How to Create a Negative Space Cut Crease

When it comes to eye shadow and eyeliner, there seem to be endless options for switching up your look. If you’re constantly keeping up with the latest beauty trends, you may have noticed the cut crease eye makeup trend taking the beauty world by storm. If you’re looking to take on the trend with a new twist, the negative space cut crease is the makeup look for you. Rather than blending a multitude of shadows onto your lids and using loads of concealer for clean-up, this look involves using eyeliner to define the shape of your eyes, while leaving a blank space in the middle of your lids. Pretty cool, right? Read on to find out how to get the look. 

STEP 1: PRIME YOUR LID

Priming is arguably one of the most important steps in creating this makeup look. You want to make sure you’re using a trustworthy primer on your eye lid to ensure your eye makeup will last for the entire day (or night). Of course, if you’re dying to give this trend a try and don’t have an eye primer on hand, we know a little trick. Dab a long-lasting concealer onto your lids. The concealer will act as a primer, helping to extend the life of your eye makeup.

STEP 2: APPLY YOUR BASE

After your lid is primed and ready to keep your eye makeup on throughout the day, it’s important to set your primer with a matte, nude eye shadow. In order to create the negative space aspect of this look, it should look like you aren’t wearing any shadow at all, so be sure to stick with a shade that is close to your skin tone. The L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eye Shadow has a variety of nude shades available with a matte finish. If you prefer a palette over a single shadow, the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche La Palette Nude also has several nude shades that are perfect for this look.

STEP 3: CREATE THE CREASE

Now we’re up to the step that will pull this look together: liquid eyeliner. While liquid liner completes any look, it can also get messy. The L’Oréal Paris Infallible The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner has a ultra-fine felt precision tip that is vital to execute this makeup look. The quick-dry and smudge-proof formula will make this liner your best friend.

To make the crease, start at the inner corner of your eye. Use light, gentle strokes to create a thin line from the inner corner to the outer corner of your eye along the crease of your eye lid. Once you get to the outer corner, stop and go back to the inner corner to thicken the line and fix any imperfections. 

STEP 4: DRAW THE WING

After you’ve created your crease, you want to finish the look by applying your liner in traditional winged liner fashion. Start at the inner corner of your eye and trace along your lash line until you get to the outer corner. Once you get to the outer corner, draw a wing so that the tip of it is aligned with the end of your eyebrow. Once the wing is done, connect and fill in the cut crease liner with the liner you just applied.

Editor’s note: A little rusty at winging out your eyeliner? Brush up on your skills with a little help from our article, Wing It: Tips for the Perfect Cat Eye.

STEP 5: DEFINE YOUR LASHES

The final step to conquer this beauty trend is to give yourself full, thick and lengthy lashes. The L’Oréal Paris Voluminous X Fiber Mascara in Blackest Black is the ideal mascara for this look. The mascara gives the effect of false lashes with its two-step fiber mascara system. First, prime your lashes with the black primer end of the mascara. This will build intense volume and color on your eyelashes. Second, apply the fiber-infused mascara that will take your lashes to extreme lengths. This mascara is smudge-proof and waterproof allowing it to give your lashes some drama for the whole day.

If you’re looking for more beauty trends to try out, read our article on 3 Ways to Wear Metallic Makeup for an On-Trend Look.