Beyoncé’s makeup artist has a genius hack for nailing razor-sharp winged liner

Genius, but KINDA gross

Digital Beauty Editor / October 30 2020

Sir John (AKA the makeup artist behind Beyoncé’s best-ever beauty moments, and an absolute living legend) doesn’t mind playing favourites when it comes to makeup looks.

“I love liner – it’s my favourite thing to do,” he spilled of his affinity for feline flicks via a recent IGTV segment. And hey, we’re sure we'd love eyeliner more than anything else on the planet, too, if we could draw cat-eyes like him.

Well, considering he just shared his go-to hack for mastering a line sharp enough to slice, it’s safe to say we’re well on our way… watch out Sir John, we’re coming for your wing skills…

@sirjohn

The secret to starting out strong? The angle. “Start in the mirror, and lean your head back almost like you’re looking up your nose – I know it sounds crazy, [but] that’s going to give you a flat view of what your lids look like,” explained Sir John. Flattering? Not usually. Genius? Absolutely.

Once you’re in position, it’s time to get lining – but don’t expect to nail it in a Harry Potter-style ‘swish and flick’. “A gorgeous line happens in about three lines; it never happens with one line,” he shared, noting that patience and precision are key.

“Don’t worry about mistakes [either], we’re going to fix mistakes with a cotton bud later,” he confirmed, explaining that “it’s all in the cleanup".

"Whenever you’re doing a cat-eye or feline flick, you’re going to take a small cotton bud and you’re going to shape up [the wing] – it’s all about the shape-up after.”

Swisspers Dual Cosmetic Cotton Tips

A dry cotton bud won’t get the smooth drag you’re after, though – luckily, Sir John has a secret sharpening method up his sleeve, and er, this is the kinda gross part.

“I have a little hack; I know this sounds really bad, but take a little of your saliva [on the cotton bud], just like your mum would, [pull the skin around your eye taut to ensure there are no creases during the cleanup] and then pull [the damp cotton bud] all the way up. Get in there and really shape that wing,” he explained.

“You’ll give yourself the most precise [liner] ever – it’s going to be the perfect sharp wing." The perfect sharp wing?! We've only had that on our vision boards our entire lives.

Main image credit: @sirjohn

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