1. EARTHA’S FELINE FANTASY
Known for her strong, cat-like features and purring voice, Eartha Kitt had the siren aesthetic down to an art. With a strong jaw and a smaller almond shape to her eyes, she would elongate her eyes with makeup. Framed by full brows, Kitt’s eyes were usually only lined along the top lash line with a black eyeliner, while the bottom lash line would be left clean. For extra definition, draw a tight line at the waterline with a waterproof black eyeliner pencil to create the illusion of smaller, smizing eyes.
We can’t talk about sirens without mentioning Marilyn Monroe’s iconic aesthetic — a classic red lip and sleepy, bedroom eyes.
The key to her eyes is the illusion created by a faux lash shadow, which makes lashes look fuller and eyes more seductive.
Use a brown eyeliner for a softer finish to form a thin winged line that sits tightly along the top lash line.
Along the lower lash line, create a second liner wing that extends just past the outer eye corner.
Make sure that the bottom wing almost mirrors the top lash line as an inverted wing to create the lash shadow illusion.
Finish off by lining the waterline with a white eyeliner pencil for the illusion of brighter, open eyes.
3. SOPHIA’S 1960S SEDUCTION
Sophia Loren must be the epitome of retro Italian siren energy with her unique, Mod eyes. An elongated black winged line hugs the upper lash line with an upward-flicked winged liner going along the lower lash line; the two are connected at the ends to create a triangular negative space at the outer corners.
The waterline is rimmed with a white eyeliner pencil, which is extended into the outer corner to fill in the triangular space and create the illusion of a more almond-shaped eye.
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Let your feminine power shine with alluring retro beauty tricks and graphic liner placements.
TREND: SIREN EYES
THE INSPIRATION
Sleepy, bedroom eyes of 1950s film stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Euphoria’s Maddy Perez.
As seen at: Dior, Chanel, Sportmax
The world has felt like a movie for the past few years, so it’s no wonder there’s increasing interest in channelling lead-character energy, romancing your life or entering the villain era.
If you’re craving a little escapism, you’re in good company — we’re in this together! There are many characters we’re happy to escape into with the help of makeup, but it seems the inner siren has taken social media feeds by storm. As seen on the runways of Dior and Chanel, underliner has been employed to herald the trend.
Siren eyes take all the best parts of the graphic black-eyeliner revival, smoky eye and underliner to give us the ultimate shape for a sultry mood — an elongated eye with extended, graphic lines. For the past couple of months, our TikTok feeds have been overrun with the “doe eyes” vs “siren eyes” debate, which has seen the internet divided between makeup techniques that make you look innocent and doll-like, with the swipe of white eyeliner worked into the waterline and eye-opening lashes, and those that give you the seductive gaze of a siren.
It seems we are all tapping into the most captivating version of ourselves.