Remember those old advertisements for Red Bull energy drink? I always think of their tagline when doing winged eyeliner: “Red Bull gives you wings!” I don’t know about Red Bull’s abilities, but I today I’m going to explain how to get perfect wings on your eyes, every time.

To start, cleanse and moisturize your face, and then apply neutral eyeshadow. I’m using Champagne Pearl from brow bone to lash line.

Next, get out your Angled Eyeliner Brush and moisten it a little with just a little drop of water. You don’t want much! Now tap out a bit of Matte Black eyeshadow into the lid, and mix it with the droplet of water on your brush. The idea is to create a paste more than colored water; this will give you very opaque, pigmented liner (colored water will just make a gray mess).

I like to start by lining my eye completely first, then adding on the wings afterwards. Start wherever seems natural for you: sometimes I start in the center of my lid and work out, sometimes I start right in the inner corner; I just go with what I’m feeling in the moment. Like Bob Ross: you decide. Happy trees. (Okay maybe not!)

Once you’ve got your upper lid lined, add the wings! Grab up some more liner mixture on your brush and with the long end of the angle pointed outward, set the brush down about half its length past your lash line, and pull *inward*. This is the key to even and sharp wings. Some people have mastered the outward-flick, but I find that if I flick outward, I can end up with one side longer than the other, and I sometimes run out of liner on my brush, ending up with a less-than-crisp looking wing.

If you want cute little flirty wings, stop here! If you want a bolder, more dramatic look, read on:

To create a thicker line and wing, repeat your wing action of setting your brush at the outer corner of your eye, and this time angle it a little flatter, almost making a straight line connecting to your existing line around your eye. Think of making a triangle with the outer point of your wing, the actual corner of your eyelid, and the existing line around your eye. You may need to go back and fill it in, depending on how thick you want your wing. Remember to re-load your brush with more wet liner and you’ll get a solid line every time.

This is a slightly tricky look that takes a bit of finesse, so don’t worry if you end up having to practice a few times to get it just right. I’m such a nerd that I’ve actually practiced at night on a bare face… it’s hilarious seeing my husband’s bemused look when I’m chilling in my PJ’s before bed with this dramatic winged eyeliner. All in the name of fashion, Dear!

Have you attempted wings before or are you new to this technique? Let me know in the comments here on the blog or on Facebook how your attempts turn out!