Yahoo Finance "Siren Eye" Makeup Is the Sultriest Trend Since the Smoky Eye
Getty Images, bellahadid/Instagram, ash_kholm/Instagram
If you've recently scrolled through #BeautyTok, you've probably noticed that "clean girl" makeup is heading into its flop era. Along with bright dopamine eyeshadow, TikTokers are getting creative with their eyeliner, too. Enter: "siren eyes," one of this summer's biggest makeup trends to come out of the app.
The fresh take on the classic cat eye, siren eyes is a smoked-out, elongated eyeliner look that reads more sultry than doe-eyed. And while tutorials on how to create the look have routinely gone viral on TikTok, celebrities have brought the trend to the red carpet, too.
"Warning: This liner method empowers the wearer and imbues them with sensual confidence," says Nick Lujan, Director of Artistry & Education, Kevyn Aucoin Beauty. "With the need to wear masks our eyes are doing double duty. Interesting eyeliner looks are your best bet to grab someone's attention. Also, eyes are so unique. It's the perfect way to show off your sensual side."
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So What Does Siren Eyes Eyeliner Look Like?
Ash K Holm, Buxom Cosmetics Global Celebrity Makeup Artist, says that along with making the eyes appear more alluring, it also elongates any eye shape. "The siren eye trend is basically an elevated rebranded version of the cat-eye," she adds. "It's subtle yet sultry in a concentrated area of the outer corner crease and eyelid."
Lujan points out that the look has been a staple in theatrical and drag makeup to create a "snatched" effect. "In the world of theatrical makeup and drag, the look is achieved using tapes and strings, which pull the eyes outward and lift the arches of the brow, creating the illusion of a 'pulled' or 'snatched look' on a semi-permanent basis," Lujan shares.
What Are Some Tips for Achieving the Siren Eyes look?
Lujan says to "start small, using light matte shades and then build into the drama with dark shades."
The makeup artist recommends Keyvn Aucoin Beauty's Contour Eye Palettes, which come with complimentary neutral shades to mix and match to achieve your desired intensity. Apply the light shade all over, the medium matte shade from the lash line to the crease, and then the deep matte shade to draw on the soft, smoky liner with a wing.
For definition with a liner, Holm suggests tightlining the eyes with a long-wear black eyeliner pencil. "Create an outer corner wing liner with the same pencil," she says. "You don't have to worry about making it perfect because siren eyes are smudged, which makes the look easier to achieve. You can also take the same pencil and create a straight line in the outer corner of the eye that connects the wing liner." You can then smudge the liner out with a dense detail brush and set it with black and brown matte eyeshadows.
"You can elongate the inner corner of your eyes by taking an angled brush with black eyeshadow and drag it downward to create an inner point," Holm adds. The makeup artist recommends Buxom's Hold The Line Waterproof Eyeliner, a pencil that glides on smoothly but doesn't smudge.
On top of the siren eyes inspiration you'll find searching the hashtag on TikTok, we've rounded up a few of our favorite celebrity takes on the trend.
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Reverse Siren Eyes
Instead of drawing a heavy line on her top lash line, Zendaya wore an inky reverse siren eye look for a cool twist on the sultry trend.
Tightline Siren Eyes
Here, Bella Hadid injects her Y2K-inspired style into the siren eyes trend. The model tightlined her eyes, then smoked out the wing with matte chocolate brown shadow.
Negative Space Siren Eyes
Ash K Holm incorporated two trends in one when creating this eye makeup look for Shay Mitchell. The makeup artist elongated both the inner and outer corners of the star's eyes with winged liner, then channeled the dopamine eyeshadow trend by adding a wine-colored wing just below her brow bone.
Soft Siren Eyes
If brown or black eyeshadow feels a little extreme, opt for mauve or muted pink. That's exactly what Lily-Rose Depp did to finish her tightline siren eyes look.
Siren Eyes With a Pop of Color
Makeup artist Sir John brought a pop of color to this trend. In lieu of a matte neutral shadow, he swept a shimmery copper shade across the eyelid, then lined the upper and lower lash lines, extending the wing upwards and outwards.
