Pop Stars Who Stun With Their Signature Eyeliner Style

Music icons know that fashion and aesthetics play a vital role in cultivating a persona, having the potential to be just as recognizable as songs played on the radio. So, alongside Sabrina Carpenter's signature baby doll blush and Ariana Grande's ultra-high ponytail, a few fan-favorite pop girls are associated with specific eyeliner styles. Not only do these superstars boast a recognizable beauty look, but they also provide mood board-worthy inspiration for makeup lovers. 

In general, there are a few popular eyeliner styles, with winged and cat eye being among the most popular. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they can also denote subtle differences. The classic cat eye look usually consists of a flick of eyeliner connecting the top and bottom lash lines, while winged liner can refer to a swooped look along the top lash, or specifically to the portion of eyeliner that flicks beyond the eye. There's also room to personalize these styles, with different thicknesses and angles. 

It's a true feat that some stars have utilized a basic technique so effectively that it became a staple of their aesthetic. In this way, alongside the celebrities who take the classic cat eye to the next level, these pop stars have left lasting impressions with their signature eyeliner looks.

Late icon Amy Winehouse is not only remembered for her retro alternative soul music, but also for her thick cat-eye makeup and voluminous beehive, which were distinctive elements of her vintage-inspired fashion. The thick, upturned liner is completely credited to the "Back to Black" singer, who was interested in '50s and '60s fashion and inspired by Bridgette Bardot and The Ronettes. 

Winehouse was pictured using Rimmel London's Scandaleyes Exaggerate Liquid Liner multiple times during her career, with a used tube of the product being sold for $1,625 in a 2023 auction of her belongings. The product received the stamp of approval from makeup artist Valli O'Reilly, who actually did the singer's makeup multiple times throughout her career. "The brush is amazing," she said when appearing on the Lisa Eldridge YouTube channel. "It's got the perfect amount of firmness, so it's not too floppy [and] it's not too long." 

As for how to achieve Winehouse's signature look, celebrity makeup artist Fiona Stiles offered a word of advice when speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. "Be fearless when drawing the line, and aim for the tail end of your eyebrows," she said. "Don't be afraid of some clumpy mascara on the top and bottom to balance out the eyes."

Adele is another icon whose signature makeup look includes eyeliner, with the "Someone Like You" singer speaking to her go-to beauty in a conversation with makeup artist Nikki Tutorials. "I just like a good eyeliner. Like a liquid eyeliner, a cat eye. Good contoured eye," she said. For those wanting to recreate Adele's fierce wing at home, makeup artist Michael Ashton went to Lisa Eldridge's YouTube channel in 2016 to share how he creates Adele's recognizable look. 

A key step in her process is contouring the eye with matte brown eyeshadow before moving to a gel eyeliner, with the MUA picking up Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner. "I generally start by applying the eyeliner towards the middle inner corner of the eye, working outwards first and then gradually building thickness," he explained. He then takes the product to the inner-eye, connecting a thin stroke to the bulk of the liner and blending out. 

"What I like to do is to start right at the root of the lashes using a little bit more pressure on the brush," he shared. "As I drag it outwards and upwards at a 45° angle towards her temple, just take a little bit of that pressure off so that you get a thinner, softer flick." Once the shape is established, he sharpens the line with additional product, and completes the look by applying mascara to the lower lash line with a fan brush.

While Taylor Swift's style eras demonstrate how much she's experimented with different aesthetics, the "Cruel Summer" singer has long been associated with winged eyeliner and red lipstick. This duo takes obvious inspiration from enduring icon Marilyn Monroe, who was known for her bleach-blond curls, sultry eyes, and classic red lip. Swift's look is less sensual and more timeless, having been worn with countless outfits across her wardrobe. 

Swift actually revealed a scary eyeliner habit from her youth when sharing life lessons with Elle in 2019, explaining that she would occasionally apply eyeliner with a Sharpie and warning readers, "DO NOT DO IT." Thankfully, her signature winged liner seems to come from actual liquid makeup products, as she was spotted using the Tom Ford Eye Defining Liquid Liner Pen in the "Miss Americana" documentary from 2020. The singer-songwriter then went on to appear in a campaign for Pat McGrath's Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner back in 2022.

As for how to recreate Swift's classic eyeliner, the pop star shared some tips in a video from her Keds collaboration. "It's all about getting the right angle," she said, per Glamour. "Take the angle of which direction your bottom lash line is going and follow the angle up." She went on to add that she keeps the line quite thin and close to the lash line. With all this in mind, don't be afraid to try on Swift's iconic beauty at home.

Megan Thee Stallion may be more of a rapper than a traditional pop star, but the "Hiss" artist has definitely mastered her It-girl eye makeup look in a way that can't be ignored. The Texas native often opts for a sharp wing and complementary bold eyeshadow, giving her eyes an elongated effect. She summed up this snatched look during a Hot Girl Summer makeup tutorial shared to YouTube, saying, "I just always like everything to go up in the sky around my eyes."

Megan became a global brand ambassador for Revlon back in 2020, and repped products from the brand in the subsequent years. When speaking to Allure about the collaboration, she pointed to a must-have product that helps create her iconic eyeliner. "The ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen lasts through anything and goes on so smooth," she said. "I can go from the stage to the afterparty without reapplying it."

While Megan revealed that Priscilla Ono and Lauren Elise Child are her most-trusted makeup artists, the celeb's Hot Girl Summer tutorial showcases how she does makeup on herself. The routine includes creating depth around the eyes with a faux-cut crease before going in with Revlon's Colorstay Eyeliner in Brown to create an upturned wing. She also traces her waterline with the product and sweeps brown shadow under her lashes, transitioning the look to evening by repeating these steps with a dark gray shadow and black pencil.

Throughout the 2010s, Ariana Grande's look was defined by her voluminous ponytails and signature cat-eye liner. This go-to aesthetic typically consisted of black tightlining, a short wing, and full lashes, and the "Into You" singer spoke to Refinery29 about her process. "Everyone has their own strategy, but I just kind of hope for the best," she said. "I use a liquid liner but [my makeup artist] Daniel [Chinchilla] uses a pot with a brush and he's much better than me."

Just as she changed elements of her swinging ponytail, Grande's eyeliner began to evolve in the late 2010s. Throughout the "Eternal Sunshine" album rollout and "Wicked" press tour, she'd officially traded in black waterlines for a standalone, sweeping wing. The pop star even took to social media to briefly showcase her technique back in 2022, picking up the At the Borderline Eyeliner Marker from her own cosmetics brand, r.e.m. beauty.

@arianagrande

performing my "signature eyeliner technique" with @r.e.m. beauty for @selfridgesbeauty. please "duet" me asap.

♬ original sound – arianagrande

While the final results may have changed, Grande still approaches her eyeliner with the same hope-for-the-best attitude, lightheartedly saying, "I don't know if it's a good technique — I didn't promise that." The Florida native actually begins at the tip of the wing and draws down toward the lashline, using her fingernail to sharpen the point afterward. Then, she goes in and thinly traces the remainder of her lashline. Grande's final results aren't perfect, but she remains firmly on the list of pop stars with a stunning signature eyeliner style.