Eyeliner 101 - Tips from an Eyeliner Enthusiast

Friday 30 January 2015

Over the past year or so I got over my fear of selfies, and started posting more photos of my face on to my instagram. It occurred to me recently that while I don't get hundreds of comments, any comments I do get on said selfies are usually in relation to my eyeliner!

As a self-confessed eyeliner addict, who no longer looks like herself without a cat eye style wing above her lashes, it's always really lovely to get compliments on how I apply it. So even though I wouldn't consider myself an expert, I thought I'd do a little eyeliner tips post, for any of you who can rock a bold lip (which will never work for me) but get a bit overwhelmed when it comes to your winged eyeliner!


1. Be confident! I think one of the biggest things that causes people to run into trouble with eyeliner is being too cautious. If you're busy trying not to make a mistake, your grip on your brush/pen/whatever you're using probably won't be steady, and you're more likely to end up with the product somewhere you didn't want it to be. So don't be scared of it! It isn't a tattoo, you won't be stuck with it forever! Literally the worst that can happen is you mess up and have to start again, and if that means redoing your eyeshadow, so be it!

2. Speaking of redoing things, if you're not feeling confident yet, don't leave the eyeliner till last! I know it's tempting because it's the part you're least sure of, but it can end up costing you precious getting ready time! Put your eye makeup on first, and then if you do make a mistake and have to remove it, you're just removing your eye makeup and not ruining your base! Also, allow yourself a good amount of time to do your makeup so you're not harassed because you're running late; that can only lead to smudging!

3. Find the right product for you! Just because someone else creates a beautiful line with a gel, does not mean that's the medium for you! I'll use a gel if it's the only thing I have to hand, but I'm a liquid eyeliner girl through and through (I'd be lost without my L'Oreal Superliners!). There are plenty of options, from liquid with a brush or a liquid pen, to a gel, a kohl pencil, or even an eyeshadow used on an angled brush. Play around with different options till you find the one you're most comfortable with.

4. Experiment with different tools! Again, there are different options, so if you've tried a gel liner with a narrow eyeliner brush and it hasn't worked, try using an angled brush. These tools can make all the difference. In addition to that, figure out if you're more comfortable applying the product standing up or sitting down - I'm in such a habit of putting my makeup on standing, which means I find it trickier to apply eyeliner if I'm sitting. It sounds bizarre, but these little things really can make a big difference!

5. Plot out where you're going with it first! The more often you apply it, the more used you'll become to the direction you're taking it, but it never hurts to put a few dots in place as a guide for drawing in your lines! Pop a dot on the outer corner and a couple more leading to where you want the wing to end. Then it's just a case of joining the dots and then filling in the rest of the wing! It's probably not a bad idea to start small, too. Eventually, you will be confident enough channel your inner Amy Winehouse, but starting small makes the whole process a lot less intimidating!

6. Practice practice practice! Honestly, the old saying practice makes perfect definitely applies here. If you have half an hour at home with nothing to do, go and put some eyeliner on. It's like learning any new skill - the more often you do it, the more confident you get.

7. Don't worry if it doesn't turn out the same shape every time - that's part of what makes eyeliner so much fun! I love playing around with different shapes, narrow lines, thick lines, and crazy wings, but partly that's because despite the fact I wear it every single day of my life, I very rarely get it to look exactly the same twice. So don't be annoyed if it doesn't end up at quite the same angle every time. Embrace it!


There you have it - my tips for applying your eyeliner! I hope that was interesting, and helpful to any eyeliner newbies, and thank you so much for reading :)

Have a lovely weekend!

Writing this post reminded me of seeing this on Pinterest! You wouldn't believe the number of times this still happens to me, despite doing it every day!

4 comments:

  1. The fact that last image still applies to you on some days makes me ridiculously happy since you are the eyeliner QUEEN. Makes me feel like less of a failure! :L

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    1. Haha trust me, it happened one day recently! There's nothing more frustrating! x

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  2. SO GLAD you wrote this. You are, as Roisin put it; the eyeliner queen. I was using the L'Oreal Superliner too but have gone to a Collection liquid eyeliner for now. Cheap but good! x

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  3. Ahh this is such a great post! I'm always so nervous about applying eyeliner, but yours is gorgeous! Have you done a post on your favourite eyeliners? I would love to know which ones you use most!
    - Laurel xxx www.alittlepieceofdriftwood.blogspot.com

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