If you've seen any of Adele's album covers, red carpet appearances or music videos, you've probably noticed how perfect her winged eyeliner always is. As one of the hardest makeup trends to get right, the popular British singer has fans wondering what her secret is, and lucky for us, her makeup artist Michael Ashton has finally shared his tips.
Ashton has been working with Adele since she released her first album "19" in 2008, and from the very first time he did her makeup, they had a connection. "I popped over to her house to trim her fringe and she asked if I could do a quick bit of eyeliner for her before she went to meet friends," he told The Cut. "The eyeliner obviously got the seal of approval and the rest, as they say, is history."
He went on to explain that the first time he really worked with her was for "a collection of images" that came out with the release of "19" and that it's her "beautiful almond-shaped eyes" and fantastic natural bone structure" that make for the perfect canvas.
So how exactly does Ashton perfect one of the most talked about winged eyeliner in the business? "Product cocktailing is key to achieving the intensity and opaqueness of the eyeliner. I always start by outlining the shape of the liner, working from the inner to outer corner of the eye with a black gel liner. I then work the product right into the root of the lashes and then build thickness gradually," he said of his process. "Once I'm finished creating the desired shape, I use a waterproof liquid liner with a precision tip to intensify and refine the line, finishing by winging the end of the liner last."
He also added that he uses eyeliner brushes that he bought in Japan that are thick at the bottom for "quick application" but also have an extremely fine tip "so you can gently drag out the wing of the liner until it fades away into the finest point." If he needs to clean up any stray lines or mistakes, he swears by Muji thin cotton tips and Bioderma Crealine Face and Eye Cleanser to get the job done.
"I think [Adele's] beauty look resonates with people because it's aspirational but also extremely achievable," he explained. "It seems everyone is always wanting to try and wear the latest beauty looks from the runway or high street and often it just doesn't translate. Adele is known for her makeup, but what makes her a modern beauty icon is the strength of keeping things simple and classic so they stand the test of time."
Ashton knows this classic style has become her iconic look, even though they do change it up from time to time. "I think we've turned up the volume a little bit," he told People in 2013. "But to me, a liner and a lash is just so simple. But it can be really dramatic. You don't have to go overboard on everything else."
While he did not share exactly what magical eyeliner he uses for her staple look, he did share a few of his other favorite eye makeup products. For mascara, Ashton prefers Diorshow Black Out Mascara because it's "fantastic for party-pumping up your lash volume to a rich, blacker-than-black flirty flutter." And for eyshadow, he loves Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize cream eyeshadow pots because they "create soft but dramatic eyes quickly" and blend together perfectly "for an expensive-looking finish."
