There's some new eye candy popping up in our Insta feeds this week: Dubbed “spiral liner ” or “twirl liner,” the three-dimensional style involves ribbons of color wrapped around fierce, winged eyes. It's cool as hell, but pretty impossible-looking. So what's the secret?
Well, first of all, you don't need a makeup artist. The super-cool girls we're watching are all creating the look themselves. And thanks to the tricks of the trade pro makeup artist Andre Sarmiento, who works with Nicola Peltz, Zoey Deutch, and Jaime King, is sharing, you can master it, too.
Before you get started, you're going to need an arsenal of colorful liquid liners. (Our weapon of choice: Urban Decay Razor Sharp Water-Resistant Longwear Liquid Eyeliner, which draws the thinnest of lines and comes in an array of 20 glittery and matte shades.) It's also best if you're not a total liner novice. “It’s definitely not the simplest thing to execute if you haven’t built up those eyeliner muscles in your hands yet,” notes Sarmiento. But he has cheats. Ahead, see the most inspiring spiral-liner looks on Instagram, and pick up tips on how to spin out on your own.
This look may have been achieved by going totally freehand, but even experts like Sarmiento call in a little backup for ultra-precise designs. “Even if you are a master at your liner, the spirals might not be so easy,” he says. “I love using small, pointy cotton buds like you find at beauty[-supply stores] to give myself a little wiggle room. That way, I don’t have to be as precise in my application — I can go back and sharpen any edges or clean up mistakes.”
Photo: Via @strashme/Instagram.
Multicolored ribbons look trippy, but a solo swirl of glitter has just as much impact. Make your spiral stand out by bringing your own twist to the mix, Sarmiento suggests. “The look that's trending has a bit of a pastel vibe, but that may feel a little too bold for you,” he says. “You can try using less shades in the ombré of the spiral — or even make it more graphic by using one color.”
Photo: Via @c.d.l_makeup/Instagram.
This design begins on the lid before looping across the wing. To keep the yellow-and-black color scheme from turning you into a bumblebee, anchor things with bronze and gold shadows.
Photo: Via @skb.mua/Instagram.
If you don’t have several shades of eyeliner on hand — or find the process too overwhelming — go for a single color twirl, Sarmiento suggests. “Try to get the hang of it all in one color first, if it seems daunting," he says. “Successfully creating the look in black would definitely set the stage for doing a more colorful version."
Photo: Via @hannahbeamakeup/Instagram.
Starting from the inner corner of the lashline, draw dashes of rainbow color, then switch to black for your tightline and twirl.
Photo: Via @niapmorgan/Instagram.
"Save your strength for the spirals,” Sarmiento says. “If you’re not a master at lining your eyes yet, use a cheat tool like a Beautyblender Liner Designer or some Shadow Shields. They'll help you make quick work of the winged-liner part of this look.”
Photo: Via @her_little_stories/Instagram.
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