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How to Create the Ultimate Cat Eye
Whether your client wants to be a sexy witch for Halloween, or a Boho siren at one of her holiday parties, the cat eye is a reliable go-to.
October 17, 2018
Meow! NovaLash Ambassador Angelika Dolecki has perfected the cat eye.
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3 min to read
Whether your client wants to be a sexy witch for Halloween, or a Boho siren at one of her holiday parties, the cat eye is a reliable go-to. NovaLash Ambassador Angelika Dolecki (@beautybyangie.inc) says this is the season when cat eye makeup is in hot demand, so she has fine-tuned her technique to perfection. Here’s how she created the iconic look on one of her favorite clients.
Build Lashes from the Inside Out
“I was so excited to do the look on this client,” Angelika shares. “She has strong natural lashes that can support the NovaLash additions, and of course she has those beautiful blue eyes!” When the client arrived for her regular lash fill appointment, Angelika chose the lashes she would use to support the cat eye. She selected NovaLash D.07s for a thick, dramatic look, pleased that the client’s natural lashes could support this lash style. “Many clients can only support the .05s,” she explains, “and those produce a fluffier look. The .07s are really the perfect choice for a dramatic cat eye. Depending on the client, you could even throw in some blacker .10s for a really extreme result.”
A dramatic sweep is a cat eye “must,” so Angelika combined 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm lengths for the look. She began with the shortest on the inside corner, combining the 8mm and 10mm lashes as she moved to the outside corner, and then alternated the longer 12mm and 14mm lengths in the outer corner “fans.” “I would say three quarters of each eye is 8s and 10s, and one quarter is 12s and 14s,” Angelika says. “Longer lashes on the ends make a cat eye more dramatic.”
The Sketch Technique
Once the lashes were in place, it was time to create the actual cat eye. Angelika opted to use NovaLash 24 Hour Cream Shadow in Houri Matte as eyeliner. “I was inspired by my mom,” she reveals. “She’s allergic to everything—every eyeliner, every eye shadow. But she can wear NovaLash. Plus, I wanted to show the versatility of the eye shadow.”
To create the cat eye shape, Angelika started by sketching the outline, then gradually filling in the wedge shape with an angled brush. “Doing it gradually like this makes it a lot easier to control, and it’s less likely to make a mistake,” she explains. Once the top was complete, she applied a “smidge” of mascara on the lower lashes, followed by a bit of liner in the outer corners of the lower lashes to blend the look together, top and bottom.
Avoid "Cat"Astrophes
“Take your time,” advises Angelika. “The lash application has to be just right. You don’t want them to lean or over-direct.” Also, it’s essential for each eye to be identical, even if the client’s eyes don’t match, which is fairly common. “You may have to use your lash design to give the illusion of a different eye shape, like making an eye look longer or larger,” Angelika explains. “And if you want the eyes to look bigger, line the water line with white.”
Looking for a Halloween twist? Try applying a thin orange line just above the cat eye. “This is a huge sell with all the crazy Halloween looks at this time of year,” Angelika notes.
Finally, when it comes to cat eyes, don’t go half way. “The lashes and makeup need to be thick!” Angelika declares. “Clients who want cat eyes want their makeup to look like cat eyes!”
For more information, visit novalash.com
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