Skillful eyeliner application takes ample time
in front of the mirror with practice and patience. Start with
your upper eyelid first. While jutting your chin out, look down
with your eyes. Gently pull the lid taut and with a steady elbow
placed on the counter for balance, draw an even line as close
the lashes as possible. For the under eye area, reverse your
chin and tuck it as close to your neck as possible. Then look
the eyes up and place a lighter line along the outer edge of the
eye rim as close to the lashes as possible. Some may also desire
to line the inner rims of the eyes. Open your mouth when
applying your liner to keep your eyes from blinking.
Whether you choose to line the top only or
both the top and bottom of your eyes is purely a personal
choice. The more area you cover with your eyeliner, the more
dramatic the look. Try a couple different patterns to determine
the right level of eye makeup for your individual tastes.
Whatever you end up deciding, don’t attempt to try and change
the shape of your eyes. Use makeup as a means of enhancing your
qualities and not to transform them, as it usually only ends up
only looking phony.
Special Tips
Extend the top line a little past the
corner of the eye for a Cleopatra effect.
When lining the top and bottom of your eye,
make sure the lines do not meet at the corners. This has a
tendency to make eyes look smaller.
Eyeliner colors, brown and black, are an
ideal base color. For additional drama, add brighter colors
with eye shadow instead.
When selecting eyeliner, find one that
glides smoothly, but with still a firm control.
Avoid too much liner, as it will easily
look contrived.
Smudge your eyeliner slightly with your
finger tip for a “smokey” look.
Types of Eyeliner
Pencil
The pencil is the most common type of eyeliner
as it is the easiest to apply. The look it creates is less
precise, but more natural. The pencil should ideally be
sharpened prior to each use and warmed gently in your hand. For
the most trouble-free application, use little strokes of the
pencil instead of one continuous line. If the look you create is
a little too harsh, pencil liner can easily be softened with the
sponge tip of an eye shadow brush. Eyeliner pencils last for as
long as three years before there is a risk of contamination or
infection, simply sharpen often.
Liquid
One of the most difficult types of makeup to
apply is liquid eyeliner. For many, it is worth the extra effort
as liquid produces a more precise intense line. The best way to
learn to generate a perfect line is to practice first on the
back of your hand and then move to rehearse on your eyes. For
the simplest application, start at the center of the top eyelid
and create half of your line to the outside corner of the eye.
With the excess on the liner brush, complete the line by
restarting at the inner corner and move toward the center
connecting the lines. To prevent smudges, select a liquid
version that is waterproof. Avoid eye infections and replace
your liquid liner every three to six months.
Eye Shadow
For the most natural look, skip the true
eyeliner and line your eyes with eye shadow instead. Using a
darker neutral shade of shadow, dip your eyeliner brush into the
makeup and apply. Wipe any excess with a tissue or cotton tip.
For a little more drama, use a small amount of water on the tip
of your brush before dipping into the eye shadow.
