Celebs like Zendaya, Megan Fox, and Olivia Wilde can’t get enough.
It was the talk of the summer across #beautytok. A look so wickedly bold, its name alone is as mysterious as it is alluring: siren eyes. TikTokers and celebs alike collectively agreed that 2022 marked the perfect time to step into their villain era, and the gaze of the sirens was the quintessential way to do that. As the trend made its way through fall and continues into winter, there’s no better time to learn how to do siren eyes yourself, so you can bring your villain era with you into the new year.
What Are Siren Eyes?
The name siren eyes stems back, *way* back. According to Greek mythology, a siren is “a hybrid creature with the body of a bird and the head of a human,” who lures sailors onto rocky shores with their beauty and siren song. TikTok’s siren eyes trend aims to mimic the captivating look of a siren by creating an eye makeup look that draws people in. The look usually features a long and sharp wing that extends all the way from the inner corners to the outer corners of the eye, and is often paired with a bit of smoky eyeshadow. It’s all about extending out the eye for a more sultry effect.
Siren Eyes vs. Doe Eyes
The difference between siren eyes and doe eyes, which became popular around the same time, is that the doe-eyed trend is characterized by making the eyes bigger, brighter, and more innocent. Doe eyes are super brightening with big full lashes; siren eyes are smokier and give a more rebellious vibe. Pretty much the exact opposites of each other.
Celebs & Siren Eyes
Though you can find instances of siren eyes among Hollywood’s elite long before 2022 (hello, Marilyn Monroe), the beauty trend made more than its fair share of appearances on this year’s red carpets. Celebs like Zendaya, Alexa Demie, Bella Hadid, Megan Fox, and Olivia Wilde have perfected siren eyes, even opting for their own versions and hacks to make it more enticing.
If you're interested in trying this eye-catching look but don’t know where to start, these six siren eye tutorials on TikTok can help any beginner kick off their journey to sounding all the alarms.
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Tip No. 1: Apply Eyeshadow First
Jessica Carrasco (aka @slaybyjess) starts by applying a cool-toned matte brown color to the lid, then flicks her brush out and up to make the eye appear more elongated. She then uses a black kohl liner to create the wing on the outer corner. Instead of connecting the liner across the eye, she stops midway, then adds the sharp inner corner liner. She finishes off the look by cleaning up the lines and adding lashes and mascara.
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Tip No. 2: Focus On The Brows
The trick to achieving the look in TikToker Sarah New’s video is to extend your eyebrows out instead of down. She also uses a black liner to make a sharp black wing that is extended into the inner corners and creates a sharp point around the inner eyes. The eyelashes appear to be less full and have a gradient effect with the fullest lashes being at the end of the eye.
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Tip No. 3: Use A Different Wing For Hooded Eyes
Jillian Nicole Smith credits this look as an eyeliner “game-changer” for people with hooded eyes, since applying a regular wing can be difficult with this eye shape. She uses a sparkly champagne-colored eyeshadow base and follows with the sharp winged eyeliner that extends into the inner corner.
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Tip No. 4: Grab Some Tape
Alicia Breuer applies a piece of tape to the outside of her eye, extending up for a clean and sharp look. She uses brown eyeshadow on the base of the outer end of her eye and goes in with a black liquid liner to create a wing. She adds a black shadow to smoke out the liquid liner, then adds black in the inner corners to add allure.
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Tip No. 5: Smudge Out Your Waterline For Added Effect
TikToker Stephanie Hui begins her step-by-step siren eye tutorial by applying medium and dark brown shadows to the lower lid and lash line to set the base for the elongated look. She uses a pencil liner to line her waterline, then grabs a brush to smudge out the waterline to create the wing. She finishes by using a brown liner to create the inner wing.
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