I Put Kaja's New Wink Stamp Wing Liner To The Test, & If I Can Master A Cat Eye, Anybody Can
I like to think I'm ~good at makeup~, but winged eyeliner has never really been my strong suit. At the height of the Instagram liner trend, when a fierce cat eye flick rivaled LeBron James's wingspan in length, my hooded lids and unique eye shape proved difficult to draw on, and my not-so-steady hand often resulted in me ditching the look and going for a smudged-out lashline instead. When I heard about a new tool on the market designed to make winged liner a breeze, I knew I had to do a Kaja Wink Stamp Wing Liner review to see if it really did the trick. Let's put it this way: If I can do it, anyone can do it. Did I do it, though? That's between me and the next few parargaphs — and you, if you choose to keep reading.
Beauty stamps aren't really anything new, with Milk Makeup's Tattoo Stamp being perhaps the most iconic, but when it comes to stamping on eyeliner, I can't remember a brand ever really taking this approach. Whenever I attempt a cat eye, the following antics persue: One wing looked fine, the other a wee bit larger, and by the time my too-much gene and I finish evening them out, they're massive enough to reach the tails of my eyebrows. Needless to say, it's never been my signature look, but as a lover of Kaja since the brand first debuted at Sephora, their Wink Stamp Wing Liner ($25, sephora.com) really caught my attention.
The star of the two-step liner kit featured a dual-sided stamp, with tiny wings for both the left and right eye:
The kit also includes a basic liquid liner pen with a felt tip, to finish the job:
At first glance IRL, the stamp looked chubby and thick, not graceful and sharp like the ideal wing of my Instagram-inspired dreams:
And girl, seconds after stamping it onto my hand, the ink bled so much that I was terrified to try it on my eyes:
The skin on the back of my hand is super different than around my eyes and lashline, though, so I didn't let the stamp test deter me. After debating my options, I decided to start with the wing first and then draw on the rest of my liner to connect to it; this seemed easier than trying to match the stamp up with an already-drawn line.
Here's a crusty up-close of my linerless eyelids, for your viewing pleasure:
The application process is simple: You line up the stamp, press, and remove:
Because of my lid shape, I prefer a wing that is almost an extension of my lashline, instead of one too turned up, but the beauty of the stamp is that you can angle it however suits you best. You can also (Very carefully!) go back in for touchups. At first, my wing seemed a little short, so I pressed down again and emphasized the tip for a little extra length. I ended up really loving the shape and length.
Here's what my wing looked like on it's own. Not too shabby!
After that, I used the liner to finish off the look. I'm not a thick-black-band kinda gal, so apologies for my less-than-stellar fine lining:
Real talk, it looked damn good IRL, and seeing as I'm the worst at liner, I can imagine it looking flawless on someone who really can nail the second step with more precision.
BTW, my fear of bleeding ink was all for nothing. This baby stayed sharp and looked bomb:
Is this wing a true Instagram baddie flick? No, it's much smaller, and much more subtle. Is it the perfect little touch for an everyday beauty look? 100% Yes. Because I'm always running late, I wake up early to do eyeshadow so my eye makeup will look "done," but the thought of being able to throw on winged liner in minutes might really change the game for me. It was easy to apply, and the results are pretty but not over-the-top or try-hard, so it's safe to say the Wink Stamp will become a regular tool in my rotation.
Call me a cheater, but this is the only way I'll be doing winged liner from now on!
If you're curious to give the Wink Stamp and its smudge-proof, waterproof formula a go, you can shop it — and all of Kaja's other amazing goodies, peep the Bento Eye Trios — online and in stores at Sephora.
