Fine lining: How to avoid an eyeliner tragedy
DO YOU struggle to get your eyeliner right? These key tips from our resident make-up expert will keep you from looking like a panda.
TYPES OF EYELINERS:
1) Liquid
Liquid liner is slick and wet. It is difficult to apply but with practice, this liner can give a gorgeous, dramatic effect to the eyes.
Recommendation: Smashbox Limitless Liquid Liner Pen
2) Gel
Gel is great for cat eyes and a smokey look. It usually comes in a pot so you will need an angled brush to apply this to your eyes.
Recommendation: Bobbi Brown Long-wear Gel Eyeliner
3) Pencil
Pencil is a must for beginners. It’s easy to apply and it’s as simple as drawing the line on your lids.
Recommendation: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye pencil
EYELINER TO SUIT YOUR EYE COLOUR:
Blue eyes:
Aqua, violet, navy or bronze are the best colours for blue-eyed people. Bronze will make the blue eyes appear even bluer while aqua and violet will draw attention to your eyes.
Brown eyes:
Lucky you! All shades of colour suit these eyes but brown and copper eyeliner are best for creating a fierce look.
Hazel eyes:
Emerald, purple, bronze and gold are best to make hazel eyes pop.
Green eyes:
Golds, brown, purple and greens will create a different effect and draw out different shades of green in your eyes.
All eye colours:
Black and brown liner are suited to everyone, no matter what colour your eyes are.
FINE LINING - WHAT SUITS MY EYE SHAPE?
— For smaller eyelids, use a simple line on the top lid, and white/nude liner on the bottom lid. Opt for eyeshadows above the lid to emphasize the shape.
— For hooded eyelids, tightline the top waterline to make the eye look bigger and draw a thick wing, which will highlight the eyes.
— For almond eyes, line the inner rim of the top and bottom of your eyes. This will draw attention to the curves of your eye shape.
— For close-set eyes, line the outer corners of the eye in black and use a white liner on the inner corners to make it look like there is more distance between the eyes.
— For wide-set eyes, use liner around the whole eye from the top to the bottom rim. This will create the illusion of them appearing closer together.
TOP TIPS:
— Use white eyeliner on your bottom lid to give yourself an eyelift. This will make the eyes look larger and brighter by counteracting any redness around the eyes.
— Want the perfect wing? Use a business card or sticky tape as a stencil to get straight and symmetrical flicks. This is a sexy look for all eye shapes as it will give a feminine 60’s vibe.
UNSTEADY HAND? DON’T FEAR! POINTERS ARE HERE:
— Use a cotton tip dabbed in makeup remover to remove any smudges.
— Place your elbow on a flat bench to give your hand support and keep it from shaking.
— Dab concealer over the lid to hide any smudges and keep the line looking straight.
— If you have gone to the point of squiggly-no-return, a smudge brush will be your new best friend. Use this to transform the line and the eye make up into a smokey look.
— Connect the dots: Place small dots along your eyelid and connect them with the pencil to give yourself a guideline.
MISTAKES TO AVOID:
— If you go out of the line, don’t continue until you end up looking like a Panda Bear! Make
sure you fix as you go.
— Don’t go too heavy on the lower lid with black liner. It will make your eyes look much
smaller.
— Don’t apply mascara before eyeliner.
— Avoid using a broken or blunt tip; ensure you sharpen your eyeliner.