Beauty Boy: Eyeliner for dummies

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: JOSHUA R. WALLER
Map the shape of your eyeliner with black eyeshadow to practice cat eyes.

Probably one of the hardest things for a person to master when it comes to makeup is their eyeliner. It either looks uneven, too thick, too thin or too smudgy. This can be due to a number of things including the type of eyeliner you are using, how you are applying it and your skin type/ how well you prepped your eye area.

If you are someone who faces oily eyelids, you need to make sure the skin around your eyes is thoroughly cleansed so all excess oil is removed (Bioderma is an excellent brand for this).

Next, I recommend using a long-lasting eyelid primer such as Urban Decay’s or Smashbox’s. If you don’t maintain the oil around your eyes, your eyeliner is definitely prone to smudge off and will not apply properly.

Next, you need to decide on what type of eyeliner look you want to achieve. If a cat eye is your end goal, then put away all your pencil liners (they will work for this look, but not effectively). Your best friend for cat eyes or winged liner is gel or liquid liner, black eyeshadow and an angled brush. If you are unexperienced at doing this type of liner, you may want to start by mapping out the shape using a black eyeshadow and angled brush as this is much easier to remove if you make a mistake.

Now to make them even, the most important guide to follow is your bottom lash line. Don’t try and draw the wings from your top lash line because they will always end up uneven. If you are still having problems with this, you can line up the end of a spoon, business card or even tape to your bottom lash line and use it almost as a stencil. This little trick will ensure a crisp, straight line.

Another problem people have when it comes to eyeliners is how thick it should be along the lash line. Think of it being like a wave: thin on the inner of the eye (too thick will make the eye look congested) thicker on the center of the eye, taper it a bit near the end of the eye and then you can make the wing as big as you’d like.

For those with hooded eyelids, there are a couple of tricks to do to help shape the eye without making your eyeliner too thick. One of these methods is to simply tight line your eye (apply eyeliner to the root of your lashes), as this will effectively define your eye. You can also smudge liner on the bottom lash line and the outer corner of the eye to create a soft, smokey look.

While eyeliner can be a difficult challenge to overcome, with lots of practise, proper prep around your eyelids and with the right products, you will definitely be able to create a beautiful, crisp liner look.