How to Create a Cut Crease

Look at any makeup artist or beauty blogger on your favorite social media sites, and you’ll probably notice that they all seem to be sporting a similar eye makeup look—one with a cut crease. While it used to be a makeup trend to thoroughly blend your eye shadow in the crease, the most popular style of the moment involves just the opposite. As the name indicates, the technique involves defining the crease of your eye by cutting across it with a darker eye shadow or eyeliner and barely blending it out. If you’ve been dying to try this makeup look for yourself but haven’t been sure how, don’t fret. We’re breaking down how to get the look, step by step, right here.

Step #1: PRIME YOUR EYES

Almost every eye makeup tutorial starts the same—with eye primer—and there’s a good reason for that. A thin layer of primer can help create an even base for the rest of your eye makeup application. Smooth on a tiny bit of your favorite primer and you’ll be ready to get going on your cut crease.

Step #2: DEFINE YOUR CREASE

Taking a waterproof pencil eyeliner, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner, begin to draw the shape for your cut crease. Carefully sketch a V shape on the outer corner of your eyelid, continuing the line into your crease. Be sure to stop before you reach the inner third of your eye. The line should be thicker towards the outer corner, becoming thinner and fainter as you move inwards. And remember, you can always fix mistakes with a cotton swab dipped in an eye makeup remover, like the L’Oréal Paris Micellar Cleansing Water Complete Cleanser Waterproof – All Skin Types.

Step #3: BLUR THE LINES (UP)

Use a small eye shadow brush to blend the eyeliner out before it sets. Focus on blending upwards, rather than onto your eyelid.

Step #4: BLEND EYE SHADOW OVER TOP

Apply an eye shadow in a color of your choosing—any medium or dark shade from the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow collection should work—over top of the eyeliner. Use a blending brush to blur the edges and create a gradient, taking it slightly past the point where you blended the eyeliner.

Step #5: CLEAN UP WITH CONCEALER

With a concealer brush, apply a light concealer in a semi-circle shape on your eyelid. This step will help make your cut crease more dramatic, covering up any spots where the eyeliner or eye shadow may have been blended onto your lids.

Step #6: ADD MORE EYE SHADOW

Place a light, shimmery eye shadow, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Paints Metallics Eye Shadow in Rose Chrome, on top of the concealer. Once you’ve done just that, you’ve successfully completed your first cut crease! The next steps are just finishing touches.

Step #7: WING IT OUT

There’s something about a cut crease that just so happens to pair perfectly with winged eyeliner—so that’s what you should do. Using the L’Oréal Paris Infallible The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner, create a thin line along your lashes before adding a flick at the end. (Just in case you need to brush up on your cat eye skills, check out our article, How to Achieve Your Sharpest Winged Eyeliner Look.)

Step #8: COAT YOUR LASHES

Almost done! All you need to complete your eye makeup is a coat or two of mascara. If you’re after serious length and volume, consider a fiber mascara, which will make for fuller-looking lashes. The L’Oréal Paris Voluminous X Fiber Mascara features a black primer on one end and a fiber-filled mascara on one end. Start with the primer, being sure to completely coat every lash. Then, apply the fiber formula on top.

Ready to try another eye makeup technique? Let us teach you How to Do Runway-Inspired Glitter Eye Makeup.