How to Do Reverse Eyeliner Like a TikTok Pro

You know that lyric in “Cha Cha Slide” that goes “Reverse, reverse”? Well, it’s about to get stuck in your head once you try out reverse eyeliner. This edgy take on the timeless winged liner look has been popping up on TikTok a lot lately, and it’s a fun, simple way to use our Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner.

But what exactly is reverse eyeliner? For those unfamiliar, it’s “literally flipping the cat eye upside down,” says Sara Wren, Milk Makeup’s Global Director of Artistry. In other words, it’s a dramatic line along the bottom lash line—from the tear duct to the outer corner—with a winged shape. Some call it underliner, flipped liner, or even upside down wings.

Best of all, reverse eyeliner is arguably easier than the classic cat eye look to create—even if it may not look like it. Trust us, you’ll be surprised by how much sharper and more symmetrical your wings come out when you use this technique.

Another reason we love the reverse eyeliner trend? It’s a fantastic option for people with hooded eyes; a typical wing can often get distorted for folks with this eye shape. However, when you do a reverse cat eye, you don’t lose the color of your liner or sharpness of your wing, Sara says. “Reverse eyeliner can be more flattering and easier to execute for hooded eyes because it's a lower lash liner,” she adds.

But no matter what your eye shape may be, you probably still want to know how to do it, right? We’ve got a breakdown right here.

Line

First, grab your Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner in the color of your choice, and draw along your lower lash line. You can also tighline and fill in your waterlineif you want to intensify the look and make your upper and lower lashes appear fuller.

Add Wings

Next, bring the line outward, following the shape of your eye, Sara says. “Imagine the bottom lash line just keeps going out toward the ear for the most natural look to the eye,” she explains.

Model draws a reverse eyeliner wing with Milk Makeup Infinity long Wear Eyeliner in Limitless

Smudge

If you want to give your reverse liner a lived-in, grungier, indie sleaze vibe, you can smudge out the lines with the special silicone blender tool on the other end of your Infinity liner. However, if you like the sleek, boldness of the lines you create, feel free to skip this step.

Finishing Touches

Last but not least, swipe on your Milk Makeup mascaraof choice. Then, you can clean up the edges of your liner by doing your under-eye concealer after finishing your eye makeup. This will help your reverse eyeliner appear more crisp and striking without emphasizing the appearance of any existing dark circles, Sara explains. Grab our Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealerand get to work.

From there, feel free to pair your look with any blush and lip of your choice. We’re fans of Lip + Cheekin Quickie for a purple blushmoment and Electric Glossy Lip Plumperin Amped to complement our reverse cat eyeliner looks.

See? It’s a technique that’s easy enough to master and can seriously up your eyeliner game. Now that you know the basics, you’ll have it down pat in no time.

Model applies Milk Makeup Electric Glossy Lip Plumper in Amped

Meet The Expert

Sara Wren (she/her) is the Director of Artistry at Milk Makeup. In her role, she does all the makeup artistry and direction for our Milk Makeup global campaigns, educates the staff and field team on application methods, stars in the brand’s social media videos, and travels to different markets spreading Milk Makeup’s good vibes. When she’s not on set, Sara loves experimenting with DIY hair colors, eating tacos, watching basketball, and scouring for vintage cosmetics to add to her impressive collection.