The reverse smoky eye is the latest update to your cut crease makeup

‘90s beauty trends are going nowhere; neither are contouring hacks. So it’s hardly surprising that the subtle cut crease is one of TikTok's biggest Y2K makeup trends. The look is exactly as it sounds: a blurry line that ‘cuts’ at the crease. In doing so, this technique “enhances and defines” the groove of your eye socket, Stila's head makeup artist, Sascha Jackson, told GLAMOUR. 

But the subtle cut crease has recently had an update that only adds to its allure. Specifically, a mash up with the reverse smoky eye trend that currently has 2.7million views on TikTok.

Normally, a subtle cut crease would involve drawing a darker line into the crease.  Likewise, a run-of-the-mill smoky eye would focus purely on the deeper shades in an eyeshadow palette. But all of that traditional wisdom has now been flipped on its head and the subtle cut crease 2.0 plays purely with light.

The updated technique swings two ways. The first involves adding a darker eyeshadow or eyeliner to the lid and lower lashline, followed by either a highlighter or pale shade of eyeshadow into the hollow of your eye socket. 

Or, the entire lid is a wash of pale or nude eyeshadow with a milky shade reserved for the crease.

Then there are the many iterations of these two reverse eye shadow techniques. @katiejanehughes veers towards a very clean, almost transparent, high-gloss subtle cut crease.

@nikki_makeup opted for high-drama with a pearlescent sheen.

While @shelbysmithmakeup plays with soft rose hues, reserving the burgundy shades for the lid and lower lash line, while the crease pops with a shimmering pastel pink.

Or for something more edgy, choose an acid bright or pastel shade of eyeshadow to work into the crease. Victoria Beckham Beauty's new EyeWear eyeshadow sticks in Sunflower and Macaron are ideal tools for the job.

As ever, the mantra is: blend, blend, blend. While the normal cut crease involves a sharp line in order to make the eye appear more lifted and open, the subtle cut crease leans on a more delicate eye contour.

What tools do I need to create a subtle cut crease 2.0?

• Small blending brush
• Eyeshadow palette with colours close in tone
• Brown or black eyeliner (optional)
• Mascara or false lashes (optional)

Step-by-step how to paint on a reverse smoky eye:

1. Start with an eye primer to keep everything in place.
2. Add an orange-based transition colour across the entire lid.
3. Apply your lighter shade contour as a curved line along the groove of your eye socket and blend it along your crease.
4. Keep blending to diffuse the lighter hue upward toward your brow bone.
5. Take a darker shadow or eyeliner and blend across the lid.
6. Pose and press record