THE INS AND OUTS OF EYELINER!
Katie here bringing you the tips for perfect eyes!
Eyeliner (n.) - a cosmetic for the eyelids, usually applied in a thin line close to the lashes to accentuage the eyes. It's such a simple idea, but I really think that eyeliner can be one of the trickiest cosmetic beasts to master. Pencil? Gel? Liquid? Powder? Thin? Thick? Cat-eye? Clown-dots below and above the lids (I've seen it, its weird by they do it)? With a brush or without? Waterproof or regular? There are so many gosh darn decisions! This week, I'm all about simplifying this monumental task in our daily regime.
Generally,I do think the thinner and more natural looking your eyeliner, the better. It's not supposed to be the color on your eyes (that's what shadow is for) its just supposed to highlight the shape of your eyes. Also, NEVER line the lower lashes with a liquied or a harshley colored pencil. If you absolutely MUST put something under your lower lashes, make sure that it is very thin, and very well blended/smudged. As a rule, though, lining the lower lashes makes your eyes look smaller and older.
Pencils - probably the simplest of the tools to use and master. They are also the easiest to correct when you goof up! They come in a variety of shapes, but I still find that SKINNY eyeliner pencils are the easiest to control. Generally, the gel-based formulas last a little bit longer (in terms of hours of wear) and they don't dry up or get crusty like some of the old school pencils. Though Kohl formulas are a good option too. I love:
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencils: They are a creamy gel formula that comes in lots of wonderful (and practical colors). They can be easily blended for about 30 seconds after you apply them, and they stay put all day...especially if you have an eye-primer on underneath. And...waterproof!
Makeup Forever AquaEyes: Really, these are along the same lines as the urban decay pencil. They are also waterproof, they come in a different variety of shades than the Urban Decay pencils so they're really on par with them as well!
Sephora Nano liners: these are a good option if you really want to play with some different colors, they're only $5, but they're not waterproof and you only get about half of the amount of products as standard sized pencil so I'm not sure that it's worth it if you already know what you like as far as eyeliners go.
Gels - from all the eyeliners options, Gels are the most waterproof and stay put products to boot. It take a little bit of skill to learn to apply them with a brush (A flat taklon eyeliner brush is easiest - just connect the dashes that the brush naturally makes, just take your time and make sure to get as close close to the lash line as posssible). As a chronic eye-itcher and rubber (I can't help it!) I really like to wear these on a daily basis because eyeliner isn't really convenient to "touch up" during the day. I love:
Stila Smudge Pots - they started it all! The pots are rather large and will last you a long long time. They start to get a little bit dry after a while, but wetting your brush before hand keeps it nice and slick. The black is a go-to and also great for the inner-rims when you're doing a smoky eye.
Smashbox Jet-Set Waterproof - and WHOA they were not kidding about the waterproof! You HAVE to have eyemakeup remover to get this off - but I love that! Whenver I wear these I never worry about smudging or running or raccoon eyes!
Liquids - if you love that sleek Angelina Jolie look, you want a liquid liner. There's definitely a learning curve in putting these on well. It's hard to learn to not leave a gap between the "line" and your lashes but slowing down a little helps a bunch. These days, they're making felt tips so its much easier to have a steady hand when you put these on. Bonus: they are much less likely to run or smudge than a pencil, but they don't often come in waterproof formulas. I love:
Hourglass Calligraphy Liners- one of those felt-tip models I was telling you about. I love the inky dark color of the black one. It's SO chic to do a well done sleek line of black liquid on top only paired with a nude matte or semi-matte shadow. You've never seen your eyes so awake and fresh!
Lorac Front of the Line - the exception to the waterproof rules. These pen-format liners are waterproof. And they last. For days. A great choice if you really want long-lasting.
Powders - nothing too remarkable about these - you can juse a thing angled brush to smudge around the eyes after you've already applied your shadows (in a darker shade). It looks very natural and subtle. Perfect if you're in that "less-makeup-is-more" sort of category. Plus, there are several products that can transform any color of shadow into a water-resistant liquid as you wish! Most of the time, the are just a version of sugar-and-water.
Too-Faced Liquif-Eye- just dip the wand into any shadow to create your own smudgeproof liquid eyeliner. It won't make your shadow crusty as moisture often can. Just make sure to clean the wand thoroughly between uses and/or colors!
Those are tips for the tools to give you top eyes! Do you think I've forgotten anyone?
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Reviews
Ohh Katie, I have missed you! So glad to have you back. What a wonderful SAS column. Eyeliner has never been easy for me! So I appreciate your guide to eyes. Urban Decay has really made the whole eye lining thing much more manageable for me. I love the 24/7 Glide On Pencils. They really do just glide on. They never skip for me. And they don't pull or tug. They just look so smooth. I love mine in 1999! I also love my Lid Ink. I never thought that I could apply a cream eyeliner with such ease! Even non-experts like me can make it look pretty good. I have Binge and it just brightens up my whole face!
Glad to see you, Katie! I totally agree with you on the UD 24/7 pencils. I cannot live without them. Bourbon and 1999 are my favorites, but there's a bright green one (Envy?) I also love. You get a tease of color, but it doesn't overwhelm. I haven't tried their Ink for eyes yet, but I am coveting it. I also use gel liners, specifically Smashbox. I first tried the gel thing years ago when Bobbi Brown introduced it. I loved it. So even though I use Smashbox now, I gotta give Bobbi her props. It was all new then.I've not had a lot of luck with liquid liners, but every once in a while, I get it right and it is AWESOME. I have one from Bourjois that I like; I think it's called clubbing, or something like that. It's such a lonnnng way to walk to my bathroom to check the name on it :-)Anyway, eyeliner is something that I always have to use. My eyes are big and brown, but I look just terrible if I haven't done 'em up. I can skip other things (not eyebrows though) - but not the liner. It really brings my eyes out.
Carole
i used to have trouble with eyeliner. i have small eyes and pencil always smudged and got messy by the end of the day. so i learned to use liquid and never looked back! i only use pencil now to line the bottom lashes.
I can apsolutly NOT put eyeliner on my lid!! Its never even and is alwayz all over the place!! haha iam a mess when it comes to liner! Thank you so much for this.. Iam going to print it out and put it in my make up case!! <3 <3 <3
Great POST... What's wierd is I was just thinking last night.... I wish I could do eyeliner.I never wear it cause I can't DO IT!!!.. I either loo rediculus, make it too dark, or the line isnt straight its all crookedy... Ugh. Mabey i'll give it another shot, i was thinking about it since i got some dark mineral shadows that would make a good liner.What I usually go is wear an eyeshadow and then I bring the eyeshadow down on my lower eyes too. and it looks ok, i like it that way....I'll give it a shot, just because this post is SOO coincidental!!!
Tan is Love
I prefer to use liquid because I always had trouble with pencils pulling. Maybe I'll try one of the glide on pencils.Update: I went out and bought several colors of the Sephora nano eyeliner. It goes on really easily and I can try out lots of different colors since they are only $5 each. They're lots of fun!
I totally agree on the UD 24/7 pencils and the Stila Smudge Pots, these are a couple of my faves. The MAC Fluidlines are really nice for gel, too. I like applying mine with a bent pointed brush (I use the Sephora professional one, but Sonial Kashuk makes one too) rather than a flat or angled one, I feel like it gives more precision and allows a really fine line close to the lashline. I have a UD liquid liner in Smog that Sephora had on sale for $8, and I'm really happy with it, too.
ref--I totally agree, MAC Fluidlines are amazing! I love the colors, and wish they wouldn't discontinue so many of the pretty ones!amyf--I've used loose kohl (L'Oreal HiP) and love it for a smokey/smudgey look. I've also tried Blue Heaven kohl bullet and that works well for that look.Personally, I love pencil eyeliner (Physicians Formula FLATliner) or liquid marker-type (ELF) when I'm in a hurry. I've tried the UD 24/7 ones and am not in love. Stila Smudgepots, MAC Fluidlines and Clinique gel/creams are all AMAZING products. My HOLY GRAILS of eyeliner. If you're on a budget, Wet n Wild, Jane, and L'Oreal HiP also make gel/cream eyeliners.
♥ bluedevilkittyhttp://mtycer.weebly.com/
eyeliner has always been the trickiest makeup for me. i have extremely oily lids so pencils never worked for me and smudged minutes after application. my favorite type of eyeliner is definitely the gel liner. it stays put for a really long time. i have one by wet n wild and it has not failed me...and for 4 bucks it's totally affordable. the urban decay 24/7 eyeliners are really good too but it seems to smudge on me. they have a nice and easy to glide on formula which i love though! no tugging what so ever. as for liquid liners....i can not perfect my application. it always looks way too heavy for my small eyes. we're lucky to have different types of eyeliner so we can find the best that works for each and single one of us. it just takes some trial and error/success.
check out my blog
http://sharynramblings.blogspot.com
Prestige makes some really good pencils. There's a newer line of theirs that has some gel-like ones that set really well on the waterline, and are just really smooth like the 24/7 pencils. I always really liked Lancome Artliners and the L'Oreal equivalent for liquid, but I don't use it much any more so I don't really remember how it compares to any of the others listed.
great post! i JUST started wearing eyeliner... aside from that which is tattoo'd on of course... and the first few tries were hysterically tragic. i'm using one of the little pen types - mine from cover girl - and i really like it now. i bought black which wasn't the wisest since i'm blonde and don't really do the glamour girl thing well, or ever, but i can now get it really really close to the lashes and it looks good (IMHO). gonna go buy a brown one today - viva la eyeliner!!
MAC's Liquidlast eyeliner is far and beyond the best! The salesgirl told me it would take me two days to take it off and guess what? It did! Their Fluidline is also one of the very best.I personally found that the Smashbox gel liners dried out too quickly. So, in my opinion, not worth spending the money on.
I can't live without eyeliner!My favorite pencil liner is the kohl liner in 'Smolder' by MAC. I love liquid liners, but when I get it on my eye lashes, when I apply my mascara my eyelashes look like spider legs or something.. so weird. Anyone know how to avoid that??And a good tip, apply powder (can be eyeshadow that the same color as your liner) over your eyeliner for more staying power!!
I love liquid eyeliner, but I find it to be SOOOO hard to make everything symmetrical. Its really really hard to make it even, and one sometimes ends up thicker or different then the other. Thats the downside, but I love the look.
LOVE that you are chatting about my FAV cosmetic product! I adore eyeliner and am seldom without it...I do however use it below my eyes in the outer corners for a "catty look" much of the time as "nautral" simply ain't my thing,LOL! ;)I also love the 24/7 pencils and UD "Ink for Eyes" more than salt and vinegar chips and honestly,have given up the harder to apply liquids EXCEPT for MAC's glitter liner in a VERY fine line on top for a bit of rocker-girl sparkle once in a while...24/7 in "Dime" is a cool and fun silver that I sometimes mess around with as well...
I am ALL ABOUT eyeliner! I've been wearing Avon Glimmersticks since high school, and no matter what other liners I try, I always go back to the Glimmersticks.Until they discontinued my favorite shade (Majestic Plum), and I switched to gel eyeliner in a pot for that color. I apply with a stiff eyeliner brush, so easy! Eyeliner is something I just cannot live without!
I, too, am glad Kate's back. Allure Mag did a good spread on eyeliner in the Sept. issue and they make a lot of the same points Katie does. They do recommend lining the lower lashes, while acknowleging that it can make the eyes look smaller. I try to counter balance that by using some soft shimmer right uneer my eyebrows and on the inner corners of my eyes. They also recommend that we look for eyeliner pencils described as creamy for smooth application. I like to hit the end of the pencil with a short warm blast from my blow dryer which makes application easier. I use a bit of Laurua Geller eye spackle to help hold the product. And lastly, I prefer Bobbie Brown to Smashbox gel liners. I think that the Smashbox gel dries up far too quickly, particularly the waterproof version.
Yay eyliner! I favor the Nanos, mysef, but I haven't tried the Urban Decay pencils yet. I'll have to play with them next time I go into Sephora. I've been eyeing the smudge pots, too, since I've heard nothing but good things about them.
I hardly ever wear eyeliner, but my I have small, monolid eyes and just prefer eyeshadow. I do like colored eyeliner though!! L'Oreal HIP has a good cream eyeliner (and eyeshadows!!) and I revlon colorstay needs more colors! And of course UD eyeliner is amazing! Always set with a wet eyeliner brush dipped into a similar colored eyeshadow.
This is such a great article! Its true. Who hasn't had a mishap at some point with eyeliner. Sometimes you see someone you know consistently wear it with a gap or so, so much and I want to say something but I don't. I just file it in my makeup file and vow to make sure mine is applied well. I've always had a poor hand applying liquid and tend to stick to powders. I have found though, for a nighttime look, using liquid and then the powder same color as your eyeshadow to blend works great! Thanks for all the tips everyone
Style may be on the surface, but you can be deep and still have some - Clarissa Gough
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS POST!I am forever on the lookout for the best eyeliner. I like to use pencil eyeliners, but I haven't found a good one yet. My problem is that I have asian double eyelids that get pretty oily, so the eyeliner on my bottom eyelid ALWAYS smudges onto the top eyelid, if that makes any sense. I am contemplating splurging on an Urban Decay 24 7 liner but I don't know if I can bring myself to spend 17 bucks on an eyeliner.I'm desperate!
dianad- i totally get what you mean about the asian double eyelid! i have the same issue with eyeliner smudging from my lashline to the top of my eyelid. the UD 24/7 eyeliner still smudges on me even though i have UDPP on so i don't know if you want to take that into consideration. i would suggest trying a gel eyeliner though! i have tried almost every kind of eyeliner and the gel one seems to stay put for me. Some good ones I've heard are the MAC black track fluidline, Indelible gel liner, and the one i use is the Wet N Wild MegaEyes Creme liner.
check out my blog
http://sharynramblings.blogspot.com
Ugh my liner used to migrate to my upper lid too, and I hated having to check a mirror to clean it up all the time.Then I found this:http://www.aromaleigh.com/ineyseal.htmlI initially got it to wetline my minerals, but one day I patted a bit on top of a very thick line I drew with a NYX pencil and IT STAYED!! All day! Try this product and just pat it on top of your eyeliner, close your eyes and let it dry, I hope it works for you like it worked for me.
it's so hard for me to apply eyeliner in my upper eyeline, i can do the bottom but not the top
A great article, and a great breakdown of the different sorts.I like my liner to be very simple and thin, just thickening and accentuating my lashes some. For this my absolute favourite is EDM's Boardwalk in the discontinued, pressed palette applied with Ecotools liner brush. The trick is wiggling the colour in place, rather than painting it. Just touching the brush, that has just touched the pressed colour with the tips, to the eye lid. A perfect, natural result every time. Though I do use TFSI underneath, which might be why it stays so nicely.Non pressed shadows works too, but usually not without getting some serious fallout that is rather hard to remove if you (like me) often do your eye the last thing, if you have the time once the rest of your morning routine is finished.
Ahaaa, girls - one of my favorite topics of all times *lol*! Eyeliner. Well, there was a time, about 10 years ago, when I was obsessed with how to get the perfect cat eye, and I guess I tried them all. Eyeliners, I mean;-).Finally, I found my HG of eyeliner a couple years back. The company is called Isadora and is not very popular in the US. So I got my parents to send me some every couple months from Germany:-). I have seen these eyeliners though available on Amazon before, if anybody should be interested. They are called ISADORA COLORFUL EYELINER and here's the link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=isadora+eyeliner&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=2838568975&ref=pd_sl_81w1x6spro_eThis eyeliner lasts forever, doesn't smudge and is absolutely great if you wear contacts. It even holds on your waterline, all day. I guarantee it!
Make up your beauty-full mind...
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I do not usually use eyeliner, I feel like I never put it on right! However, when a makeup artist puts it on me I usually always like the results. I guess I'll have to keep trying! Thanks for the tips!!psI tend to find that many makeup artists feel that black is the standard for lining top lids. But, I find for me, since I am not used to wearing eyeliner it looks to harsh on me. What do you think of lining the top with a brown or even a charcoal grey color?
Absolutely do it! Brown will probably give your eyes a warmer, softer look with your dark brown hair than black can. And charcoal will have a nice effect too.
I never ever use black eyeliner, it IS way too harsh for me! So if you're just starting, brown, grey, and plum are definitely the way to go
Oh eyeliner - the most troublesome of all beauty products. I didn't wear liner for years because I have very deep set eyes and every liner I tried just made them retreat further back (especially liquid!). But then, thanks to an old post here on Meg's by DesertDoll, I read about L'Oreal Color Truth Cream eyeliner. It's comparable to a Stila Smudgepot and is expensive for a drugstore brand but cheaper than a Smudgepot. I bought it, applied it with a thin brush to the base of my lashes and I was SOLD. It defines my eyes and looks very subtle but has a definite impact. It also stays, even on my oil slick lids. I don't know if that's because of where it is placed on the lids or what, but it looks just as good when I take it off as when I put it on. I use UD 24/7 liners but I always end up with a line on my upper lid identical to the one near my lash line. I have 1999, Covet and Deviant and I love them so very much. A lot of the time, I use the liners as a color for my eye without shadow for just a little pop of color. But I'm really going to start getting the shadows now since they can double as a liner. I just have to get the liner colors that aren't available as shadows like Lucky and Dime and maybe Burbon...
Now I'm going to be dreaming about UD.
Oh how I wish I could master the "eyeliner", My daughter is very good at it, she takes her eyeliner and transforms her eyes from regular to sex kitten in minutes. I really liked all the info, thanks Katie!! I Haven't used any eyeshadow primers yet, I have some ordered from sephora. I have tried several different kinds of eyeliners and have yet to get it right. I will keep practicing
I don't always wear eyeliner, but I haven't had any trouble applying it.I prefer a liquid or making my own colour with some visine and loose mineral shadows. For me they are easier to apply.I struggle a lot more with a pencil - I find that they can get too thick. Which is a bit weird.
I love eyeliners....As a teenager i always used liquid eyeliner and all my friends were so envious that i knew how to apply it (they still talk about it). I have grown up and moved on (although i have thought about going back to the liquid version).I own smashbox gel, bare escentuals liner sealer, BE eyeliners, EDM eyeliners, lorac, and a few others but none are what i'm hoping for! I hope that some day i will find the perfect eyeliner and mascara....someday :)
Great post! I think eyeliner is one of most important products to have in any beauty arsenal because of the impact it can make.I do love ink for eyes but, there are more brands I want to try thanks to this article.Keep the great info coming!!
kohl? hehehe . ive always wanted to try the whole burnt match thing but unfortunaetly smudged eyelids for asians look reallly bad. ive been wanting to try gel but i need to set aside a whole day ahha
wow thanks for all the eyeliner advice! i JUST bought the sephora nano a week ago in black glittery, and i think it's very nice for the cheap price of $5.other than eyeliner pencils, i do not own other types of eyeliners because i wasn't sure how they worked differently and such... so i wanna thank you for specifying what type of effect each one produces :)
xoxo
One note about the Sephora Nano eye liner- it IS small, but, like the Clinique gel eye liner (Another fave!) they both last- a LONG time.
Thanks for the eyeliner lowdown - makes me want to practice so I can wear eyeliner with panache.
Great article, liner is so hard to master. I generally stick to pencils and gels and minerals, those are the easiest for me. I do like to line my lower lasah like 1/3 of the way in from the outer corner of my eye. I find it opens my eyes a bit and provides a little decoration for them. :) My faves are Urban Decay 24/7 liner pencil and the Clinique gel liners. You just can't go wrong with them. I also take my Everyday Minerals shaadows and use them as liners by wetting my liner brush or even applying them dry.
Wow, Katie, welcome back! That was perfection in lining as you described it! The only other things I do is to stipple eyeliner on my bottom (and sometimes top) lashes, placing just a dot of color between the hairs. No line needed--but your eyes are greatly enhanced. Mjsred beat me to it, but she could beat me into the ground and I wouldn't care. I am addicted to Urban Decay's Eye Ink. My sister is so unhappy without wearing eyeliner that she had it done permanently. That is so NOT my sister Ruthie. However, it's completely natural and her eyes are defined but you would never possibly guess she wasn't born that way--that's how subtle it is. People just tell her she looks wide awake or pretty. In fact, she may have a touch more added next year. It's not cheap ($250), but it saves a lot of time.
Wow. This article was really helpful. It basically sums up everything. I'll have to try some of the products you recommended. Thanks. :)
I LOVE eyeliner! I love trying out different colors too. It makes my brown eyes 'pop'! I am really impressed with the brown Urban Decay 24-7 eyeliner. It's my newest addiction. I stick with pencil liners because I'm klutzy and can't apply the other ones properly. Wish I could because I adore eyeliner so much. I got the UD 24-7 in the UD Trifecta set (search at sephora.com!) and it was $11 for the mini eyeliner, mascara and eyeshadow primer! Well worth the investment!Thanks for the wonderful review! It's about time we had one just on eyeliners!
Yea for eyeliner! Eyeliner is definitely one of my obsessions, but even though I have been using it for the past 10 years I'm still not very good at applying it. I love the sleek, clean look of liquid liner -- but my lines always end up squiggly and far from my lashes. Maybe one day I'll figure it out :) I usually use the 24/7 line (Sephora has a great sampler pack if you want to try them out), but I have really oily lids so I always set the liner with a shadow. Hard Candy also makes great liners that are so thin it's easy to get a natural line. Rimmel also has good liners for a drugstore brand.
i LOVE mac fluidline (gel) and make up for ever aqua eyes liners! for drugstore, i go w/ maybelline liquid liner.
I use a brush and either dry or wet my brush and put the brush where the lashes touch the lid and then pull forward onto the lash. This is easy and fast and for some reason the most professional look with my wobbly hands.
Beste Hilsin
you've covered everything for me! :)Usually i like lining my top lid with gel liner and bottom with pencil.. but the pencil ALWAYS end up smudging so Now i've converted to black eye shadows for both top and bottom, not so intense either. I'm a no go with liquid liner, i make an absolute mess out of them... and it just look weird. I think i have a steadier hand with gel, pencil and powder :)
Lily =o)http://lazyscorner.blogspot.com/
I have stayed away from eyeliner for such a long time cos i thought it made my eyes look smaller and heavier lidded than they already are. But i recently started playing about with it again and i LOVE it! Can't believe i was missing out for SO long!!!!
I'm not a big fan of pencil liners, but I really do love the UD 24/7 liners. As for gel, I didn't like the Stila or Smashbox liners, I do however, love the Bobbi Brown and MAC gel liners. The Body Shop used to make a great liquid liner, but I haven't bought anything makeup from their in years.I have to disagree about not using liners in colors other than neutrals. One of my favorite spring/summer looks is a nude eyeshadow with a strong thing line of colored (maybe aqua) eyeliner.
I love eyeliner and can't go without it! Vividly colored ones are my absolute favorite, they make my eyes stand out so much more. I prefer powder or gel liners, but I've never really had any trouble with the other kinds, though I don't like liquid ones that much. The one thing I don't like about liner is that it makes my eyes smaller, but I love it so much that I can't stop using it.
Great article! I wonder if any of you lovely ladies could answer my question regarding eyeliner. I have brown eyes with a black ring around the outside and black specks. Now, I've heard that you shouldn't use eyeliner that's the same color as your eyes. What color should I be wearing if I can't use black or brown?