Image: Julep
Article by BR Tabatha
Never ask a girl with winged eyeliner why she's late. - Anon.
Do you remember when applying eyeliner meant using a pencil to follow your lash lines? I do. But somewhere between my teenage years and my almost-30s, eyeliner got complicated. From different formats and formulas to an infinite number of flicks, kicks and tips, eyeliner has become a maze in need of a guide.
Why Use An Eyeliner.
Eyeliners are great for creating thicker looking lashes and for defining and drawing attention to your eyes. It's a great way to add striking and precise detailing to your makeup look and is essential for a fantastic smokey eye.
Types of Eyeliner.
Pencil Eyeliner is probably the most commonly used and well known eyeliner - almost every brand will carry an eye pencil range in a variety of colours. Pencils are easy to use and offer great control which makes them brilliant for beginners. You must be sure to sharpen the pencil before each use to ensure a crisp line. Pencils are great if you want colour on your bottom lashline, the waterline. Look for opthamologist tested pencils.
Wax-based pencils and kohls have a softer consistency making them great for blending and smokey eye looks, however kohls can wear off quite quickly, so be sure to use a primer.
Liquid Eyeliners are definitely NOT for beginners! They offer a very bold colour and have a slick consistency meaning it takes a steady hand and practise to get get it right. Liquid eyelines are typically applied with a pointy eyeliner brush, but you can get them in a pen format, which are generally easier for beginners to master. And of course being a liquid you'll need to let it dry! If you want clean, defined and a sharp lines, you're going to have to tackle the liquid eyeliner!
To apply liquid eyeliners use slow, short strokes, starting at the middle of the upper lashes and brushing outwards. Then start at the inner tip of your lash line (nearest your nose) and brush slowly until you reach the middle where you started.
Despite their difficulty to master, liquid eyeliners are well worth the effort; particularly if you want to create exotic or Arabian eye looks and the ever sexy cat eye.
Cream and Gel Eyeliners are a favourite of makeup artists, but thanks to YouTube and online tutorials they're becoming much more mainstream. Like liquid eyeliners you'll need a steady hand, but they are much easier to apply due to their 'smudgy' consistency. This consistency makes them fantastic smokey eyes. Gel and creams are thicker than liquid eyeliners and many formulas are waterproof.
You can apply gel or cream eyeliners using a pointy eyeliner brush or even using a pencil eyeliner! Cream eyeliners can be used as a based for underneath eyeshadows, increasing the longevity of your look.
Eyeshadow can be used as an eyeliner. You'll need a stiff, angled brush to dip in your eyeshadow and then you simply draw as you would with a pencil. You can wet the brush for a deeper colour. Do not use eyeshadow to line your waterline; it can irritate your eyes and it won't stay in place, so it's really not worth it! Eyeshadow as eyeliner is great for a subtle daytime look, but be sure to use a primer to ensure it lasts longer than a few hours.
How do I apply eyeliner?
The more you practise the more second nature applying your eyeliner will become. For pencil eyeliners you need to draw a smooth line. For brushes you'll use short, slow strokes.
Avoid pulling your eyelid taut as when you release the skin your line won't be even. Chin up, look down and apply to your half closed lids.
What eyeliner shape is best for me?
Eyes that are close together will look further apart by avoiding applying eyeliner right up to the tear duct. Wings are great for widening the look of your eyes.
Eyes that are far apart will look closer together if you apply eyeliner close to the tear duct. On the opposite side of your lash line avoid extending your eyeliner past your last lash.
Eyes that are hooded hide the eye lid, as the extra layer of skin folds over the crease. These are the hardest type of eye to line - too thick a line and your eyes will look small, to fine a line and you won't hide the hood. Ideally you just want to practise applying a dark eyeliner into the lash line - thickening and drawing attention to the lashes without decreasing lid size.
Common Eyeliner Mistakes.
- Uneven eyeliner will simply look, to use the professional term, bad. Practise, practise, practise.
- Over-correcting your eyeliner can lead to thick 'crayon' lines. Unless this is the look you are going for, after a couple of attempts to even your wings, you might want to admit defeat, remove and try again when you're less frustrated.
- Over-lining the waterline will make your eyes small and squinty. On mature skin and over-lined lower lashline will emphasis the thin skin under the eyes, adding years. There's also more chance of smudging - panda eyes are never in style. Ever.
- It's a crime not to prime and this includes your eyes. If you want you eyeliner to stay in place (particularly if it's a pencil or you're using eyeshadow) then you'll want to prime your eye lids.
- Choosing the wrong colour sometimes a big black line is just too much. As you head towards your glory years you'll benefit from switching to a dark brown. Trust us. You might also try a nude or white liner on your lower line to look wide awake.
And there we have it - our guide to eyeliners. So are you a flicker, a winger, a tipper? Do you always use eyeliner or is it the one thing in your makeup routine you're not confident enough to experiment with? Get chatting below!
May the wings of your eyeliner always be even - Anon.
I love eyeliners, but I still can't do a good cat eye and that's one of my favs around with bold girl. I will try to do one that's suited for my eye shade.