Fall 2012 Beauty Trend: Amped Up Cat Eye

For my second installment of the Fall 2012 Beauty Trend series I've chosen to focus on a dramatic eye look that surfaced on several runways this season: the exaggerated cat eye. I am a huge fan of the classic winged liner/cat eye look; I feel that it adds a touch of drama to any look without being over the top. To me, it embodies sexy, retro glamour.

This Fall, however, the trend was to take the classic cat eye and turn the volume up. To eleven. 

Here's a photo of my interpretation of the trend, followed bya few of my favourite runway inspirations:

The look at Lanvin was all about a jet black, slick-looking cat eye that extended up to the crease and beyond the ends of the models' brows. The rest of the face was kept very clean and glowy:

Lanvin Fall 2012

Anna Sui's show embodied this trend as well, but she amped up the colour to add a serious pop of vibrancy to the look. Electric blue all the way!

Anna Sui Fall 2012

Armani adopted a softer, but just as dramatic approach to the trend. The lines were less precise, but the shape remained elongated and sleek. The drama on the outer corners was contrasted with a stark white shade on the rest of the lid:

Armani Fall 2012

Thierry Mugler added a swipe of red to the mix! The result? A dramatic contrast with a geometric aesthetic.

Mugler Fall 2012

Finally, Catherine Malandrino created a sultry, smokey cat eye with contrasting light and dark hues. Structured, but not too precise:

Catherine Maladrino Fall 2012

And here are a few more shots of my take on the trend. With all of the various examples above, it was difficult to decide which version of the look I would attempt; in the end, I opted for a combination of the looks above. I went a pop of colour (a la Anna Sui), but chose a dark enough shade to still create some contrast and drama. The eyeliner featured in this looks is MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in Undercurrent, a deep, vibrant teal with gold shimmer. Truth be told, this liner was waaay underused this summer, so I was happy to let it shine here. My version wasn't quite as intense as the examples above, but I had to make the look semi-wearable, as I wasn't walking a runway or attending a glamorous party that day ;)

And that's it! What are your thoughts on the trend? Will you be rocking a similar look this fall?

Let me know if you want details on any of the other products I'm wearing in this look. Thanks for reading! :)