How To Recreate Adele’s Signature Eyeliner, According To Her Makeup Artist

Not only am I a big fan of Adele’s songs, I am also obsessed with her iconic cat-eye, and I admit that I could never master it. But hey, good news! Adele’s makeup artist must have heard my prayers, because he’s spilling all the secrets behind this perfectly winger eyeliner.

After a five-year hiatus, Adele is back with an album and her retro ’60s liner and amazing lashes. And let’s just say it out loud: no one does liner quite like Adele. And a big thank you to her makeup artist, Michael Ashton.

The two stars met through a mutual friend in 2007, right before the release of Adele’s debut album, 19. And the New Zealand-born makeup artist has admitted in a recent interview with Page Six that he never thought that Adele’s signature winged eyeliner would become iconic.

“I popped over to her house to trim her fringe and she asked if I could do a quick bit of eyeliner for her before she went to meet friends,” Ashton explained. “The eyeliner obviously got the seal of approval and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Ashton, whose client profile includes celebs like Hilary Swank, Keira Knightley and Penélope Cruz, says that it’s actually not that hard to nail Adele’s feline flick.

“When doing eyeliner on yourself, I always recommend starting from the outer corner and working inwards. It makes the hand create a straighter line towards the inner corner of the eye,” makeup artist, Michael Ashton said to Page Six.  “So, you start at the outer end of your lash line working in towards the middle, then do a fine line from the inner corner of the eye to join the two lines together. Finish by doing the flick last at an upward angle towards the temple.”

And when I mess up? (Coz I sure will).

“If you find the flick is coming a bit too far down, drag it up at a 45-degree angle,” he kindly explains. “As you drag it upwards, it will sharpen the line and give you a more elongated, lifted look to the eye.”

And to get that flawless finish?

“Start by creating the desired shape using either a gel pot liner or gel pencil, then layer a long-lasting liquid liner over top to really sharpen the edge and seal the deal,” he said.