FAQ: Eyeliner...

Hey Everyone!!

So I have been getting a lot of questions on eyeliner; how it is applied, type of liner and brand...so I thought I'd share some tips and tricks of how I apply eyeliner. 

There are many different types of liner such as pencil, kohl, gel, marker and liquid liners. They have many different applicators as well, including brushes, felt tip and brush tips. 

 

Gel Liner                                 Brush Tip Liner

Kohl Pencil Eyeliner

 Felt Tip Marker Eyeliner

I personally like to use all these different types of liners, depending on the look I want to create. I use liquid liners when I want a strong, definitive "cat eye" look and use pencils when I want a softer, day look. I always use kohl pencils or gel liners on my waterline.

My personal favorite liner right now is L'Oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense felt tip liquid eyeliner...I have been using it for about 4-5 months now and really enjoy using it. I would prefer something with a slimmer tip to get even more precise lines but until I find something else, for now, it works well.

 

To understand what look will look best on yourself, you have to understand what type of eye shape you have. (I probably cover this in a another post). I have almond shaped eyes and the best liner for me is winged/cat eye liner. This helps to elongate the eye and also give it a lifted look. 

Personally, I believe that there are two types of winged liner; one where you follow the natural shape and line of your lid/lash line. The other,  where you follow the shape of your lower lash line...this sounds a bit confusing right now, but I will explain as I go along with the pictures below as I try to explain step-by-step on how to apply eyeliner.

 

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First Step:

The first step in applying liner is to either look down into a hand held mirror, or look straight into the mirror on your wall and tilt your head back as if you were to apply mascara. This gives you more eyelid space to work with and helps you to see exactly where you would like to place the liner. 

Second Step:

Create a small line starting in the middle of your lid moving outward toward the outer corner of the eye (towards the ear).

Third Step:

Then, you want to move slowly along the lash line until you reach the outer most corner of the eye, where the lashes stop growing. Once you have completed that line, you then want to create a very small wing/point to the end of the liner.

Fourth Step:

Now you want to complete the liner by lining the inner most corner of the eye (towards your nose). This step is a bit tricky as you may feel as though you may poke yourself in the eye with the wand...which has actually happened to me before and its not pretty!!....lol...so just take your time and create small strokes. The trick is to create very small lines and connect them as you go along, as opposed to creating one long line...this is when you tend to get uneven and shaky.

You should now be complete in creating your slightly winged liner. This is something I would wear on a daily basis as it isn't too dramatic for me.

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Now to create a more dramatic "cat eye" shape.....

First Step:

Repeat the "First Step and Second Step" above.

 Second Step:

Create a small line starting from the end of your lash line towards the end of your brow. Follow the natural shape of your lower lash line as a guide. You can also use a piece of tape to help you create the perfect angle and shape.

Third Step:

Then you want to create a line connecting the line from the lid/lash line to the top of the line in the outer most corner, creating a triangle shape.

 Fourth Step:

Fill in the triangle shape and complete the "Fourth Step" above. 

This is the difference between the two liner styles. You can see that the liner of the left is definitely less dramatic than that on the right. The liner on the right also creates a lifted look to the eye as opposed to the liner on the left.

Creating that perfect liner/wing takes practice and patience, so if you don't get it right the first time, don't give up, you will eventually be able to perfect it!

I hope that these steps help some of you!

Sathi

xoxo