Makeup
10 Life-Saving Tricks That’ll Help You Draw Your Eyeliner Like A Pro
Ultimate guide for beauty junkies
By: Beauty Insider Journalist / March 9, 2021
Eyeliners are a makeup must-have but without a doubt the hardest one to apply. Even many makeup gurus struggle on figuring out how to draw eyeliner! That is because to apply eyeliner you need meticulous attention. Unlike many makeup products such as eyeshadow, blush and foundation, eyeliner can go very wrong very easily. Just one hand wobble and your eye would turn into a complete mess! Then just when you think you’ve nailed it, you can accidentally smudge it and whoops, you end up with a smokey eye!
The struggle is real!!! But what if we tell you, that you can actually draw your eyeliner at one go without f***ing it up?! Yes, Beauty Insider has gathered some exclusive life-changing tricks that’ll help you to draw your eyeliner like a pro (*insert wink, LOL!). Jokes apart, these tricks are indeed life-saving because not only will they save you a heck lot of time from the mishaps but they are also super pretty easy to master. Trust us, with these tricks you will be an eyeliner expert in no time!
Contents
- What are the Types Of Eyeliners?
- How to Easily Apply Eyeliner
- How to Apply Eyeliner Based on Your Eye Shape
- 10 Tips and Tricks to Draw Each Liner Perfectly
- 1. How to Use a Pencil Liner?
- 2. How to Use a Gel Liner?
- 3. How to Use a Liquid Liner?
- 4. How to Use Coloured Eyeliner?
- 5. How to Apply Eyeliner Without Shaking your Hands?
- 6. How to Tighline your Eyeliner?
- 7. How to Draw a Cat- Eye?
- 8. How to Draw Eyeliner that Doesn’t Transfer?
- 9. How to Draw Eyeliner That Doesn’t Smudge?
- 10. How to Draw Eyeliner That Looks Sharp?
What are the Types Of Eyeliners?
The basic trick to nail the art of drawing eyeliner is getting the right type of liner. Different liners serve different purposes hence it is important to know the types of liners in the first place. So, eyeliners are divided into three.
Pencil eyeliner
Firstly let’s start off with pencil eyeliners. They’re super easy to use. If you are an eyeliner newbie or just getting started, pencil eyeliner is the one for you. In fact, pencil liners are the best eyeliner for beginners. They give you better control and grip but one takeaway is that pencil liners don’t really give a smooth or precise finish. Besides that, it is usually waterproof, making it a suitable option for people with watery eyes.
Gel eyeliner
Gel liners, on the other hand, are matte. Hence, they’re thicker and glide on easier. They usually come in a small pot with a brush. Gel liners are relatively easy to use but they do get smudge very easily. Plus, they are more long-lasting compared to other eyeliners and it is a perfect choice if you’re looking for an eyeliner that delivers precision.
Liquid eyeliner
Last but not least, liquid liners, the hardest one to use of em all. Liquid liners can give a sharp, precise finish. They usually come in a tube with a small brush or “pen-style” with a brush tip. One thing about liquid liners is that they take some time to dry after applying. However, they are perfect if you’re going for a dramatic look as it is highly pigmented.
How to Easily Apply Eyeliner
1.Prep the eyes
Prepping your skin before any makeup is an important step to ensure that you obtain a perfect makeup look. After you have cleansed your face, apply a moisturizer and opt for an eye cream to soothe redness and discoloration. Plus, eye cream also effectively minimizes the appearance of premature wrinkles around the eye area.
2.It’s all about the base
Apply an eye primer all around the eye area, especially the eyelid and under the eyes. The primary purpose of the eye primer is to ensure that the makeup stays in place and to deliver a smooth finish. Afterward, dab and blend the concealer under the eyes and on top of the lid. Then set your face with a setting powder.
3.Line it!
Yes, here comes the step that we have been waiting for. So, grab your eyeliner and draw a line starting from the inner corner of the eyes to the outer corner. Make sure that the line is close to the root of the lashes and opt for small strokes.
4.Finish it off
You can draw a line to the lower lash and smudge it if you wanted. However, you can skip and apply a few coats of mascara to finish the look.
How to Apply Eyeliner Based on Your Eye Shape
Almond Eyes
People who have almond-shaped eyes are blessed as they can rock any eyeliner looks. In order to enhance your features, it is recommended that you draw a thin line starting from the inner corner of the eye. When you almost reached the outer part of the eye, increase the thickness of the eyeliner. Then, finish it with a wing if you wanted or you can just opt for a regular eyeliner style.
Round Eyes
If you have round eyes, the eyeliner should be drawn to elongate your eyes shaped. You can draw a line on the upper lash and finish the look with an extend wing or you can smudge the eyeliner in upper and lower eyelash lines.
Hooded and Monolid Eyes
It can be difficult to distinguish between hooded and monolid eyes, however, people with monolid eyes usually have single eyelids. Meanwhile, for hooded eyes, the eyelids cover the lashline partially or entirely. Regardless of the difference in shapes, if you have hooded or monolid eyes, it is recommended that the eyeliner is drawn at the lash line to enhance or eyes. Besides that, you can opt for a thick liner and elongated wing if you choose the cat-eye look. If you want to make your eyes look rounder, create a thicker line in the center of the lash line and go for a thinner line at the corner of the eye. Plus, avoid applying the eyeliner at the bottom lash line.
Downturned Eyes
In order to lift up your eyes, opt for a colored and shimmery eye pencil at the inner corner of the eyes. Then, draw the eyeliner just below the highest point and draw it along to the outward.
All Types of Eye Shapes
The go-to style for eyeliner is by simply dots the eyeliner near to the lash line and smudge it for a smokey look. This method is perfect to enhance any type of eye shape.
10 Tips and Tricks to Draw Each Liner Perfectly
Now, that you know the types of liners then the next thing is to know how to use them correctly. Below are 10 tricks to draw your eyeliner perfectly every time along with some of our favourite eyeliners for beginners to help you get the job done. You may be a makeup guru but there’s nothing wrong in knowing basic beginners tips on how to draw eyeliner! On those bad hand coordination day these tricks will come in super handy (you can thank us later) *again insert wink, LOL!
1. How to Use a Pencil Liner?
Like we said earlier, pencil liners are definitely the easiest to use. All you gotta is literally just swipe on. Eye crayons (the fatter version) give a good grip and can double as a cream eyeshadow, too. Some pencils even have a sponge at the other end, so you can smudge the line for softer and more natural definition. The smudged effect is really pretty with a brown pencil — the black or blue ones will just highlight your dark circles.
Pro Tip: Remember to sharpen the tip every time before using it. Then rub the tip on your palm just to soften and warm it up with your body heat. By doing so, you will get a precise line without poking your eye, and the colour will glide on better as well.
2. How to Use a Gel Liner?
In contrast to popular belief, gel liners are quite easy to work with (with the right tactics of course). One good thing about gel eyeliners is that they take longer to set, so you have more time to draw a precise line. Plus, gel liners are less likely to smudge too so you won’t get raccoon eyes in the middle of the day. However, if you mess up then you will need good eye makeup remover to wash it off as gel liners can be really thick and pigmented.
Pro Tip: Instead of using the brush that comes with the gel, use a small, flat-edged makeup brush. It will give you more control like you can push the pigment really close to the lash line. Plus, you can also create dramatic angles as well.
3. How to Use a Liquid Liner?
Liquid liners are the one you need to add some dramas to your eyes. They’re convenient, intense and highly pigmented, plus they come in a huge range of colours too! But, we will let you one thing, they’re tricky to use. Liquid liners need a steady hand and some dry really quickly, meaning you have no room for mistakes. Some take longer to dry, but if you accidentally blink you’ll end up with eyeliner in the middle of the lid.
Pro Tip: If you pick liquid eyeliner, always look at the brush. It should be firm enough so it doesn’t wriggle when you press against your lid. To prevent smudging, set liquid liner with black eyeshadow and a small makeup brush. This not just prevents smudging but also intensifies the colour.
4. How to Use Coloured Eyeliner?
Coloured eyeliners are a super cool way to add some drama to your eyes. You know after some time we do get sick of classic black eyeliner but coloured liners can be tricky to pull off. The trick to not overdoing coloured liner is to keep it simple. Accentuate your upper or lower lash line with a thin line of colour rather than a full-on, super-intense block of it.
Pro Tip: Only coat the top layer of the bottom layer of your eyes with a coloured liner. Don’t go full eye with a coloured liner!
5. How to Apply Eyeliner Without Shaking your Hands?
Instead of lifting the pencil to your eye, lean on a desk (elbow on the table) and bring your face forward. Your hand won’t shake, and if you use a magnifying mirror you can fill any gaps between your eyeliner and lash line.
Pro Tip: One way to draw eyeliner evenly without shaking your hands is to draw dots and then connect them. This is great if you’re just learning how to use liquid eyeliner or do a cat-eye.
6. How to Tighline your Eyeliner?
Tightlining is drawing eyeliner really close to the eye so your lashes look thicker and longer. It’s one of the most natural-looking makeup looks, that can really enhance your eye shape and look. It is quite easy to do! First, gently lift your lids by the base of your lashes. Then, draw your liner close to the edge!
Pro Tip: Be sure to extend the line all the way to the inner corners of your eyes. It will add extra definition to your eyes. Also, use a water-proof eyeliner so it won’t go into your eyes.
7. How to Draw a Cat- Eye?
Is your winged eyeliner too thick on one side? Yeap, it happens, but don’t worry we’ve got a way on how you can nail it each time! Well, save yourself a little time and a lotta frustration in the morning by using the angle of your lower lash line as a guide for your winged liner. Then, place a dot on the outer corner of each eye before using your liquid liner to make sure the sides match up.
Pro Tip: One way how to draw your cat eyeliner evenly is to draw dots and then connect them. This is great if you’re just learning how to use liquid eyeliner or make a kitten flick.
8. How to Draw Eyeliner that Doesn’t Transfer?
Sometimes, your liner transfers onto your eyelids and leaves behind a “stamp” of pigment. That transfering is annoying AF but also fairly common, especially if you have smaller, hooded eyelids or oily skin. To avoid this, try to increase the height of your eyeliner so the line is still visible when you open your eyes. That way, when your eyelid folds and opens, your liner will stay put.
Pro Tip: If your liner still transfers and ends up too thick, shave them down with a cotton swab or dip the cotton swab in an oil-based makeup remover.
9. How to Draw Eyeliner That Doesn’t Smudge?
If you are lining your lower lid then you must have experience smudging at least once. Lower lids liner smudges easily as it is often oiler than the top part. So, to keep your lower lid liner from smudging and transferring, swap out your formula for waterproof eyeliner.
Pro Tip: Top your eyeliner with a little black eyeshadow to lock it into place, finish it off with a sweep of translucent powder.
10. How to Draw Eyeliner That Looks Sharp?
Do you pull your eyelid before drawing your line? Stop doing that! Rather than pulling your skin to the side, try looking to the side instead. So, if you’re lining the inner corner of your eye, look to the outer corner to make your lids taut without any tugging.
Pro Tip: While looking to the side make sure to line your eye as close to your lash line as possible and then use a smudge brush, which is tightly packed and skinny enough that it won’t blend the product too low.
