When I was teaching skin care and make up application for a major beauty company, I was surprised to see how many women were afraid of eyeliner! I’ve heard everything from “It hurts my eye!” to “It’s not working right.” If you are new to wearing eyeliner, eyeliner application can be a bit daunting. And lets face it, not all moms teach daughters how to wear it because they are not sure either. In my years as a Make Up artist and teacher I have picked up some great tips for what works and what does not work. I learned from the best in the business Robert Jones! I’ve put this guide together to help you learn some new eyeliner styles and designs.
Like eyeshadow application, eyeliner application can be chosen to suit your personality. Color, style and application are all apart of your make up wardrobe. Before we work on deciding what is right for you, I need to share with you some basic principles of eyeliner styles and designs.
The first basic principle is never, ever apply liner just to your bottom lid. Applying eyeliner just to the bottom lid will give you a sleepy, undone appearance and is neither pretty or professional. Now you can apply eyeliner to the bottom lid if you are also applying it to the top.
The second principle is don’t use liners you have to light! Step out of the eighties! Let the past go! I was one of the girls in high school lighting that red wooden eyeliner with a lighter then applying that hot color to my eyes. Yikes! It’s lucky we didn’t blind ourselves.
Eyeliner Colors
Blue eyes should wear grays including metallic grays, soft grays and also navy or indigo blues.
Green eyes should wear plums and purples. Teal and olive greens are also lovely eyeliner colors for green eyed gals.
Asian eyes should wear charcoal and taupe liners
Brown eyed and dark eyed ladies should wear navy blue, teal, dark black and dark brown.
These are the basic eyeliner rules but there is always the exception. Feel free to experiment with any of these colors.
Eyeliner Applications
For easier application especially on cooler mornings, warm the tip of your liner or eye crayon with the tips of your fingers. Make sure fingers are clean though. It only takes a few moments to warm up the end. Apply the eyeliner from the outside inward using small short strokes. You do not have to worry about making a perfectly straight line when you are using a liner tool. An eyeliner tool has a brush tip and allows you to smooth out the eyeliner you have applied to your eyes. Sephora and Mary Kay both have great eyeliner tools.
A Basic Eyeliner Look
I always apply make up to my eyes before apply my eye shadows. It keeps your eye make up on longer and gives your eye color more depth. It evens out the eye complexion and gives your eye color a more vivid appearance. Apply eye shadows that work with your eyeliner following the eye guidelines above. Then using your eyeliner, apply liner to top of lid starting from the outside inward. Then apply eyeliner to bottom lid starting from the outside inward. To make your eyes appear a bit larger don’t apply eyeliner on the bottom lid all the way in. Only line about half of the bottom row. To make your eye seem wider use your tool to drag out the eyeliner out and slightly up at the outer corners. This also gives your eye a little lift.
Then dab your eyeliner tool or if you haven’t got one, your eyeshadow applicator into the darkest eyeshadow that you are using in that look. Dab over the liner with the eyeshadow blending the two together to give your eyes a shadowy sultry look.
