How to Do a Cut Crease if You're Not Into Instagram Makeup

Instagram beauty trends come and go, but one trend appears to be here to stay: Cut-crease eyeshadow. The key to this look is a lighter eyelid with a darker, more dramatic crease. The look can enhance any eye shape, size, or color, and is fairly simple to DIY. We love the more modern iterations, which feature soft, champagne lids and rosy or taupe creases. So ahead, watch celebrity makeup artist Carissa Ferreri share her step-by-step tutorial for creating an updated cut-crease eyeshadow look.

Step One: Start With the Crease, Not the Lid

"Normally I start makeup with the lid, but for a cut-crease it's all about the crease," says Ferreri. "So I'm taking a matte eyeshadow and a fluffy brush, and I'm going to go all over the crease and a little bit on the lid. I'm going to blend really well, going back and forth, even going into the inner corner." Once you've applied this initial color to your crease, you can buff the color out onto your eyelids.

Step Two: Go Over Your Crease With a Darker Shade

It doesn't matter if the shade you used in step one was nude or neon, just make sure you go over that shade with a color (in the same color family) that's a few shades darker.

Tom Ford Eye Quad in Seductive Rose $88.00

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"Next, I'm going to take a slightly darker shade. I'm still using matte shades, as well as a tinier, tapered brush," says Ferreri. "This brush is going to allow me to get right in the crease of my eye. I'm going to connect the crease and my eyelid right here doing a little backwards 'C.' So now we've blended two colors, I'm keeping it in the same color family using warms."

Once everything has been applied, set down your tapered brush and pick up another fluffy blending brush to buff out any harsh lines.

Step Three: Cutting The Crease

"I'm using Benefit Boi-Ing Concealer, and I'm using a synthetic flat brush," Ferreri begins. "This is really going to pack the color on. [The brush] is very flat, so I'm going to be able to draw the crease I want. This technique is really great for my girls that have a more heavy, hooded eyelid shape."

Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer $22.00

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"I can use this trick to create more of an eyelid shape. I'm going right over the colors and drawing out the shape that I want," she continues. "This concealer has really good coverage, and it has a bit of a good tackiness to it, so [the pigment] is going to adhere really well."

Step Four: Go Over the Concealer With a Creamy Pigment

Next, you're going to cover you concealer with the creamy pigment of your choice. This helps to create contrast to make your cut crease even more intense.

"I'm going to go right over the concealer [with the cream eyeshadow]. These two steps together really help to emphasize the lid," says Ferreri. As far as color selection, Ferreri recommends using a softer, more muted shade on the lids to keep your cut crease looking modern and updated, as opposed to the darker creases of the past.