As spotted on Zendaya, Amber Glenn and more, mod-inspired lower eyeliner is back but with an exaggerated flair.
If it's been awhile since you experimented with eyeliner, there's never been a better time to revisit it! After what feels like an eternity of the “clean girl” or minimal makeup look, eyeliner is due for a comeback, and we're seeing it pop up in a big way — especially bold, graphic strokes of liner on the lower lashline.
Think the 1960s styles worn by supermodel Twiggy, but updated for 2026. We're not entirely surprised that bolder liner looks are back on the red carpet and on our Instagram and TikTok feeds; the trend cycle has been hinting at it for awhile, like with the viral smoky eye trend of late 2025 and liner looks by influential stars like Jenna Ortega and Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu. But lately, lower liner has evolved from a rock 'n roll, grungey look to something a bit more mod. The Lower Liner Trend, Explained In the 1960s, trendsetters like Twiggy, Diana Ross, and Cher wore a lot of eyeliner on both their upper and lower lashlines. Typically, that was a winged-out line on the upper lashline and a similar look on the bottom, often paired with individual false lashes or small strokes of liner drawn on the lower lashline, almost like spider legs. Liner comes and goes in the beauty trend cycle, and the ‘60s look resurfaces decade after decade because it’s so much fun — not to mention easily customizable to your personal style . “The top lash line has been done in practically every iteration at this point, so playing with the lower lash line feels unexpected and a lot more interesting right now,” says makeup artist Kasey Spickard. “I think we’re reaching for that ‘60s aesthetic in reaction to the ’clean girl' era, which has been so devoid of playfulness, color, and structure. We’re finally starting to see that shift show up on carpets and runways.” Where We've Seen It For the Parisian premiere of her new movie The Drama, Zendaya paired a '20s-inspired curly bixie hairstyle with a graphic eyeliner moment. Slim, precise lines were drawn on both her upper and lower lashline, meeting at both the inner and outer corners to fully encircle her eye and winging out slightly at the lower lashline. “ is really a direct nod to Sophia Loren’s eyeliner from the 1960s,” says Spickard. “It’s very architectural and structural, with this open graphic element filled with cream or white, so you’re creating the illusion of a much larger eye.” Oscar nominee Teyana Taylor is another liner fan, and made bold lower liner one of the signature elements of her look throughout awards season, often accentuated with a lighter shade of liner in her waterline for extra wow factor. We've also seen bolder lower liner looks on Aespa band member Giselle, who wore a softer take on ‘60s lower liner to the Loewe show during Fashion Month, and Kpop Demon Hunters star Rei Ami at the 2026 Academy Awards. Another Olympic gold medalist, Amber Glenn, is also a fan of lower liner, though her take on the look was definitely more mod than Liu’s Y2K skater girl vibe. If you love the winged-out look, Chase Infiniti's defined waterline and softly diffused shadow is a cool way to blend the grunge look with '60s influences. How to Get the Look Depending on your liner skills, you'll probably want to give yourself some time to practice before debuting a graphic lower liner look. Make sure your liner pencil is freshly sharpened and warmed up to make drawing easier, and take your time! “When you’re creating graphic eyeliner looks on the lower lash line, you want a formula that has some play and workability while you’re building the look, but one that will lock in and not move once it’s set,' advises Spickard. “There is a lot of movement under the eye, and the worst thing that can happen is for the liner to start to migrate, smudge, or creep into any fine lines, wrinkles, or creases.” He's a fan of Make Up For Ever's Aqua Resist Color Pencils, which provide “a lot of play” at first, but set once the formula dries down. Line your upper lashline first, either ending right at the outer corner or extending outward in a wing shape — totally your call! — then start your lower liner either right at the inner corner or about halfway in. Using soft, slow strokes, draw the line outward to meet the upper liner. Once you've got the basic technique down, get creative! Play with negative space, add more liner in the waterline a la Teyana Taylor to make your eyes pop even more, incorporate color or eyeshadow, you name it. If you're pretty comfortable with liner and want to try something extra detailed, Spickard uses a fine, long-tipped liner brush similar to those used by manicurists. “The length and precision give you so much more control, especially in an area that small and delicate,” he explains. “For that technique I like to build the shape using the Inglot Duraline and the Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gels together.” Clean up any oopsies or sharpen lines and shapes with a micro-fine pointed Q-tip and you're ready to hit the red carpet… or prom… or Monday morning algebra class.
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