If you live on the beauty side of TikTok or Instagram, you’ve probably seen tons of videos on one of the latest trends to sweep the platform, “siren eyes.” Not to be confused with “doe eyes,” which are supposed to make the eyes look bigger and almost doll-like with white eyeliner on the lower lash line with a subtle wing, the siren eyes look falls on the more sensual and sexy side, with dark liner on the waterline and wings that extend further beyond the inner and outer corners of the eye.
Meet the experts: Terri Bryant, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Guide Beauty, Melissa Baker, director of education at Merle Norman Cosmetics.
“Siren eyes are as feline as it gets! They bring clear, sharp confidence to sexy eyes,” says Melissa Baker, director of education at Merle Norman Cosmetics. “I like to think of them as the sister to smokey eyes.”
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Terri Bryant, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Guide Beauty, echoes this, saying that siren eyes are “essentially a smokey eye combined with winged liner.” The goal is to elongate the inner and outer corners of your eyes. Baker best compares your desired look to “the smize effect.”
How to get the look
Siren eyes are pretty easy to achieve. To get started, grab the liner of your choice. Baker suggests using a pen liner because of its slim and tapered tip, which can make the application process easier.
Make a small extension towards the outer corner of your eye by following the guidelines of your bottom lash line outward rather than pulling upwards from your top lash line. Then, fill in the small gap to connect the top lid to the wing.
From there, make an extension from the inner corner of your eyes towards your nose on both the top and bottom lid. “This keeps the focus away from the center of the lid, which for those with a hooded lid, is a great way to prevent over-applying where liner tends to transfer,” says Bryant.
Finally, connect the liner through the middle of the top lid with the thinnest line. “If the line is too thick, it will start to go in the direction of doe eyes or smokey eyes,” explains Baker. “Build more drama or soften to your comfort level from there.”
Some people prefer to avoid connecting the liner through the middle of the top lid altogether, which is also an option. If you have naturally doe-like eyes, Bryant recommends “sandwiching” your lashes by applying liner to your top and bottom waterline. You can also add more depth to the look by starting with a base of eyeshadow to emphasize the outer corners.
To get the best results, you’ll need a good eyeliner with a sharp tip. And if you plan on using a gel eyeliner or eye shadow, you might want to invest in a small angled brush or concealer to keep the look clean. Baker suggests the Merle Norman Cosmetics Pro Pen Eyeliner and the Dual Action Concealer.
Do “siren eyes” work on hooded eyes?
Technically, yes. But like any makeup look, some tips and tricks will set you up for success depending on your eye shape. “There are different takes on the trend, but the common thread is to create definition at and around the lash line, which is a technique that works well for a hooded eye,” explains Bryant.
Baker adds that since the main focus is around the lash line, attention is taken away from the brow bone. If you have deep lines or wrinkles near the outer corner, crease, or brow bone, you can diffuse them by uplifting the corners.
The best practice is to keep the lid light to “create space.” But if you have wrinkly lids, stick to matte shades and keep the shimmery tones towards the inner corners and the darker shades towards the outer corners. You’ll want to avoid placing certain shades in areas that will enhance any droopiness.
“Keep any deep shades off the lid and out of the inner crease to open the eye up,” says Baker.
Sabrina is an editorial assistant for Women’s Health. When she’s not writing, you can find her running, training in mixed martial arts, or reading.
