Underliner is everywhere right now, courtesy of the grunge trend

Is it us, or is underliner everywhere? Where the noughties gave us hippie boho chicks, skater girls, and the remnants of ninteies grunge, the 2010s really cemented winged liner, sketched across upper lashes, as a core lewk when it comes to eye makeup. Meanwhile waterlines were relegated to a bit-part and often left nearly naked, or slightly defined with a subtle smoke of shadow. 

That’s not to say underliner was skipped entirely, some hardcore loyalists out there remained devoted to bottom liner throughout the decade and classic smokey eyes continued to incorporate the detail. But now? Underliner is finally starting to steal focus and lead makeup looks as the star of the show, thanks to the rise of the grunge makeup aesthetic, which leans on bratty, smudgy and unapologetically heavy liners grounding eye makeup looks and adding edge. It’s pretty much the antithesis to the “clean girl” movement that divided the internet before it with barely-there makeup, a tap of lip balm and minimal mascara.

The grungey aesthetic has been building for a while now, but there’s no denying that Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday, and the looks she’s served up in her press tour since, has helped to catapult the aesthetic on TikTok and sign it off as one of most popular beauty trends of 2023. So, if you want in, you could always dig your old kohl pencil out the back of the drawer (or Charlotte Tilbury, MAC, Urban Decay, NARS and NYX do some stunning options), and give your waterline the attention it deserves. 

Here’s 17 of our favourite ways to wear underliner…

Zoe Kravitz’ smouldering underliner

Camila Morrone’s smoking underliner

Jenna Ortega’s midnight blue underliner

Lindsay Price’s extra smoky eyes

Zoey Deutch’s cool brown grunge underliner

Simone Ashley’s smoky purple underliner

Kylie Jenner’s slick dagger underliner

Jasmin Savoy Brown’s cleopatra underliner

Eiza Gonzalez’ slinky underliner

Madison Pettis’ smoked underliner

Herieth Paul’s bottom-heavy underliner

Isabela Merced’s bottom wing underliner

Madison Bailey’s emo underliner

Hailee Steinfeld’s sliced underliner 

Laura Harrier’s snatched underliner 

Nicola Peltz Beckham’s skinny underliner

Kim Kardashian’s throwback heavy underliner

For more from GLAMOUR’s Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk