Photographer Nicki Sebastian doesn’t wear a ton of makeup, except for her cat-eye liner, which she’s worn for 30 years, every day since eighth grade. “I’ve worn it through every occasion imaginable: marathons, snorkeling,” she says. “When I had leukemia, I wore it through every round of chemo.” Nicki’s look is remarkably easy to pull off — even for those of us (all of us?) who lack the fine-motor skills that eyeliner typically requires. Here are her simple steps…
“First, get a twist-up liner. My go-to drugstore one is Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Black Brown. It’s inexpensive and easy, and I used that one for years. But my current favorite is SOSHE Beauty Precision. It’s one of the thinnest liners available — only 0.5 millimeters — which is great for detail and control. I wear Deep Plum and get so many compliments on the subtle shade.”
“Start in the middle of your eyelid, right above your pupil. Using very light pressure, make little strokes along your lash line. This is key: Do not draw one continuous line, and do not press the pencil against your lid. If you do that, you’ll almost certainly veer off track. Just continue with little strokes until you’re just past the corner of your eye. Then go back to the middle and fill in the gaps with more tiny strokes, until the line is totally filled in. You can then continue in the other direction, extending the line to the inner corner with the same tiny strokes. It’s a foolproof method.
“For the cat-eye in the corner, use a super light touch to do one of those mini strokes, angling your hand slightly so the line curves up into a little wing. It’s meant to mirror the curve of your eyelashes. Start with the thinnest line possible, and if you want it thicker, just keep going back over, adding more little strokes of liner. If you mess up, just use a makeup wipe to remove that last stroke, and try again.”
“The only other makeup I wear is Tower 28 Mascara — it’s thickening and never clumps — and then I finish with Hourglass brow pencil and KS&CO brow gel. I’m obsessed with this gel; it makes them look so much fuller. When I wash everything off, I use Vanicream face wash.”
“My 13-year-old daughter is acting in Snow White right now, and I get to do her cat-eye. She’ll ask me to do a cat-eye for school dances, too — it melts my heart. I don’t consider my eyeliner necessary — it’s not something I need to feel worthy — but I enjoy adding a little pizzazz. Even after I lost my eyelashes and brows during chemo, I’d still put on my everyday cat-eye — it makes me feel like myself.”
Thank you so much, Nicki! We love your look and your generosity in sharing your skills with us.
P.S. More fun beauty posts, including a five-second blush trick and Gemma’s amazing lipstick find.
(Photos courtesy of Nicki Sebastian.)
