In the captivating world of fashion and glamour, one of the most defining features of a female star’s look is often their eyeliner style. Over the years actresses from across the globe have experimented into everything from iconic cat-eye to the Smokey-eyes, to graphic winged eyeliner and metallic coloured eyes amongst other looks.
Eyeliner has always been a make-up favourite for all of us as it transforms tired and sleepy eyes into fabulous and refreshed in seconds. So, let’s try out these eyeliner styles that have not only left an indelible mark on Bollywood’s fashion landscape but also inspired generations with elegance and sophistication.
Cat-eye Style: In the 50s, the cat eye became an iconic face with its seductive smudged liner winged towards the outer brow, symbolizing a sex-kitten appeal. This bold style, made famous by Brigitte Bardot with liquid eyeliner abroad. The style though found its way to Indian cinema in the 60’s only and was beautifully put on by Sharmila Tagore, & Asha Parekh. The style is still both classic and trendy.
The Winged-Liner Style: A chic and timeless straightforward eyeliner style that graced every Indian eye, especially showcased by Saira Banu in the 60s. Boldly worn on the upper lash line ending in an upwards flick, towards the outer corner of the eye. The style ca be elegantly topped with mascara, as seen on Mumtaz, Sharmila Tagore, and Tanuja in the late 60’s and 70’s.
Sleek Eyeliner Style: Thin eyeliner took centre stage with Waheeda Rehman’s look in Pyaasa, marking the beginning of a wearable liner trend. This thin winged liner tightly aligned with the lash line continued reigning through the 60s, thanks to films like Guide in 1965. Neetu Singh, Zeenat Aman, and Rekha continued this trend in the 1970s and 1980s with thin lines ending in tiny, triangular ticks.
Thick, Blunt-Ended Thick Style with Metallic Blues and Silver: The 90s witnessed a return of eyeliner to the mainstream, often sporting blunt-ended thick lines with metallic blues and silvers. This style, popularized by many actresses using kajal pencils, became a go-to framing technique for the eyes. The look of Kajol from DDLJ to Preity Zinta in Veer Zaara, to Bebo’s frosty eyes in K3G was an ultimate trendsetter.
Smokey Eyes Eyeliner Style: A smudgy and hot look that takes you to places, made famous by Kajol and Rani Mukerji (KKHH), in the 2000s, and now seen on Janhvi Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in 2024. This smoked-out eyeliner rests on the rims of their eyes, creating a bold and alluring trend that continues to captivate fashion enthusiasts.
