Christmas parties, New Year celebrations, birthday meals out…these are all events that require makeup. In fact, just going to work could involve putting on your makeup as the start of your day. If only it were as easy as just slapping it all on and rushing out the door.
Unfortunately, makeup takes far more time and effort to put on properly. This is even the case with the smaller elements like your eyeliner. Most of us will apply eyeliner incorrectly. I did until I went through thousands of tutorials and videos to figure out how to do it to make my eyes pop.
The last thing I want you to do is to spend hours looking for the best eyeliner tips. I don’t want you wasting the hours to see if a YouTube personality even knows how to apply makeup for your eye colour or shape. Not when I’ve done the hard work already.
This is your one-stop-shop for all things eyeliner. I’ll go through the colours you need, the method to apply, and tricks to make your eyes look downright amazing.
So, sit back and relax as you go through these eyeliner tips that you really should know.
Try Out the Different Types of Eyeliner
Eyeliner isn’t a one size fits all item. That pencil that your best friend uses isn’t necessarily going to be the best option for you. And this isn’t just because the colour might not be right.
You can get a pencil, gel, and liquid eyeliner. Then there are so many different brands that create these core types of eyeliner. Some brands have a pencil feel to their pencil eyeliners, while others are more like crayons. The gel liners may be sticky and clumpy with some brands while liquid eyeliners can come with fine and thick tips.
Just which is the right type for you? Well, I wish that I could say that one eyeliner is right. We all have different needs and preferences when it comes to the application process.
Chances are you have one type of eyeliner already and may have forgotten about there being others. I used to love my liquid liner, even if it was hard to apply. But I ended up trying a gel one to see if it would be a little easier to apply. It turns out that it was! I’ve tried pencil since, but for me, the gel liner is one of the best. I do highly recommend it.
If you want a gel to look with a pencil option, you can heat the eyeliner instead! Use a blow dryer on the pencil of your eyeliner for just a few seconds and then apply directly to the face. The heat will melt the eyeliner, and you get a wetter texture on your eyes.
When you want a firmer and easier to apply eyeliner, pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Don’t let it completely freeze or you won’t be able to apply it, and it will damage your eyes!
Try out the different brands and the different types of eyeliner available. Make sure you put in the effort to try out the application method, the waterproofing ability, and the ease of removal at the end of the day.
And then don’t forget about the brushes for your eyeliner. Yes, there are plenty of types of these. Some won’t even need brushes while others will be so much easier and make your eyes stand out far more with your darker lines.
Keep Darker Lines Close to the Eye Lashes
Too many people apply the liner away from the lashes. This is extremely visible and makes the eyes look a mess. Remember that this is eyeliner and the clue is in the name. A liner will line the eyes to help make the eyelashes stand out and draw people into the colour of your eyes.
If you use a dark eyeliner colour, make sure you keep it as close to your eye lashes as possible. This is essential to create a crisp look that draws attention for the right reasons.
You also want to avoid the lower lashes. The best place to apply the darker lines is on the upper lashes. Lift up your upper lash if it helps with the application process.
This is where liquid eyeliner can be tricky. You may find that gel or pencil is just so much easier for your application process.
Start with just a thin line along the eyelashes and stand back. What feeling do you get when you look at your eyes in the mirror? If you think you need a thicker line, then apply it. This is especially beneficial if you have thicker eyelashes where you want the liner actually to show through!
For a steadier hand, you can keep your eyeliner against your cheek. This is best with a pencil eyeliner since there is little risk of getting the darker colour across your cheek.
Use a Brighter Colour on the Bottom Lashes
Your bottom lashes don’t need to go nude. It’s best if you stick to a lighter colour when applying it on your bottom lashes. Stick with whites or light browns. They will open your eyes and make them look wider and brighter.
The wider look will actually make you look more awake! If you want to trick your boss into thinking that you weren’t up all night partying with the girls, then this is the trick that you want to apply.
You’ll still want to keep the colour as close to your bottom lashes as possible. Remember, you’re still lining your eyes.
It’s best to do this after your mascara application. When you apply your mascara, you need to get into the base of the eyelashes. You’ll end up with a few black smudges on the base. You could opt for no mascara at all on the bottom eyelashes. This will help to avoid this problem all together and work with the eyeliner to keep that brighter look.
You Can Always Use Eye Shadow Instead
Many people forget that their eye shadow can work for their eyeliner needs. It’s just a case of applying it in the right place. This is great news if you don’t have a white or nude coloured eyeliner to work for your bottom eyelashes, right? There’s no need to go out and buy a new piece of makeup.
The eye shadow tricky works extremely well if you want the smoky eye look. Eye shadows are very easy to manipulate around your eyes and the easiest to apply. You’ll just need an angular brush for the application to make it easier. The eye shadow can also smudge a little for that smoky look to travel towards your eye lids.
Don’t forget to pop a tissue on your cheeks. The problem with some eye shadows is that they leave a powdery residue on the cheek bones, which end up getting smudged in accidentally. You don’t want to look like someone has tried to give you a nasty shiner!
To get the smoky look, make sure you get the eyeliner right into the creases of your eyes. You want to work on both sides as close to the edges as possible.
This isn’t a look for the daytime but an excellent option for your nights out with the girls and other special occasions. It’s all the rage in the celebrity world right now!
Work the Colour with Your Eye Colour
While most makeup is based on the colour of your skin, this isn’t the case for eyeliner. You want to accentuate the colour of your eyes with your eye makeup, so it all needs to work with the colour of them. Base the eyeliner colour purely off whatever shade is around your pupil.
Those with dark brown eyes will find that black is one of the best colours. It’s darker and pulls out the brown next to it. Brown eyeliner is better for those with blue or green eyes. It’s not as harsh on the likely lighter skin and helps to bring out the different colours. Lighter brown eyes will benefit from purples or deeper reds.
You could always experiment with colours. While the ideas above are highly recommended, they may not work with your personality. Some people love greens, reds and blues on their eyes. They want to work in with their brighter eyeshadow colours. If you have a dark blue mascara, you could compliment it with a blue eyeliner, for example.
Get out of your comfort zone and have some fun with your eyeliner. You’ll find shades that work perfectly for you and leave you feeling confident.
You can even use multiple colours at a time. Well, best to stick with two at a time. We’ve already looked at black on the top and white on the bottom, but what about dark brown and light brown? You could opt for black and blue or blue and green. It really depends on what you prefer and what works with your makeup style and taste.
If you want to try a few colours together, start with a darker base layer and then work your next colour on top. This works really well when the other colour is a lot lighter, such as an electric blue on top of your black.
Don’t Make Waterproof Eyeliner a Base Layer
You can use two different types of eyeliner at the same time. This is preferable if you’re going to apply a waterproof eyeliner.
Waterproof eyeliners are great if you’re going to get wet or you need this makeup to last the whole day. They’re also great if you know there’s a chance you could start crying during the day.
One of the biggest issues with waterproof eyeliner is that it is difficult to get off afterwards. You can spend all day scrubbing, and it just ends up flaky and annoying. You can work around this issue by doing two layers of eyeliner.
Start with your normal layer. Just use a normal pencil, gel, or liquid eyeliner as I’ve mentioned above. Then get your waterproof eyeliner and apply it over the top of your first layer. The waterproofing goes onto the layer of eyeliner rather than directly on the skin. You still get a protective layer if you cry or you’re getting wet, but when it comes to removal, you will find it much easier.
Invest in an Eyeliner Guide
You can now buy a guider for your eyeliner needs. This is just a piece of plastic cut in the shape for your lines. If you just want to apply a normal top layer, you use one side of the guider. If you want to get the cat eye look, which has become popular over the last 10 years or so, there’s a different guider in the same piece of plastic.
The guider will stop you having the problem of a lack of a steady hand. If you go over, you just get it on the plastic instead!
You may not want to buy something like this, but you can make it yourself. Just cut the plastic, so it shapes your own eyes and works with the type of look you really want to get. Then you can use your liquid, gel, and pencil as much as you’d like.
Get the Perfect Look
With these eyeliner tips, you will get the perfect look. It’s not all about where to apply but how to do it and the best colours to choose.
Eyeliner isn’t a one size fits all piece of makeup. We have to work with the colours of our eyes and the type of look that we want to get. But it is a piece of makeup that can be adapted for both daytime and evening use.
Follow the tips above, and you will get the perfect look for your needs. Have fun with the experimentation of colours and types of eyeliners and push yourself out of your comfort zone.
