How to do winged eyeliner

Eye look · step by step · beginner-friendly

Winged liner looks like a rite of passage and it's really just three dots joined up. Nail the angle (it follows a line drawn from your nostril past your outer corner) and the shape, and the steady hand comes with practice, not talent. Here's the beginner-proof method, the wing that suits your eye shape, and which liner to hold for the finish you want.

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A clean black winged eyeliner flick on a woman with natural skin texture

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The one line that sets the angle

Before you draw anything: the wing follows an invisible line from the side of your nostril, past your outer corner, up toward the tail of your brow. That angle is what makes a wing look lifted instead of droopy — flick along it, never straight out or down.

Keep the wing short and thin at first. You can always extend and thicken; you can't un-draw a wing that's already touching your temple.

Diagram showing the winged-liner angle: a guideline from the nostril past the outer corner toward the brow tail, and the flick, base and connect strokes

Pencil, gel or liquid?

The tool decides the difficulty and the finish. Beginners should start softer and graduate up.

Pencil: The most forgiving — smudge-able, easy to correct, great for a soft or smoky wing. Set it with a matching shadow so it lasts.
Gel (pot + angled brush): The pro sweet spot: the control of a brush with the payoff of a liquid. An angled brush practically draws the wing for you.
Liquid (felt-tip or brush): The sharpest, most graphic finish — and the least forgiving. A felt-tip pen is the easiest liquid to learn on.
The corrector trick: A cotton bud dipped in micellar water (or a tiny flat brush with concealer) cleans up the bottom edge and carves the wing sharp.

Flat-lay of a gel liner pot with angled brush, a felt-tip liquid liner and a kohl pencil

The dots-and-connect method

Stop trying to draw the whole wing in one stroke. Map it with dots, then join them — it's how the pros actually do it.

01
Mark the wing tip
Looking straight into a mirror, put one dot where the wing should end — on that nostril-to-corner angle. Both eyes, check they're level before you go further.
02
Draw the flick
Draw a thin line from the wing tip back down toward your outer corner, making a small triangle. This is the wing's spine.
03
Fill the triangle
Fill in that little triangle solid. You now have a clean wing shape before you've touched the lash line.
04
Connect along the lashes
Line the upper lash line from the inner eye out, meeting the base of the wing. Keep it thin at the inner corner, thicker toward the outer — that taper reads intentional.
05
Sharpen and mirror
Clean the underside with a cotton bud for a crisp edge, then repeat on the other eye, checking symmetry with your face straight on. Mascara to finish.

The wing for your eye shape

One angle does not fit all — the shape of the flick should answer the shape of your eye.

Winged liner adapted for hooded eyes, drawn with the eye open, on a Southeast Asian woman — Hooded → draw with eyes open; aim the wing higher so it shows

Elongating winged liner on round eyes — Round → a long, extended wing to stretch the eye

A classic balanced winged liner on almond eyes on a Black woman — Almond → almost any wing works; a classic medium flick is chef's kiss

Beginner rescue kit

Shaky hand: Anchor your elbow on the table and look down into a mirror laid flat. Draw the line in tiny connected dashes, not one nervous swoop.
Uneven wings: Map both wing tips with dots first and level them before drawing. Do the trickier eye first.
Wing won't stay put: Oily lids eat liner. Prime the lid, and set a pencil wing with a matching powder shadow pressed over the top.
Too harsh: Smudge a soft pencil version with a pencil brush for a lived-in wing, or line only the outer half of the eye.

Pro tips for a sharper wing

The tricks that make a shaky wing look pro.

Anchor your elbow: Rest your drawing elbow on the table and bring your face to your hand. A supported hand shakes far less than a floating one.
Stamp the angle with a card: Hold a business card (or your finger) flat from your lower lash line to your brow tail and draw along it for a foolproof straight flick.
Hood the tip with tape? Skip it — use dots: Instead of tape (which can pull), map both wing tips with dots and level them before drawing. Fixes uneven wings.
Clean up carves the shape: A cotton bud with a little micellar water (or concealer on a flat brush) along the underside is what makes the wing look crisp.

Winged-liner myths, busted

The rumours that keep people scared of a flick.

"You need a steady hand / it's a talent.": It's a technique, not a gift. Dots-and-connect plus a braced elbow gets anyone there — it's practice, not luck.
"Both wings must be identical.": Wings are sisters, not twins. Get them close and level; chasing perfect symmetry is how you end up redrawing all night.
"Liquid liner is the only 'real' wing.": A gel with an angled brush, or even a pencil set with shadow, makes a beautiful wing — often more forgiving than liquid.

“I don't wake up looking like this. It takes about an hour and a half.”

Dita Von Teese · Performer & beauty icon

Black isn't the only answer

Jet-black liner is the default, but it can look heavy on lighter, softer coloring — a deep brown, plum or navy often flatters more while still defining the eye. Which one suits you comes down to your contrast level and undertone.

siOsi reads your coloring from one selfie, free, and names your season — so you know whether your signature liner should be true black, soft brown, or a colored liner that actually lifts your eye color.

Free color analysis Skin type quiz

Watch it done

A few of our favourite video walk-throughs for this look, from makeup artists on YouTube.

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Answered

How do you do winged eyeliner for beginners?

Use the dots-and-connect method: mark a dot where the wing should end (following the line from your nostril past your outer corner), draw a thin line from that dot back to your outer corner to make a triangle, fill the triangle, then line along the lash line to meet it — thin at the inner corner, thicker at the outer. Clean the edge with a cotton bud and repeat on the other eye.

What angle should a winged liner be?

Follow an invisible line from the side of your nostril, past the outer corner of your eye, toward the tail of your brow. Flicking the wing up along that angle looks lifted and flattering; drawing it straight out or angled down drags the eye down.

Is pencil, gel or liquid eyeliner best for a beginner?

Start with a pencil (most forgiving and smudge-able) or a felt-tip liquid pen (easy to control). A gel pot with an angled brush gives the best control-to-payoff ratio once you have the basics. Liquid brush liners give the sharpest wing but are the least forgiving.

How do I do winged liner on hooded eyes?

Draw it with your eyes open, so you can see where the wing actually lands over the hood, and aim the flick higher than usual so it stays visible. Extend the wing slightly past the crease shadow and keep the lash-line portion thin to avoid closing the eye in.

How do I make my eyeliner wings even?

Map both wing tips with dots and check they're level before drawing any lines, look straight into the mirror (not tilted), and do your less-dominant or trickier eye first. A cotton bud with micellar water carves both wings to a matching sharp edge.

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