I Tried the Winged Eyeliner Stamp Everyone’s Talking About — Here’s What Happened

I have a very rocky relationship with winged liner. You see, we go way back to a time when I had no clue how to apply it. I would draw on a tiny flick of a wing that didn’t align with the outer corner of my eye, and no one corrected my technique (though photos definitely exist somewhere). In time, I figured it out, but I can’t help but wonder what my life would have been like if someone handed me the Vamp Stamp back then. The buzzy tool is supposed to help you achieve the perfect wing — all you have to do is dip your winged liner stamp into the ink, press it onto your outer corner and voilà: winged liner magic. But is really that easy?

Obviously, I had try out the Vamp Stamp for the benefit of the greater good. Check out my review, ahead.

My Initial Thoughts

The first step in perfecting your winged liner game with the Vamp Stamp is to pick out the wing size that’s ideal for you, in addition to the eyeliner ink (you can buy ‘em together in a handy kit). The sizes range from kitten (the smallest wing, which isn’t actually that small) to medium and large for all you makeup maximalists out there. I got my hands on kitten, which looked to match the size of my everyday wing —relatively small, but eye-enhancing. The stamp is dual-ended and labeled “R” for your right wing and “L” for your left wing. Overall, the whole thing seems self-explanatory.

Trial and Error

Before I tested the stamp out on my face for real, I practiced on a piece of paper. I wanted to get a feel for how much ink I’d actually have to get onto the stamp to get the perfect wing in just one go. I dipped the right side of my stamp deep into the cushioney ink (this stuff will transport you right back to elementary school art class) making sure the stamp was fully coated before I transferred it onto a piece of paper. This step was effortless and gave me hope for the future of my wings, but I wondered how it would hold up for real on my face.

From there, I aligned the stamp with the outer “V” of my eye. This step is crucial and will (definitely) require some practice, unless you’re a secret stamp wizard. My first attempt wasn’t successful, but it wasn’t a major fail either. The shape of my wing was in the right place, but I must not have pressed hard enough for the stamp to get the whole shape of the wing right. My left eye, on the other hand, was a bit of a trainwreck. Since I’m right-handed, I had a little more control on that side of my face, but my left hand left me looking like I just smeared my winged eyeliner and called it a day.

By my fifth attempt at trying to achieve the perfect wing, I started violently pressing the Vamp Stamp into the ink, partly due to my frustration and partly because I could not get the stamp to apply in one swift motion like it did so easily on paper. Finally, I accepted the fact that this stamp was going to just have to serve as an outline for my wing instead of doing all the work for me. I filled in the empty gaps using a liquid liner, and I was pretty satisfied with the look. But at that point, is the stamp really a necessary investment?

The Verdict

I really wanted to love this product, but I don’t think it’s meant to be — for me, anyway. That’s not to say that it doesn’t work, though. It definitely requires some (maybe a lot) of practice, but if you find yourself constantly frustrated trying to draw on winged liner on your own, this very well could be the $45 answer.

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