The Sharp Cat Eye Is Out: Diffused Liner Is the New Direction

The cat eye is moving away from its super sharp, structured form into something softer and more diffused, according to celebrity makeup artist Melissa Hurkman, whose clients include the Kardashians and Cindy Crawford.

"I think we're moving away from the super sharp, structured cat-eye and into something softer and more effortless," Hurkman says. "The shape is still elongated and lifted, but the edges are more diffused, so it enhances the eyes without looking like you're wearing a lot of eyeliner."

The technique preserves the lifted corner that made the classic flick survive every trend cycle since the 2000s retro liner era. But the hard edge is gone.

"I love this direction because it feels a little more lived-in and modern, while still giving the eyes that beautiful lifted effect," Hurkman says.

What comes after the winged liner?

Elyse Reneau, head of global makeup at Too Faced, frames the shift as generational and individual at once. "As a millennial, I'll always have a soft spot for the smudged, lived-in cat-eye, but I'm equally obsessed with a baby wing that subtly lifts and elongates the eye," she says.

Reneau identifies customization as the biggest change in the category. "To me, the biggest evolution is that we're moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach and embracing techniques that maximize the beauty of our individual eye shapes," she says.

Her preferred expressions of the trend:

• a softly diffused chocolate brown liner
• a "ghostly flick" built from shadow
• strategically placed shadow shaped to the individual eye

"Whether it's a softly diffused chocolate brown, a ghostly flick, or a strategically placed shadow, it's about understanding your unique features and creating your own version of that seductive, feline effect," Reneau explains. She singles out hooded eyelids as a case for adaptation: "The goal isn't to recreate someone else's cat-eye; it's to create the most flattering version for YOUR eyes."

What is the ghost wing?

Hurkman names the two techniques converging right now. "It's definitely a combination of the smudged cat eye and what people are calling the ghost wing," she says, referring to the diffused, taupe-toned layering technique used to create an instant eye lift.

She favors soft browns over traditional black liner. "You still get that definition and elongation, but it almost melts into the lash line," she explains.

The ghost wing pushes the idea further, building the illusion of a wing through shadow and placement rather than a visible line. "It's more about creating shape and dimension than seeing the actual eyeliner," Hurkman says.

How to re-create the look

Hurkman's method uses two named products:

1. Start with a creamy brown pencil — Westmore Beauty's Lasting Effects Soft Glide Eyeliner in Rich Brown — applied close to the upper lash line, concentrating product on the outer third of the eye.
2. Diffuse the liner outward and slightly upward with a small angled brush to build the lifted shape.
3. Keep the inner corner almost bare and build definition toward the outer corner. "You want the liner to look like a natural extension of your lashes rather than a separate wing," Hurkman says.
4. Finish with Westmore Beauty's 60-Second Lash Effects Mascara, lifting and separating lashes, especially at the outer corners.

For an even subtler ghost wing, Hurkman swaps liner for shadow. "I'll use a matte taupe or soft brown eye shadow with a tiny angled brush to create that same shape, keeping the edges almost invisible," she says.

With the Kardashians' makeup artist and the head of global makeup at Too Faced aligned on diffusion over definition, the visible black wing looks set to cede ground to shadow-built shapes through the coming season.