Rock Perfect Cat Eye Makeup with the Vamp Stamp

The famous cat-eye is a makeup look as wonderful and as elusive as the smokey eye. Now, one of the two most difficult things to achieve in makeup matters just got way easier. And faster.

The Vamp Stamp – an in depth product review.

First of all, a huge thank you to the lovely Vamp Stamp-team that provided me with their current product line free of charge to try it out. I’d been dying to use it since I saw it on social media and had been following the brand, long before the product launched. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I got it and even the packaging was beautiful.

The Vamp Stamp is a makeup tool and as the name suggests, it’s a stamp with which you can create the winged eyeliner of your dreams. It comes in three different sizes:

  • the VaVaVoom Large for a bold wing – perfect for nights, statement looks and for performers
  • the VaVaVoom Medium for a subtle but visible wing – suitable for day and night looks
  • the VaVaVoom Kitten for a gentle wing – great for everyday makeup

The larger sizes came out first and I imagine early adopters urging The Vamp Stamp creators to develop a third size for a smaller wing that they can wear on more buttoned-down occasions – and their wish was granted! The tiny wing was called “kitten” – an allusion to the “kitten heel” in shoes, I assume. For the launch campaign of the VaVaVoom Kitten, the brand collaborated with an animal shelter in L.A., donating some of the proceeds of the product to them, in order to help real kittens. I know it’s a marketing thing, but they totally won my cat-loving heart with that move!

In addition to the three stamps, I received The Vamp Stamp‘s own Vink, a little jar with a sponge soaked in the brand’s liquid liner, imitating ink and completing the stamp concept. Vink comes with Verge, an angled brush to complete the eyeliner.

The three steps to perfect winged eyeliner: Ink. Stamp.Vamp.

The Vamp Stamp‘s website sums up the instructions in a great slogan: “ink. stamp.Vamp.”

  1. Ink – get some eyeliner on the stamp and wipe the excess off
  2. Stamp – press it onto your eyelid
  3. Vamp – fill in the gaps and be glamorous AF!

Of course, there is some more work to do to get it right. A recommended preparation step is to stamp a few times on to your hand to get the hang of it and learn to avoid smudges. My first stamps were swatches with Vink on my arm to compare the three sizes together. For more practical tips and tricks, like The Vamp Stamp‘s “1o tricks to winging it”, check out their website and social media.

After testing on my hand and arm, I went on to compare the VaVaVoom Large and the Kitten on my eyes – only after prepping them with primer, as the pro that I obviously am:  

And then I proceeded to try The Vamp Stamp with three different liquid eyeliners I currently have in my makeup bag:

As you might know, I prefer natural cosmetics to avoid parabens and support cruelty-free brands, but the first two I still have from a few years ago and am trying to use them up. Sadly, the natural eyeliner doesn’t really work with The Vamp Stamp, for it dries on the stamp before I can get it onto my skin. The felt liner also failed the test for the same reason. Only Manhattan’s waterproof Eyeliner did an alright job with the stamp, but the Vink is no doubt the best choice for a flawless winged eyeliner look.

Road testing The Vamp Stamp in everyday life

For a more natural look on a hot summer day, I wore the VaVaVoom Kitten with the brown eyeliner from Manhattan to work and took the first selfie. Another day I got compliments from coworkers for the perfect wing created with the VaVaVoom Medium and Vink. I took the VaVaVoom Large-wing with Vink and full-face makeup to a night out and felt fabulous.

By the way, the stamps are made of silicone and I have cleaned them with some warm water – an information that the packaging is lacking. The same goes for the Verge brush, which I also clean with warm water and a drop of eco-friendly dish soap. I have found that it’s better to wash the tools off right after using them whenever I’m not in a rush. After some practice and with the right liquid liner, it indeed becomes quick and easy to get a great looking cat-eye – and it’s also SO MUCH FUN!

The Vamp Stamp: from the co-creator of the beautyblender

The founder of The Vamp Stamp, Veronica Lorenz is an L.A.-based celebrity makeup artist and one of the creators of the famous foundation sponge beautyblender. After dealing with a benign spinal cord tumor, she developed and patented The Vamp Stamp. She’s an inspiring innovator and as the brand’s website states:

“Veronica plans to continue to launch innovative solutions for makeup application and formulas that defy tradition and embrace inclusion, so that all skill levels – and those with physical limitations – can easily create true makeup magic.” – Hell yeah!

As many other people, who have tried it, I totally recommend The Vamp Stamp – as well as the women from This Is Mythical, one of my favorite YouTube channels, on this video about Beauty Con, where they visited The Vamp Stamp-booth (at minute 7:45 they talk about the tool again):

I’ve been having a great time trying out looks with The Vamp Stamp and can’t wait for Pia and Steffi to try it, too when we’re together in Eindhoven for this year’s Female Metal Event. Stay tuned to hear what they have to say about it!

UPDATE – December 4th, 2017: Pia also loved the Vamp Stamp!! Weeks after our trip to Eindhoven where she tried using mine, she ordered her own set of stamps.

Are you a fan of winged eyeliner? Do you have a secret to achieving it? Tell us in the comments, we love to hear from you!