You’ve seen the look. It’s that heavy, bedroom-eyed flick that somehow looks both like she just woke up in a 1960s trailer park and like she’s about to headline a sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl. Honestly, Lana Del Rey eyeliner has become its own sub-genre of beauty. It isn't just a cat-eye; it’s a mood. But if you’ve ever tried to replicate it and ended up looking more like a raccoon than a vintage starlet, you aren't alone.
The thing about Lana’s liner is that it’s deceptively technical. People think "thick black line" and call it a day. In reality, her long-time makeup artist, Etienne Ortega, has spent years perfecting a specific geometry that balances her unique eye shape with that heavy-lidded, "sad girl" aesthetic. It’s a mix of Priscilla Presley’s 1967 wedding day and a touch of Americana grit.
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The Tool Kit: What Actually Stays on Your Face
You can't just grab a random crayon and expect a sharp flick. If you’re going for the classic LDR look, you need precision and serious pigment. Ortega has gone on record saying he swears by the Givenchy Liner Disturbia pen. It’s a felt-tip situation that gives that "inky" blackness without skipping.
But look, we aren't all on a Givenchy budget. If you're hitting the drugstore, the NYX Epic Ink Liner is the undisputed champion of Lana dupes. It has a brush tip that mimics high-end pens. For the waterlines—because Lana almost always has a white or nude pencil in there to make her eyes look massive—something like the Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencils in a light shade works wonders.
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Basically, you want:
- A waterproof liquid liner (felt or brush tip).
- A matte brown shadow for the "pre-sketch."
- A nude or white pencil for the waterline.
- Half-lashes or "foxy" lashes for the outer corners.
The "Priscilla" Flick: A Step-by-Step (Sorta)
First off, forget the "tape trick" you saw on TikTok. Lana’s liner isn't about a perfect, robotic angle; it’s about a horizontal pull. It doesn't flick "up" toward the tail of the eyebrow as much as it pulls "out" toward the temple. This creates that sleepy, heavy-lidded look that defines her style.
- The Shadow Sketch: Before you touch the ink, take a cool-toned brown shadow and an angled brush. Sketch a soft wing. This is your safety net. If you mess this up, you just smudge it away.
- The Inner Corner: Lana’s liner usually starts very thin in the inner corner and stays close to the lash line until the middle of the pupil. Don't go thick too early or you'll lose the eye shape.
- The Bulk: From the outer third of the eye, you start building the "meat" of the wing. It should be thick. Like, "did I go too far?" thick.
- The Extension: Instead of a sharp 45-degree angle, think 20 degrees. Pull it straight out. This mimics the '60s Mod style.
- The Under-Eye Shadow: Take that same brown shadow and run it under the lower lashes, but don't connect it to the top wing. Keeping that "gap" open makes the eyes look wider.
Why It Matters: The Psychology of the Wing
It’s kinda crazy how a bit of pigment on the eyelid can define an entire era of pop culture. Since the Born to Die era, the Lana Del Rey eyeliner has been a shield. It’s part of the "becoming" she talks about—Lizzy Grant transforming into this cinematic character.
In 2023, for the Interview Magazine shoot, we saw a slight shift. The liner was there, but it was paired with more "lived-in" textures. Even then, the core was the same: a bold, unapologetic wing. It’s a rejection of the "no-makeup makeup" trend that has dominated the 2020s. Lana isn't trying to look like she isn't wearing makeup. She’s trying to look like a movie.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest mistake? Putting the wing on with your eyes closed. If you have hooded eyes or even just a bit of a crease, the liner will "disappear" or look crooked once you open your eyes. You have to apply the wing with your eyes open, looking straight into the mirror. This is called the "Bat-wing" technique. You draw the line right over the fold of the skin so that when your eye is open, it looks perfectly straight.
Also, don't forget the mascara on the bottom lashes. Lana often clumps her bottom lashes together—a "Spider" lash look—which balances the heavy weight of the top liner. It’s that 1960s doll-eye vibe.
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Actionable Next Steps for Your Look
If you're ready to try this tonight, don't go in cold.
- Prime your lids. Liquid liner on an oily lid is a recipe for a disaster by 10 PM. Use a matte primer or just a bit of concealer set with translucent powder.
- The "Anchor" Point. Put a tiny dot of liner where you want the wing to end on both eyes before you draw the lines. This helps with symmetry.
- Clean it up with concealer. Nobody—not even professional MUAs—gets it perfect every time. A flat brush with a tiny bit of concealer is your best friend for sharpening that tail.
The Lana Del Rey eyeliner isn't about perfection; it’s about drama. If one wing is a tiny bit thicker than the other, just call it "alternative" and move on. The "sad girl" aesthetic is more about the confidence you feel when you catch your reflection in a window and realize you look like you just walked off a film set in 1962.