going for a dramatic look—and you should, too. To create the perfectly-angled wing, Kaye suggested placing the edge business card or sticky note where you want the flick to be. Use eyeshadow to draw the line, then pull the card or paper away. "If you like the angle, commit with your favorite liner," she advised.
Now that you've had time to perfect your line-drawing skills, it's time to go for a more inventive look, like Solange Knowles has done here. Try a reverse cat eye, which extends liner to the tear ducts in an exaggerated "V" shape. "The trick here is to use a very slim ink liner pen," Kaye offered. "These pens are not only precise, they typically dry quickly and won't smudge."
The freakin' weekend is nearly here—so now is a good time to double down and create a cat eye with a mirrored effect for maximum impact. On the upper lid, draw a classic cat eye with an exaggerated line. Then, turn your attention to the lower lid and get creative, like Coco Rocha: "When lining the lower lid, play with the shape. It can be curved or parallel to the liner on the upper lid," advised Kaye. "Sometimes I like to add white shadow in between for more drama."
When looking to pull out all the stops, like model Behati Prinsloo at the 2015 Met Gala, go for a graphic cat eye. Since the look lives and dies by clean lines, now is a good time to revive your exacting edge-making skills from Tuesday. "Definitely trace out the shape with a shadow first," Kaye noted. Once you've created the shape you like, seal the deal with a waterproof gel, which is less likely to smudge or migrate.