Cat caught your eye?

Deepika Padukone

At the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, Deepika Padukone sizzled at the red carpet not only with her costume, but her eye make-up when she opted for the reverse cat eye look - with the cat eye drawn below the eye instead of the upper lid.

To replicate the look, the first thing to remember is to use a waterproof liner, says city-based make-up artiste Aditi Mehta. "Liquid liners can melt given the heat and humidity. Also, the consistency isn't great as they are thin and come with an applicator brush. So, you don't have much control over them," Mehta explains. A gel eyeliner is your best bet. As it's usually matte, it adds to the impact of the look, which comes from the texture of the liner.

Aditi Mehta

Get it right with the expert

• Start by applying a thick layer of kajal so that you can get a clear shape of the eye before using an angular brush to make the arch.
• Make sure you apply a nude eyeshadow on your lids and don't leave them bare. Contouring eyes with a light brown or dark brown powder works best as you want the liner to be the centre of attention. Avoid shimmery eyeshadows and stick to matte even when it comes to this.
• Dark green or blue are great eyeliner colour options for this style as Indians usually have brown black eyes. For a softer and less dramatic look, go for matte brown. Of course, black works best, but not if you are really fair as that can get a little too jarring.
• If you want the eye make-up to last longer, lock it in using a powdered eyeshadow of the corresponding colour. This also makes the matte more pronounced.
• Don't forget to apply mascara on your eye lashes and fill in and shape your eyebrows.
• Make sure your lips are subtle, as is your skin. Opt for a basic, healthy look.
• Do this on your own only if you have big, almond-shaped eyes. Rope in a professional for smaller eyes.

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