What Is Puppy Eyeliner? How to Get the K-Beauty Look in 3 Steps

Beauty trends come and go, from TrapTox to perfume layering and butterfly haircuts. But here’s a trend we think is here to stay: puppy eyeliner, a nearly-cartoonish, incredibly cute look that accentuates the natural curve of the eyes, which makes them look larger, and, therefore, irresistible. Here, we spoke with makeup artist and entrepreneur Jenny Patinkin on what defines the technique. She also walks us through a puppy eye makeup tutorial in four simple steps.

Want more beauty tips sent right to your inbox? Subscribe here.

Jenny Patinkin is a Chicago-based makeup artist, founder of an eponymous beauty brand and the author of Lazy Perfection: The Art of Looking Great Without Really Trying. Her brand has created an award-winning line of beauty tools loved by the likes of Oprah, Allure, Cosmopolitan and Better Homes & Gardens. Patinkin has contributed her expertise to outlets such as Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show and Martha Stewart.

You may be wondering what the difference is between puppy eyeliner and a cat eye. Essentially, it’s what Patinkin describes as an upside down cat eye. “With a cat eye, you use the angle of your lower lash line to create the flick. [With the puppy dog eyeliner], you use the angle of your upper lash line to continue the line down, and then you connect back in with your lower lash line.”

This eyeliner style originally took off in Asia, inspired by K-beauty. It works well on Asian features because there is often a natural downturn of the eyes at the outer corners, so the eyeliner follows the inherent shape instead of breaking up lines. However, the makeup look can be worn by anyone—all it does is accentuate the eye’s half-moon shape. The result: rounder-looking eyes, à la your favorite cute dog.

Puppy eyeliner is easy to draw, even if you’re a beauty neophyte. Here, Patinkin breaks down the look in four easy steps.

1. Gather Your Tools

First, assemble your tools: eyeliner, a brush for smudging and mascara. Patinkin recommends either kohl or gel eyeliner. She notes that the former gives good grip in application, while the latter smudges well because it’s soft. Liquid eyeliner requires a precise hand and dries quickly, so it’s best left as the finishing touch.

According to Patinkin, the key to successfully achieving this look is the brush. “Your brush can help you make the eyeliner look more diffused and subtle or it can make it look more dramatic. It just depends on the outcome you want. I always tend towards subtle, so that means a little bit of blending and smudging where you're getting the effect without huge drama.”

2. Find the Angle of Your Upper Lash Line and Sketch

To start, identify the angle of your upper lash line. “Look closely at your eye and notice where the angle of your upper lash line is. You want to make sure you’re not too far below it or too far above it,” Patinkin explains. “[When you start drawing], follow your lashes. Don't look at the skin. [Ask yourself, if you] had another lash that was growing, where would it grow?” That’s where you put your pencil as the starting point.

Now that you’ve identified the angle of your upper lash line, draw a line a couple millimeters down past your lower lash line. It’s important to keep your eyes open for this, Patinkin says, so you can follow the right curve. You also don’t want to pull at your skin because that will distort the shape. After you’ve drawn the line down, follow it back up to your upper lash line and take the eyeliner about a third of the way across your eye. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect—you’ll be smudging everything shortly.

3. Connect the Lower Lash Line and Blend

Start at the end of the original line you drew from your upper lash line and draw it back towards the lower lash line to create a small triangle. Once you’ve drawn everything, all that’s left to do is blend and soften for a more diffused look. The amount of diffusing is up to you. Patinkin likes to finish off the look by curling the lashes and applying mascara.

Some will take the look a bit farther and use liquid eyeliner to extend the line into the inner corners of their eyes. Patinkin also notes that this is a great base for a smokey eye or other looks. She recommends setting the eyeliner with powder eyeshadow, which will extend the wear time. And that’s it. You now have accentuated, elongated eyes whose roundness will wiggle you out of any trouble—just like puppy eyes should.