How to Create a Reverse Cat-Eye in 4 Steps, Plus 13 Looks to Try

STEP 1: Sharpen Your Pencils

First things first, pick your eyeliner pencil. Here, makeup artist Jonet Williamson used the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil, a longwearing, smudge-proof eyeliner that lasts for up to 24 hours. Williamson recommends sharpening your pencil before you use it and keeping a sharpener handy throughout the process so you can sharpen the tip each time it gets a little dull.

STEP 2: Draw Your Lines

The point of the reverse cat eye is that the top line is thinner than the bottom one and that the wing starts at the bottom and goes upward. To achieve the look, you’ll want to keep the top line as thin as possible while still focusing on accentuating your eye shape. “Because I have almond-shaped eyes, I like to keep the top line the size of the pencil point — very thin,” says Williamson. “For the bottom line, I try to make the outer corner thicker than the inner corner to help round my eyes out.”

STEP 3: Add the Wing

After sharpening the pencil again to make sure it’s as pointy as possible, Williamson recommends drawing a line from the outer corner of the bottom lash line and dragging it upwards to the outer corner of the upper lash line. “Make sure that the thick part of the wing is coming from the bottom line.”

STEP 4: Finish With Mascara

To draw more attention to the reverse cat eye wing, Williamson applied the Lancôme Lash Idôle Mascara only to the lashes on her upper lash line, leaving the bottom lashes bare. For a more budget-friendly option, we recommend the L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Lift Washable Mascara, which provides noticeable lift, length and volume to lashes but is also super easy to remove.

Reverse Cat-Eye Looks to Try

1. Green Reverse Cat Eye

Choosing a vibrant eyeliner shade is a simple way to make this eye makeup trend your own. We love how @s.sky.mua applied a thicker line of bottom eyeliner and lengthened the wings to meet the end of each eyebrow. For a similar look, reach for the NYX Professional Makeup Epic Smoke Liner in Sage Sparks.

2. Smoky Reverse Cat Eye

Instead of a sharp look that could cut glass, opt for a sultry, diffused wing by smudging out your eyeliner or using eyeshadow. Paired with slightly shimmery bronze shadow, this reverse cat eye creates a softer, smokier vibe.

3. Classic Reverse Cat Eye

You can’t go wrong with the classic take on the reverse cat eye. That means black eyeliner applied in a precise fashion to the lower lash line. If you need a budge-proof eyeliner restock, we suggest the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Perversion. It dries down to a matte finish and lasts for up to 16 hours.

4. Reverse Cat Eye With Pearl Accents

Just because this look puts the focus on the lower lash line doesn’t mean you have to ignore the top. Apply a super thin line of eyeliner to your top lash line and place face gems or pearl appliques like @maramoramarco_makeupartist right above your crease.

5. Multicolored Reverse Cat Eye

This reverse cat-eye look utilizes not one but four different colors. Because who says you have to choose just one anyway? The bottom eyeliner features pink, purple and blue shades, while a vibrant yellow is placed near the inner corners.

6. Reverse Cat Eye With Inner Corner Wing

Make your reverse cat eye even more dramatic with an inner corner wing and an extended wing at the outer corner like @_osmose__. Keep the rest of your look simple with brushed-up brows, a little highlighter and a shiny lip gloss.

7. Double Wing Reverse Cat Eye

Pair your reverse cat eye with a classic cat eye for a double-winged look. Making one wing longer than the other creates a fun, graphic effect and draws more attention to the eyes.

8. Reverse Cat Eye With Face Gems

For a more minimalist take on the face gem trend, and to accessorize your reverse cat eye, place just one singular rhinestone near the middle of your lower lash line. This idea would look great with any eyeliner color, too. For a more maximalist take, apply more face gems to the bottom lash line or around the eye. You can pick up a pack of face gems for under $10 on Amazon.

9. Blue Reverse Cat Eye

Does frosty blue eyeshadow scream too Y2K for you? Use a blue eyeliner to draw on a reverse cat for a modern look. We love the NYX Professional Makeup Epic Wear Waterproof Eyeliner Stick in Turquoise Storm.

10. Shimmery Reverse Cat Eye

Add a glitzy element to your look by pairing your classic black reverse cat eye with an extremely shimmery eyeshadow. For even more sparkle and shine, you could ditch the black eyeliner and opt for a metallic shade instead.

11. Reverse Cat Eye With a Barely-There Wing

Keep the focus on the eyeliner placed on the bottom lash line with a barely-there, smoked-out wing like @aliciatessaro. It’s the perfect eye makeup complement to a minimal or no-makeup makeup look.

12. Reverse Cat Eye With Floating Eyeliner

Use this look by @trinityy.w_ as inspiration and try two trendy eyeliner looks at once: the reverse cat eye and floating eyeliner. In this look, the reverse cat eye is mostly focused on the outer corners of the eyes.

13. Metallic Reverse Cat Eye

A metallic reverse cat eye like this one by @makeup_by_clar is the perfect makeup look for a holiday party or New Year’s Eve. For a pop of glitter, try lining your lower lash line with the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner. As mentioned above, to keep all the focus on the lower lash line, only apply mascara to your upper lashes.