Drawing your eyeliner when you have hooded eyes can be a struggle, especially if you don’t want the liner to disappear when you open your eyes. Personally, I often forego liner to make sure that my colorful eyeshadow can be seen, but sometimes, a good cat eye can definitely elevate a look. Read on to find out how I draw my winged liner on my hooded eyes.

Before starting, you need to choose the right eyeliner. Liquid liners that are too dry could skip and tug at your lids, making it more difficult to draw clean lines. I enjoy using the Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner. The brush tip is kind of thick, but since it’s so wet, it’s easy to draw thin lines with the point of the liner. I also like using the Téviant Virago Liquid Eyeliner, the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner, and the Benefit Cosmetics Roller Liner Black Liquid Eyeliner.
1. Draw a thin line on your upper lash line.
I know some people start by drawing the tail, but I find it easier to control the shape of the cat eye when you draw the main line first. This is where you’ll appreciate the liner’s wet formula. Angle your mirror down and tilt your head back so you can see your whole eyelid. Hold your liner at a 45-degree angle against your eye and draw thin strokes or stamp the liner on your upper lash line, as close to the lashes as possible. It’s okay to be slow and take blink breaks. Once the line is down, you can go over it again with the tip to make it more black and opaque.

2. Draw a guide for the tail of the winged liner.
To do this, look straight ahead at your mirror and draw the outer liner of your cat eye where you want it to be. It’s important to look straight ahead so that you know where the winged liner will be when you’re at a neutral position.

3. Connect the lines together.
Now, all you have to do it connect the lines! Start at the tip of the guide then draw a line connecting to the main line. Then, all you have to do is fill in the little triangle.

And that’s it! I can’t emphasize enough that you’re going to have to practice a lot to make it a more effortless process. And remember that, sometimes, your liner just isn’t going to look the way you want it to—it happens to the best of us. Just be patient!
If you need a bit more help, here’s a short TikTok video where I break down the steps:
Follow me on Instagram.