7 Steps to Create a Cut Crease Eye Makeup Look

Last Updated on August 2, 2024 by Paola Castillo

When it comes to eye makeup, some women have one goal in mind: drama. If you’re one of those femme fatales who want to step out wearing the most dramatic and eye-catching eye makeup looks, you’ll want to indulge in the ultra-trendy, winged eyeliner, cut crease eye makeup look.

Ok, but what on earth is the cut crease eyeshadow look?

Cut crease eyeshadow is a winged liner look that dramatically contrasts the upper portion of one’s eyelid with the lower half. The result? A high-style look that’s not only intoxicatingly dramatic, but it makes your eye shape look bigger than ever.

How do you do this tantalizing style? 

It’s easy – and this article tells you exactly how to get it done.

Use Primer or Concealer

Before you even think about reaching for your eyeshadow, you need to apply some primer or concealer, using lighter shades, to the entirety of your eyelid.

Primer is essential for two main reasons.

For one, it will allow your eye makeup to glide on like butter. This ensures that the makeup looks flawless by the end, with no smudges or blotchy sections. (And be honest – you’ve had your fair share of “oops” moments that made your eye makeup look subpar.)

Aside from ease of application and a silky smooth finish, primer and concealer help your makeup to last longer. So, whether you’re preparing for a big day at the office or dancing the night away with your girlfriends at the downtown club, you won’t have to worry about your eye makeup saying “goodnight” before you do.

Define the Crease With a Base Color

Now that your lids are prepped and ready to go, it’s time to start creating your cut crease eyeshadow look.

Begin by reaching for a base color or some brown eyeshadow. This should be a somewhat natural color that isn’t too overwhelming, as you’ll be applying a darker shadow over it. A shade that closely matches your natural skin tone is a top-notch option suggested by makeup artists.

Use your preferred application flat brush or angled brush to apply this neutral shade to your entire eyelid.

Continue With a Darker Shade

Now that your neutral shade is applied, and your eyes are ready for some contrast go ahead and pick a darker shade.

You can go as dark as you’d like with a blending brush.

If you want a subtle natural crease look, you’ll only want to pick a shade that’s a tone or two darker than your natural skin tone. If you want a look that takes everyone’s breath away with dramatic eye makeup looks, reach for a very dark shade, like coffee, chocolate, or black.

Regardless of which color you decide on, you’ll apply the shade just above the crease of your eye. It should come very close to the brow bone but not make contact with your eyebrows. You want to leave a small amount of space. This will create added drama to your aesthetics.

Now it’s time to move on to creating the famous “cut”

To do this, you’ll need your favorite concealer and a flat concealer brush. Glide it on top of your entire eyelid, ensuring that it stops right below the eyelid crease. You can use the concealer to clean up the edges of the dark eyeshadow and create a more definitive look-at-me line.

To make sure your eyes really “pop” and create extra dramatization, use a light-colored eyeshadow on top of the concealer.

Again, you can choose any shade you’d like. However, when it comes to the cut crease eye makeup look, bright whites tend to be the ideal choice. The stark brightness of white eyeshadow will play beautifully against the darker eyeshadow, creating a noticeable aesthetic that’s equal parts posh and pizazz.

Tip: You can make your look a little less intense by opting for a half-cut crease style. To achieve this look, you’ll bring the darker eyeshadow down to the outer corner of your eyelids and blend it ever-so-slightly. 

You can also transform your look into the halo cut crease aesthetic. To do this, you’ll apply the dark eyeshadow to the outer and inner corners of your eyelids. This leaves just a small section of brightly-hued eyeshadow in the middle, creating a whimsical style you will surely enjoy.

Shimmer

To be perfectly honest, this step is optional. For those seeking a contemporary appearance, you might want to skip this step, as it will tame the stark contrast ever-so-slightly.

However, for those of you who enjoy shimmering and sparkling wherever you go, you definitely won’t want to miss this step!

Go ahead and cover the light-colored portion of your eyeshadow with some shimmer. Opt for translucent sparkles to let the contrasting eyeshadow colors stand out, or add a splash of colorful sparkles to create a glitter cut crease look bound to get thousands of likes on Instagram.

Eyeliner

Honestly, is any eye makeup look complete without eyeliner?

No.

And the same is true for the trendy cut crease eyeshadow look.

When it comes to applying eyeliner for a cut crease style, your focus should be creating a cat eye. So, sweep your favorite eyeliner (preferably a dark shade, like dark brown, navy blue, or black) over the lash line. Then, extend the eyeliner past your eyelid at a sharp angle. 

You can make your cat eye as thick and dramatic or thin and playful as you’d like. The goal is to make sure that it stands out, so ensure you’re using a dark enough color to stand out from the rest of your eyeshadow. 

Mascara and Setting Spray

Eyeshadow? Check. Flawless crease? Check. Beautiful cat-eye? Check, check, check.

You’re not quite finished yet, though (although you’re getting very close, don’t worry!).

The final step is to apply your favorite mascara.

Now, with the cut crease makeup style, you have a lot of options.

Some people prefer to keep their eyelashes subtle so that the contrasting makeup colors can do the talkin’. Others want so much mascara it looks like their lashes are about to take lift off. Either look will work – it just depends on what type of style you’re going for.

Regardless of what type of mascara you end up wearing, it’s essential to finish off your cut crease look with some setting spray. Setting spray helps your eye makeup, well, set. Paired with the primer/concealer from earlier, you can rest assured your eye makeup will look dreamy and flawless while also lasting a long time. It’s a win-win situation!

Tip: The cut crease look pairs beautifully with false lashes. Why? False lashes add another element of drama and sass that just so happens to look lovely paired with the dark and light eye shadow colors. Don’t hesitate to break out your fave lashes to complete your look – the bigger and bolder, the better!

Who’s Ready to Flaunt Their Cut Crease Eyeshadow Look?

Creating a cut crease look might look challenging, but in all reality, it’s pretty simple. It all boils down to using two very different shades of eyeshadow, one ultra-bright and one very dark. Add some razzle-dazzle with shimmer, glide on the cat-eye, and finish off with mascara, and you’ll have a cut crease eye makeup look that kills, honey!