Puppy eyeliner? Everything you need to get the latest Korean beauty trend right
Think fresh doe-eyed look that can move from work to an evening out really quickly
Korean beauty trends have become somewhat of a rage in the past decade, owing to the intense focus on skincare and glowing skin.
With trends dominating TikTok and social media, these beauty hacks have mainstream appeal. The idea behind most of these new trends is to capture a natural, youthful glow and adding it to your makeup routine.
One of the trends that have been making waves is the puppy eyeliner trend. You heard that right - you can get your eyes to look rounded, and gives you that cute puppy-dog appearance.
Moreover, this Korean trend allows your eyes to appear wider, more open and ‘doe-eyed’ too. It’s just as effective, especially if you are tired of trying the winged eyeliner look.
How do you achieve it?
It’s simple - you need to change the direction of your flick, when applying the eyeliner. Drag the eyeliner down, instead of directing it upwards like you would do for the winged effect.
As opposed to the classic feline flick, which goes up at the end, ‘puppy’ liner curves downwards so the triangle tail sits in your crease and is joined to the bottom lash line.
“As opposed to the classic feline flick, which goes up at the end, ‘puppy’ liner curves downwards so the triangle tail sits in your crease and is joined to the bottom lash line. To create, you need to make a line that doesn’t go past the crease and join it up with your bottom lash line,” explains Jennifer Villanueva, stylist and makeup artist at Pastels Salon, Dubai.
Prime your lids so that there is no creasing and smudging, advises Alefiyah Johar, a professional make-up artist.
No matter your eye shape, just follow the natural curvature of your eyes as a guide. You can use a pencil liner in the beginning to get a hang of it, but it is best done with a waterproof liquid eyeliner.
“Line your lid close to the lash line. No matter your eye shape, just follow the natural curvature of your eyes as a guide. You can use a pencil liner in the beginning to get a hang of it, but it is best done with a waterproof liquid eyeliner. My personal favorite is the FC Beauty Intense Black pen liner,” she says.
“To complete the puppy liner, take kohl and connect the flick to your lower lash line. Start by lining your lower outer lash line to the center of your eye. You'll want to stop in the center of the lash line. This will give your eye a rounded look and make them look more open and fuller. Finish with mascara to further accentuate your eyes.”
Johar adds that she smudges the kohl on the outer lashes to create a ‘soft-smokey’ effect.
“It’s perfect for everyday wear, and can be built up to a dramatic smoked-out puppy eye. Another hack is to rim the waterline with a white liner to really open the eyes,” she says.
Less tricky but just as effective, this transforms your look to give a more ‘cute’, sweet, youthful vibe, think Selena Gomez!
Deepika Rajani, a makeup artist based in Dubai, elucidates further, “This Korean trend is created by creating almost a sideways ’v’ shape on the outer edges of the eyes, extending the lower lash line more with a very small upward stroke to meet the upper eyeliner in the ‘middle’. Less tricky but just as effective, this transforms your look to give a more ‘cute’, sweet, youthful vibe, think Selena Gomez!”
She adds that it can be considered the reverse of the cat eye look, and creates a more almond doe-like effect, suitable for most eye shapes, especially useful for deep-set hooded or downturned eyes.
“Think cute versus vixen,” she laughs.
Pros and cons
This can elongate your eye shape, particularly if you have almond-shaped eyes.
Puppy liner can also be emphasised as much as you want – either going bold with a built-out look or keeping it minimalist.
“Puppy liner can also be emphasised as much as you want – either going bold with a built-out look or keeping it minimalist,” says Manal El Hage, beautician at Dr Kayle Aesthetic Clinic.
Johar adds, “It creates an illusion of a more rounded eye while making it appear larger. The great thing about this look is that it looks very natural and is very easy to achieve.”
However, while it’s most flattering on a youthful face, it does not suit every eye shape – so test, see and evaluate.
Moreover, if you are going for a sophisticated and elegant look, the puppy eyeliner might not be an ideal solution.