The Cut Crease is Making a Comeback

The cut crease has been a high-fashion staple for decades (think Liza Minnelli in Cabaret, or Barbara Streisand in … anything), but it’s starting to look a lot more wearable these days. Recently, Girls creator Lena Dunham sported a ‘60s-inspired Mod look on Instagram, and just last month Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs sent their models down the runway rocking freshly lined creases.

For Michael Kors’ Spring/Summer 2013 show, Shiseido makeup artist Dick Page imagined the look as a bright pop of color in the crease. “I wanted it to look like a single gesture, like you’d sweep on lipstick,” he recently told Who What Wear. And over at Marc Jacobs, François Nars created a classic Twiggy eye in a range of matte earth tones, adding in a smokey winged lower liner for dramatic emphasis.

The retro-chic look is wide-eyed and sophisticated—and when properly executed can open up the eye and pull together your entire look. Best of all, you can easily create the runway-ready look right at home!

To create this look, be sure to use a shadow primer first so your shape stays in place. Start with an eye liner in a color of your choice (we recommend a waterproof matte shadow stick). For a higher-fashion look, keep the liner edges crisp (clean up lines with a Q-tip dipped in eye makeup remover). For a softer daytime look, feather the edges with a matching powder shadow and a crease brush. Pair with neutral lips for maximum impact, and you’ll be on-trend and feeling groovy.