Makeup 101: Eyeliner

After last week’s Makeup 101 on eyeshadow, today I thought I’d tackle the ever problematic topic of eyeliner.

There are many kinds of eyeliners, and many different ways to use them. I’m going to go over four basic techniques with you: pencil, eyeshadow, gel and liquid. Let’s start with pencil.

Pencil eyeliner is a great item for beginners. It’s very forgiving in its application, not too precise and easy to remove. The pencil is pretty easy to work with, as long as you have a good quality product.

This is the result you achieve when applying a simple line to the upper lashline. I used to wear this on an everyday basis as a teen, it provides nice and quick definition to the eye.

For more advanced makeup users, the beauty of pencil eyeliner lies in its blendableness (is that a word?). When smudged out it gives an amazing smokey, grungey effect. The perfect topper for a nighttime party look!

Pencil eyeliner is also the easiest and most suitable product for lining the waterline and tightline, the inner parts of the eyelids. Doing this gives the lashes a fuller appearance and gives the eyes a mysterious look.

Pencil eyeliner

Pros:
– Easy application
– No tools needed
– Easy to smudge and manipulate

Cons:
– Fades in time
– Tends to transfer to the upper lid
– Tends to run

Another technique that gives a similar effect is using black eyeshadow.

You can line your eyes using eyeshadow on an eyeliner brush. I prefer an angled brush, but there are countless shapes of eyeliner brushes out there. Press the brush to the lashline to leave a dash, then create another one right next to it. This will guarantee easy, beautiful application.

Any eyeshadow can be used as eyeliner, although I’d suggest staying away from light colours. Wet your brush before dipping it into the eyeshadow for a deeper, more vibrant colour payoff.

Using eyeshadow as eyeliner gives a very subtle, natural definition. I love this look when I go for the “no makeup makeup look”. Depending on the colour you use, it can look extremely natural and soft.

Eyeshadow eyeliner

Pros:
– Easy to apply
– Looks very natural
– Endless colour options

Cons:
– Can be a bit faint
– Fades in time

Here is a comparison between the two techniques I just showed you. As you can see, they both provide a soft, kind of smokey look. The pencil eyeliner looks intense, while the eyeshadow is a lot more natural.

Moving on to the cleaner eyeliners, the ones that make the ever popular cat eye. I’m starting out with gel eyeliner, the easier version to use.

Gel eyeliner, like eyeshadow liner, is applied with an eyeliner brush. For this I prefer to use a thin, round brush. The one that I have has a bended handle, which makes it easier to reach the eye while avoiding your nosebridge.

As the name suggests, gel eyeliner is of a gel-like consistency. It gives a look that is a lot cleaner than the liners we’ve discussed before, although not as clean as liquid eyeliner. It usually dries up matte, but this does depend on the brand you use.

Gel eyeliner can also be used in the waterline. It’s more long lasting than pencil liner.

Gel Eyeliner

Pros:
– A lot easier to use than liquid liner
– Dries up matte

Cons:
– Might transfer to upper lid
– Not as clean as liquid liner

And now we’ve arrived at the last technique I’m going to go over with you today: the dreaded liquid eyeliner!

Along with the perfect red lip, the perfect liquid liner is considered one of the hardest makeup techniques to master. When I took my makeup artist exam, the liquid lines we did were judged as one of the most important parts of the exam.

Liquid liner is applied with a very thin brush, which usually comes with the product. Its thin consistency makes it extremely sensitive to errors. However, once you get it right, it’s so worth it! Liquid liner is very beautiful and flattering, I feel like it gives a chic and glamorous look.

The trick with applying liquid liner is practice. When you apply liquid liner every day, after a while it will not pose a challenge to you at all. Just keep trying, and don’t try to make the entire line in one stroke!
You can also opt for a felt-tip applicator, which eliminates the usage of the tiny brush and makes it a lot easier to apply. Great for beginners!

Liquid eyeliner:

Pros:
– Beautiful clean, glamorous look
– Usually dries up shiny

Cons:
– SO HARD TO DO!

Here’s a comparison of the two. Liquid eyeliner on the left, gel on the right. You can see they’re pretty similar, the liquid just looks a little bit cleaner and shinier.

So, now that you’ve been familiarised with all of these… What’s your weapon of choice?