How To: The Brigitte Bardot Look

How to nail the classic Brigitte Bardot beauty look. (Photo: Henry Leutwyler)

Where would the cat eye be today without Brigitte Bardot? As a little tribute to the Parisian actress and total ‘60s babe, we thought we would show you our take on the iconic look — just in time for the Cannes Film Festival.

New York City-based makeup artist Lisa Aharon suggests using a gel liner and angled brush to create this look because it will give you more control over the shape and thickness of the line. “I like to start from the outer wing and work my way towards the inner corner of the eyelid,” she says. “Once you have your shape set, then you can layer another line on top.” Keep layering until you reach your desired thickness and don’t worry if you mess up — have a cotton swab with moisturizer on hand to clean up any slips easily.

If you’re someone that likes a sharper or shinier line, Aharon recommends reinforcing the edges or drawing on top of the gel liner using a fine tipped liquid liner. “Angle the flick towards the outside point of your eyebrow. It’s a good cheat,” she says. Always start with a small flick and then go back to extend it and make it as dramatic as you like using a liquid liner.

To complete your Bardot look, Aharon advises you keep blush to a minimum and add a bit of contour under the cheekbones for definition and fill in brows and set them with a brow gel. “Most importantly, find a nude, semi-matte lipstick and apply a generous coat of it,” she says. Et voilà!

For a gel liner, Aharon suggets Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Liner ($25) and for a liquid liner, Charlotte Tilbury’s Feline Flick ($30). 

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