Eyeliners form an integral part of any young girl or woman’s make-up kit, and for good reasons too. These magical pencils after all, add shape, lustre and the much-needed definition to even the palest of eyes, making them visibly attractive.
Having said that, these mysterious things can also be confounding to many, lending credence to questions like ‘Should I apply the eyeliner on the eye or inside it’, or ‘What if it splashes across my eyelashes’?
Regardless of the nature of your doubts, applying eyeliner is an art, especially if you’re planning to deploy liquid eyeliner because it takes an unwavering mind, rock steady hands, and plenty of practice. Make one teeny-weeny mistake and the consequences can oscillate from irritating to downright catastrophic (imagine a wedding or an important business meeting in an hour from now).
So if you’re seeking tips on how to apply liquid eyeliner with precision and finesse to achieve a look that makes people compare you to Angelina Jolie, here are some life-saving pointers that you should remember for the rest of your life.
Plan your shape and shape your plan
As you’d know by now, there are many types of eyeliners such as a liquid liner, pencil, or an eyeliner brush. We’re talking about liquid eyeliners here so let’s assume that is what you use day in and day out.
Before you start applying the liner, close your eyes for a few moments and visualise how exactly you would like your eyes to look in the mirror that never lies.
Gently make a draw line using an eye shadow or a freshly sharpened eye pencil and see if you’ve managed a straight line (Don’t use a liquid variation while using a draw line because you will find them difficult to erase).
Eye elongation
You may also want to elongate your eyes by drawing a wing at your lashes’ outer corner while doing eye makeup. If you have done all of that, swash a tiny amount of the much discussed liquid eyeliner on the brush and wipe off any excess from its tip using your backhand.
Tilt your head slightly towards your back and tighten your skin before pulling off the eyelid using your other hand. Doing so will help you negate the chances of creases or spill overs.
Going inside out
Always line your eye inside out from the lashes, moving upwards gradually in one go. Keep your hands very steady while you move upwards as any mistake here can prove to be costly.
Alternately, you can start lining from the middle portion of the eye lash and then go outwards. The next step would obviously be to conclude the lining from your eyes’ inner corner and take it to the middle. You can even use the space between the lashes to start off and then end wherever you want to, as long as you don’t spill the liquid over.
Things to remember if things go wrong
If you’re applying liquid eyeliner for the first time, don’t kill yourself if you make a mistake. Take a few deep breaths and wet one corner of the eye using an oily eye makeup remover. Then, wipe the marks off slowly. Finally, focus on the dry end to remove all oil traces from your skin completely. When done, compare the troubled eye with the other area and make sure all looks well.
Things to remember while using liquid eyeliner
- Make sure that the tip of the eye liner is pointed and not thick because that will not do.
- Evaluate the liquid’s viscosity and see if it is too sticky. If that’s the case, the product is likely to be outdated or old. Thick liquids are also harder to apply.
- Rest your elbow on a table or any hard surface to prevent your hands from shaking or wobbling. Also, refrain from looking into the mirror every few seconds.
- Applying the eyeliner over your eye shadow is also a good tip to accentuate the thickness.
- Do not blink until the eyeliner dries off. Tough as it may be, this will ensure the uniformity of the product.
