Tips For Nailing Taylor Swift's Signature Cat Eyeliner

Like the rest of us, Taylor Swift has made some big makeup mistakes at times, but sultry winged eyeliner has always been an easy win for the "Shake It Off" singer. In fact, Swift's ever-present cat eye has become so iconic that she's even mentioned it in her lyrics, kicking off the song "Vigilante S***" with "Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man." So, it's no wonder that fans are constantly trying to unlock the secret to Swift's makeup. As one Swiftie wrote on Reddit, "I'm obsessed with learning how to do that stunning eyeliner!"

To help you perfect Taylor Swift's impeccable cat eye, we dove into our bag of tricks — and even consulted a pro. That's right: Glam spoke exclusively to celebrity makeup artist Anton Khachaturian, who has worked with the likes of Tia Mowry, Alyssa Milano, and Lana Condor. Anton helped us narrow down a few key tips to nail Tay Tay's signature eyeliner and make it your own along the way.

First things first: While we all want to get the Taylor Swift eyeliner effect, we don't all have the "Anti-Hero" singer's eye shape. And much like you wouldn't try to fit a square peg into a round hole, you shouldn't try to mimic her exact swoop if it doesn't fit your features. "This look works best by following one's natural eye shape," Anton Khachaturian exclusively tells Glam. Makes sense, right? Moreover, he adds that "different techniques work for different eye shapes." In other words, there's no one-size-fits-all hack or methodology to achieve instant Swift-style slay-age.

Instead, Anton recommends modeling your twist on the classic Swiftie cat eye after someone whose eye shape more closely matches yours. "Look up people with similar features as yourself to get a better idea! Seeing the look on similar features is a great way to get more comfortable with the technique," the makeup artist explains. This can help you adapt the style of your eyeliner without straying too far from the original concept. Consider putting your reference photo next to a shot of Swift to see the nuances of each look, noting whether you need to elongate the wing, use thicker or thinner lines, or accommodate features like hooded lids.

Strange but true, the first hands-on step in copying Taylor Swift's cat eye has nothing to do with the eyeliner itself. Instead, you want to ready your canvas for its incoming work of art — aka, prep your eyelids to promote bold, long-lasting eyeliner. For instance, you may want to begin with an eyeshadow primer. Especially helpful for those of us with oily, smear-prone lids, eyeshadow primer helps smooth and mattify the skin to hold both shadows and liners firmly in place. Or, if you don't have any primer handy, one of the easiest swaps for eyeshadow primer is a quick combo of crease-resistant foundation and setting powder.

Next, add some eyeshadow to provide a glamorous background for your cat eye. When choosing the right shadow to play second-fiddle to your Swiftie eyeliner, natural-looking hues are your best bet. While Swift has occasionally dipped her toes into colored shadows with the icy blues of her debut album or the whimsical pastels of her "Lover" era, earthy, shimmery neutrals have been an eyeshadow through-line in her career. Plus, this understated color base will help your cat eye stand out more prominently.

There are a few critical elements to a chic, Taylor-esque cat eye, but the most crucial by far has to be the wing. Unfortunately, the wing also tends to be the trickiest part, from achieving the right length and thickness to ensuring both sides match. Rather than trying to freehand Taylor Swift's signature eyeliner, plan out the look with a simple, wing-guiding mark.

Before swiping your cat eye outward from the corner of your lid, try placing a dot at your desired endpoint or tracing the arc of your eyeliner wing with a single thin line. Then try to mirror that placement on the other side, checking that the length and angle are the same. If they don't quite line up, no worries — just erase one and try again. You'll find that it's a lot easier to replace that single dot or line than to cleanly erase and reapply an entire wing of eyeliner. Once these guidelines are settled to your liking, you can then build on them to create a well-balanced pair of cat eyes. Best of all, this tip works for any version of Tay-Tay's eyeliner, whether you're going for a sweet, petite swoop or a long and dramatic wing.

There are endless ways to personalize an eyeliner look, whether you're going for clean or smokey, wide or subtle. But there's one surefire way to keep your cat eyeliner in line with Taylor Swift's aesthetic: Make sure your wing is jaunty, with its point angled upward. This helps ensure a Swift-like flirty finish, as opposed to the downturned wings of puppy eyeliner, which deliver more of an ingenue feel.

"As a failsafe, I like to flick the liner up and out before reaching the lowest point of the outside corner of the eyes," Anton Khachaturian exclusively explains to Glam. "This will give that fierce and feline Taylor vibe!" Anton's approach delivers a similar look to Swift's own eyeliner technique, which she revealed to Redbook all the way back in 2012. "I do the outer corner flick first: I follow the curve of my lower lash line and draw it on as if it's an extension of that. Then I draw along my top lid and connect it to the flick." In other words, the wing shouldn't serve the upper curve of your liner — the curve should align itself to the upward swoop of the wing.

A clean, minimal cat eye may be the Taylor Swift classic, but the "Bad Blood" singer has also been known to mix it up a little. Try echoing one of her eye makeup variations, such as a sultry smoky eye. These looks will let you adjust the vibe to fit your aesthetic while still embodying that timeless Miss Americana feel.

When it comes to building smudgy cat eyes, Anton Khachaturian isn't afraid to reveal his go-to product: "I love to smoke out a cat eye by using a [pencil] eyeliner instead of fussing with a liquid [or] gel. MAC Smolder is one of my favorites!" The MAC Matte Eye Pencil in Smolder is an intense black from the brand's Eye Kohl line, retailing at the MAC site for $24. Using it or another blendable liner, Anton instructs, "Apply it to your lash line and then smudge it out with an angled brush. It's a great way to get a lived-in, smoky winged look!" This method might be especially helpful for all the babes who can never get their cat eyes to match perfectly. Take it from us; a little strategic smudging can conceal a host of makeup sins.