Are you still searching for tutorials on how to apply eyeliner before getting ready for a special occasion? Many makeup enthusiasts share a love-hate relationship with eyeliners. But eyeliners help define your eyes, enhance the shape, add drama and finesse to your eye makeup look. If you’re new to makeup, elevate your eye game by understanding how to apply eyeliner for beginners. If you want to learn the basics of how to apply eyeliner perfectly, then keep on reading. Below we will take you through on how to apply winged eyeliner, and the steps on how to prepare your eye for an eyeliner application.
Applying Eyeliner Like a Pro: The Basics
A real test in a makeup artist’s career is when they can master the art of applying perfect winged liners without batting their eyelid. Jokes apart, applying eyeliner is no easy feat. First and foremost, it is important to determine what kind of eyeliner will look good as per your eye shape. There are several products and techniques you can use to apply eyeliner. If you’re a beginner, you may require a couple of practice sessions, but our tips below we help you get through it.
The Art of Applying Eyeliner Like a Pro
1. Choose the Right Eyeliner
The following are the different types of eyeliners that you can choose from depending on the look and your eye shape:
Liquid Eyeliner: A liquid liner is highly pigmented and is best for precise eyeliner application. These typically come with a fine-tip brush in a tiny bottle. If you’re a beginner and looking for a liquid liner, we recommend choosing Lakme 9 to 5 Impact Liner. This rich and intense black liner is water-resistant and has a fast-drying formula that prevents the liner from smudging. The long handle offers a comfortable grip, especially for newbies. Liquid eyeliners are ideal for almond and round eyes.
Pen Eyeliner: These feature a felt-tip or a marker-like applicator making them easy to control. Perfect for beginners, they offer the convenience of a pen-like design. Lakme Eyeconic Liner Pen Block Tip and Lakme Eyeconic Liner Pen Fine Tip, both are ideal if you are new to eyeliners. For precision lined eyes, use the fine tip, perfect for an everyday look. And for drama and intensity, use the block tip. Both are waterproof and last for up to 14 hours.
Gel Eyeliner: These usually come in a pot along with an angled brush for application. They have a creamy consistency that allows for smooth application. Gel liners have great staying power and can easily create various eyeliner styles. We recommend using Lakme 9 to 5 Naturale Gel Kajal. Infused with natural goodness of aloe vera and calendula oil, this gel eyeliner gives super intense black defined eyes perfect for everyday look.
Pencil Eyeliner: Though pencil eyeliners work great for tightlining the lower waterline, they can also be used for a soft eyeliner look. They are a popular choice for beginners as they are easy to control. To create a sultry, smokey eyeliner look, use Lakme Absolute Kohl Ultimate. This highly pigmented pencil is water-resistant, smudge-proof and can last up to 16 hours. It also has unique moisturising ceramides that soothe and soften lashes.
2. Prepping the Eye Area
Eyelids are naturally oily, and applying eyeliner directly on bare eyelids can smudge the liner. Hence, cleanse the eye area and remove excess oil. Prime your lids with an eye primer or with a concealer to even out the skin tone. Set with a translucent powder to create a smooth canvas for the eyeliner.
3. Basic Eyeliner Techniques
Tightlining: It involves applying eyeliner to upper and lower waterline. This creates an illusion of fuller lashes and adds depth to your eye.
Classic Line Eyeliner: It involves drawing a thin line along the upper lash line. Keep the line as close to the lashes as possible. Start from inner corner and extend the line outward following the natural shape of your eye.
Cat Eye / Winged Eyeliner: Most popular and edgy eyeliner look is a winged eyeliner. This eyeliner adds a dramatic and elongated flick at the outer corner of the eye.
4. Mastering the Winged Eyeliner
With a steady hand, begin by drawing a thin classic line from the outer corner of the eye and moving towards the centre. Using the outer corner as a reference point, draw a line angled upwards and outwards, pointing towards the tail of your brow. The angle and the length of the wing depends on your eye shape and preference. Connect the tip of the wing by drawing a line back towards the centre of the lid, creating a triangular shape. Fill in the gap in between the wing and the eyeliner. As a beginner, you may require a couple of practices to perfect the wing.
5. Troubleshooting and Fixing Mistakes
Since eyeliner needs absolute precision, we may make mistakes while applying it. But the good news is we can fix it in a jiffy with a few hacks. If your winged liner has extended longer than needed or the tip of the wing is not pointy enough, you can use micellar water to clean the edges. Dip a Q-tip in the makeup remover, and gently swipe it in the upwards direction to sharpen the edges of the wing. You can also use a small amount of creamy concealer on a precision brush and go over the mistake. If the eyeliner has smudged or transferred on the eyelid, you can use a translucent powder or a matching eyeshadow to fix it.
6. Eyeliner Tips for Different Eye Shapes
Almond Eyes: This eye shape can pull off all kinds of eyeliner styles. You can experiment with winged liners, double-winged liners, classic lines and more to enhance the natural shape of the eye.
Hooded / Monolid Eyes: Opt for thin and accurate liner on the upper lash line to avoid hiding the eyelid. A winged liner is not recommended as hooded eyes have an extra fold over their crease, and a winged liner can make the eyes look closed and can transfer on the eyelids. Choose a nude or a white kohl pencil in the lower waterline, as it can give the appearance of a wide-awake eyes.
Round Eyes: Elongate your round eyes with a thick winged eyeliner as it can pop your eyes open. You can work with gel or liquid eyeliners for round eyes.
Downturned Eyes: Since this eye shape is droopy at the outer corner, you need to give a lifted eyeliner look. Start with a thin line at the inner corner and gradually go thicker at the outer corner. Swoop the eyeliner upwards as it can visually reshape the eye and create the illusion of thicker lashes and lifted eyes.
7. Finishing Touches and Eye Makeup Pairings
To create a cohesive and complimentary eye makeup look, we need to pair the eye makeup with our eyeliners. For subtle day time look, pair natural eyeliner with brown, taupe or neutral eyeshadow colours. When using bold or coloured eyeliners, keep the rest of the eye makeup relatively neutral to let the eyeliner stand out. Brows also play an important role in lifting your eye makeup. Groom your brows upwards and fill them in with a shade of brown of your preference. Define the shape of the brows using a concealer to clean the edges. A thick coat of volumnising mascara on upper and lower lashes can also lift and open up the eyes.
FAQs about Applying Eyeliner Like a Pro
Q1. What colour eyeliner makes your eyes look bigger?
A. A nude or white liner on the lower waterline will make your eyes appear wide awake. It works especially well for hooded eyes.
Q2. Can I use eyeshadow as an eyeliner?
A. Yes. Use a damp angled brush and dip in the eyeshadow palette and start stamping along the lash line. This method offers a softer, more diffused look and is perfect for hooded or monolid eyes.
Q3. How to prevent eyeliner from smudging?
A. After applying the eyeliner, set it with translucent powder or same eyeshadow colour to help it stay in place.
Acing eyeliners can surely be tricky, but patience is key to mastering it. Eyeliners are highly flattering and can take your makeup look from basic to high fashion in one stroke. We hope our hacks and tips help you master your next eyeliner look.
Written by Team BB on Jun 27, 2023