Hey beauties! Let's discuss a really fun and interesting topic: winged eyeliner! With Instagram and YouTube here to stay, you've seen a resurgence of winged eyeliner!
So first of all, where did winged eyeliner originate? Great question! I have deeply researched this topic and here is the answer:
History of Winged Eyeliner
It appears that winged eyeliner originates from Ancient Egypt. According to my research, the first records of eyeliner use dated as far back as 400BC. My research suggests that originally royals in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia used eyeliner to line their waterlines. At that time, wearing makeup meant you had a higher status.
Egyptians applied a heavy eyeliner made from kohl. Kohl is made of grinded galena, or lead sulfide. They even wore winged eyeliner that went into the hairline. In this time period, a person wearing a heavy makeup look was of a higher status.
From what information I could gather, winged eyeliner wasn't very popular. A smudged eyeliner style was very popular in the Prohibition era (think the origin of the smokey eye). Let's fast forward to the 1950s. Winged eyeliner made a return on big-screen beauties, such as Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe. During this time, winged eyeliner was considered a "flick," because of the flick motion makeup artists made to create the perfect wing.
The next time (and current era) winged eyeliner became popular again was circa 2010, when social media channels like YouTube & Instagram gained popularity with the launch of influencers. While makeup trends change regularly, winged eyeliner saw a resurgence through these platforms, and still remains popular today. Winged eyeliner is even easier to apply because of liquid eyeliner pens, skinny eyeliner brushes, and smooth gel eyeliners.
Pretty interesting! My research ended up limited, but I certainly learned a lot!
So my friends, is winged eyeliner for you? Here's my two cents:
Yes & No-- don't worry, I'll explain.
Why Winged Eyeliner is Worth a Try
Winged eyeliner is worth a try for you if you have a really steady hand when applying your makeup. You need to have a steady head to achieve matching, clean, perfect wings. Yes, you can correct areas that you mess up on, but the overall point of winged eyeliner is to be applied in one quick flick. (Don't let this discourage you, beauties, you can rock a mean wing if you want to!)
Eye shape matters here. Generally for those of you who have deep set eyes or larger, prominent eyelids, winged eyeliner is the perfect style. Because of your eye shape, you don't need to be concerned with smudging or transfer in your eye socket. You know that you can apply your eyeliner with your eyes open and it won't smudge later.
When It's Not Worth It
If you have shaky hands, you may not get the result you want in one quick flick. It may require clean up, or even removal then reapplying. I know that this can become discouraging when you've tried multiple times to get that perfect wing.
We want to consider eye shape again. For those of you who heavier eyelids, or even hooded eyes, may want to avoid wearing winged eyeliner. With your eye shapes, applying winged eyeliner requires a little more skill and technique to get it just right. You also need to consider the fact that when you open your eyes, your mobile eyelid sinks back into the socket, hiding most of your eyeliner. It's possible that eyeliner can transfer, and even smudge.
(Again, if you want to try winged eyeliner, regardless of your eye shape, you can! These are my professional recommendations. As long as you are happy with your makeup look, that is all that matters!)
So beauties, what do you think? Is winged eyeliner for you? Are your brave and bold enough to try it? Or maybe you've already tried it and need a little help in learning how to apply?
I am here to help! I teach makeup classes and will help you decide if winged eyeliner is a great option for you, as well as how to apply. I offer both in-person makeup classes, and online makeup classes! Book your Makeup Class Today!
If you have any questions, or need help deciding what to do next, let's chat! Book your FREE 15-minute phone consultation today!
I can't wait to teach you!
<3 Carla