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Whether you choose a soft line or a dramatic stroke, you can embellish the windows to your soul by spending just a few minutes in front of a mirror with an eyeliner pencil.
1-Choose an eyeliner.
There are several factors to consider when you are choosing an eyeliner – what color, texture, and mode of application do you want? Eyeliner typically comes in either a pencil, cream, or liquid application form. As far as colors go though, the sky is the limit. If you have blonde hair, consider using a brown eyeliner for everyday wear. If you have dark hair, use black eyeliner on a regular basis.
For the smoothest, finest line use a cream eyeliner (applied with an eyeliner brush) or a liquid eyeliner. These are the easiest to control and apply close to the lashline.
If you want a smudgy, blurred effect, use an eyeliner pencil. These tend to be a bit chunkier and apply thicker lines than cream or liquid eyeliners. They can be easily smudged using your fingertip, angled brush, or a q-tip.
If you don’t happen to have eyeliner on hand, you can use any powdered eyeshadow mixed with a few drops of water and an eyeliner brush. This won’t have the same long-lasting effects as a traditional eyeliner, but it is a cheap and an easy alternative.
As much as your wallet may disagree, using nicer, more expensive eyeliners does significantly improve the color and duration of your eyeliner. Instead of immediately grabbing the 99 cent sale pencil at the drugstore, look at reviews for the top eyeliner brands online before making your purchase.
2-Choose the look you are going for.
Do you want a sleek, daytime look? Or a smoky evening look? Consider the thickness of the eyeliner as well as the placement on either the top lid, bottom lid, or both.
3-Put on your regular makeup.
Eyeliner should always be applied over eyeshadow but before mascara, making it one of the final steps of your makeup routine. Start by putting on your foundation, blush, and eyeshadow before moving to the eyeliner application.
Make sure you have a pencil sharpener on hand if you are using an eyeliner pencil, or a clean eyeliner brush for a cream or liquid liner.
To keep your eye makeup lasting all day, use an eyeshadow primer before. Make sure to rub the primer near the lash line where your eyeliner will be sitting
4-Pose to put on the eyeliner.
The easiest application happens when you tilt your head back and use your non-drawing hand to stretch the skin on the outside of your eye a bit. Raise your eyebrows so that your eyelid does not block your lash line at all. It may also be helpful to rest your elbow on a table or countertop to keep your hand steady.
5-Create a dotted line along your lashes.
Use your eyeliner to create a small dotted line directly above your lashes on your upper eyelid. Make sure that the dots are as close to the base of your eyelid as possible; the point of eyeliner is to give the illusion of full eyelashes, which you can only do if the eyeliner is near the lashes.
6-Connect the dots.
Draw a line using short, brief strokes to connect all of the dots. Instead of drawing one continuous line, use the shorter lines to help create an even, non-bumpy line. You should begin drawing at the inside corner of your eye and end at the outer corner.
7-Finish the line.
Make sure that each of the dots has been connected, and that the ends of the line taper slightly instead of ending in a blunt, rounded dot.
8-Line your bottom lashes.
Although your bottom lashes are typically less full than your top and therefore do not require lining, you can add a bit of drama by adding a little eyeliner to them. Using the same method as lining your upper lashes, draw a line from the outside corner to about ½ of the way inside of your lower eyelid.
* Only wear mascara on your bottom lashes if you are also adding it to your top lashes as well. Otherwise, you will look like you are sickly or have raccoon-eyes.
* Connect the liner on your top and bottom lashes at the outside corner of your eye with a slightly tapered point. The end of the liner should mimic the appearance of your natural lashes.
* Don’t line your bottom lashes all the way to the inside tear duct, as your eyes water naturally throughout the day and the inside corner will get black and goopy over time.
9-Tightline your lashes.
This is when you use your eyeliner to line the inside rim of your eyes closest to your eyeball. This can be difficult for some, as it requires a very steady hand and a good eye. Line the upper and lower waterline along the entire rim.
* Do this by itself (without lining above and below the lash line) for the most natural look. It is easiest to perfect this using a cream eyeliner, because it is the softest and easiest to apply of the three types.
*Tightline your eyes in addition to lining the top and bottom for an ultra-dramatic look. Do this for special occasions to make your eyes really pop.
* Use white eyeliner. White eyeliner gives the illusion of bigger, brighter eyes. Tightline your upper and lower lashes with white eyeliner, and then use a darker color above and below your lash line for giving the appearance of the biggest eyes possible.
10-Create a cat eye.
A cat eye, or winged eyeliner, is created by lining just the upper lash line and then drawing the line out past the outer corner of your eye. It should be draw upwards towards the end of your eyebrow, and tapered to give the illusion of extra long eyelashes.
Create a double wing by making two tapered ends going upwards at slightly different angles.
Use two layers of eyeliner to create a colorful cat eye. Do one layer of black eyeliner winged outwards, and then apply another in a different color directly over the top.
The winged cat eye should always be done with an incredibly smooth line and no smudging. This means that using a liquid liner is probably the easiest option
11-Smudge your eyeliner.
For a smoky, blurred look, use your finger to smudge your eyeliner along your upper lash line. Don’t rub it in, but just smear it slightly so that the line isn’t very distinct. Only use this effect on the upper lash line, as doing so on the bottom will make it look like you are wearing old makeup.
12-Make your eyeliner thicker.
For daily wear, you should try to keep your eyeliner as thin as possible for a natural look. When you go out or want a fancier look, make your eyeliner a bit thicker to add fullness to your lashes.
