Loathe or Love: Graphic Creases

Forget the lash line—bold lines are moving up to the crease! From Bollywood babes to Barbara Streisand and Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent, many define their eye shape with bold, packed-on pigment in the crease of their eye socket. But what characterizes a cut crease from a sultry smoky eye? It's in the blending—or lack thereof. The color is kept stark and clean, and there's a clear edge that defines two distinct color fields in the area where your lids fold.

Typically, those with larger, hooded eye lids can pull off this effect best, but anyone can sport the style with the right tools and techniques. For easier application, keep the crease darker than the lid and pair neutral shades with vibrant tones. Use an angled liner brush such as the MAC 266 to draw a sharp line across the ridge of the orbital socket (the real crease of your eye). From there, keep layering on color with the same brush, then lightly fade out the corner at the edges closest to the brow bone. Remember, keep the crease crisp where it hits the lid and be sure not to over blend—it's supposed to look color-blocked, not smoky. If you choose to emphasize your crease predominantly with eye liner (like Stacey D.), choose a gel or cream texture for more flexibility than a liquid or powder. Need a little more help? These cut crease tutorials should help. Do you loathe or love this dramatic eye shape? Vote and let us know in the comments below.