I Tried Fishtail Eyeliner: Step by Step Photos
The Viral Fishtail Eyeliner Trend is Easier Than It Looks
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Graphic eyeliner is a bold yet simple way to elevate any beauty look. From floating lines to the beloved cat eye, there are countless of options to choose from if you're wanting to step up your eye makeup game. But one that's currently flooding everyone's For You Page's that has me — a known makeup minimalist — super intrigued is the fishtail eyeliner look.
Aptly named, celebrity makeup artist Neil Scibelli tells POPSUGAR that fishtail eyeliner is a double-winged liner that mirrors itself on the top and bottom lash line. "The eye acts as the body of the fish, while the ends mimic a traditional goldfish tail," Scibelli says. While it may sound complicated, he assures that it's simple enough for even a makeup novice to do. (Plus, you can customise it and there are so many variations of the look).
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You'll first want to get the right products. Scibelli suggests a long-wear liquid liner to minimize bleeding or smudging and opt for a felt-tip liner so you have more control when drawing those precise lines. I decide to stick to one colour, a classic black, and grab the Kaja Wink Stamp Eyeliner Pen ($29).
Starting from the inner corner, I draw a straight line along my upper lash line. As I reach the outer corner, Scibelli instructs me to flick the liner upward to create a wing. Then, from the top point of the wing, I draw a line down to thicken the wing and create a triangle, which he says will act as the top fishtail line.
Now it's time to line the bottom lash line. He says I can basically repeat the same steps I did for the top, starting from the inner corner and lining the lash line outward. I opt to start at the centre of the bottom lash line — I personally felt it was too much to completely line the bottom — but instead of flicking the liner upward, I turn it downward to create a "mirror effect" of the wing that is on the top. Then, I thicken it by connecting that point back up to the corner of the lower lash line to get that triangular shape. Et voila — my fishtail liner look is complete.
The best part about this trend is you can do it however you like. You can make the triangle shapes thick or thin. You can mix bold colours or stick with classic black. If you make any mistakes, don't worry; it's an easy fix. Scibelli says you use a pointed Q-tip dipped in micellar water (he likes Garnier's SkinActive Micellar All-in-One Cleansing Water ($10)) to clean up any smudged lines.
This took less than five minutes to achieve and I only grabbed my micellar water once. The results are a super cute eye look that's anything but basic. You'll catch me wearing this look into the fall.
