How To Apply Liquid Eyeliner! That Takes A Bit Of Practice!

Nothing simplifies any makeup application like a light-up magnifying mirror.  It helps to have a clear and well-lit view of your “workspace.”  Place the mirror on a table or vanity counter, anywhere that you can sit down and rest your elbow to keep it steady.

Keep your eye partially open so that you can more easily follow the contour.  To get your line as close to the lash line as possible, lift your eyelid from under the arch of your eyebrow instead of tugging the skin off to the side, as is common practice.  When you’re just starting out, you needn’t worry about getting the line straight in one fell swoop.  Draw three fine dashes, one on this inside, middle, and outside corner, and connect them.

Dark Red LipstickIf it’s a retro look you’re after, keep the line very thin at the inside corner, and thicken it slightly as it curves outward.  You can keep extend the line just slightly outside the outer corner and even wing it a bit to give a cat-eyed, 60’s glamour.  Getting those wings and lines symmetrical takes practice, though, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a few tries before you master it.

Once you’re fully comfortable with liquid liner, you can do all sorts of creative twists on your eye makeup.  Draw on delicate Twiggy-esque bottom lashes, or add several swoops to the outside corner.  Be careful when applying liquid eyeliner to the bottom eyelid, as some products can sting a bit if they creep accidentally into your eye.

After practicing your brains out, if you still can’t quite get the hang of things, I’ll give you a little cheating tip.

Many times, a highly pigmented black shadow and moistened skinny pointy eyeliner brush (I love Benefit’s Get Bent brush) can fake the delicate lines almost as well.

That takes a bit of practice, too, but the clean up seems to be easier if you’re a touch accident prone while learning.