One of the most frequent “makeup fails” I see involves the use of eyeliner. In fact, ever since the Royal Wedding this past April, I have become increasingly aware of how badly many women apply their eyeliner. Case in point, the lovely Duchess of Cambridge…
No one can deny that she’s a lovely girl, but DAMN that eyeliner! It gives me conniptions. I have a strong urge to reach through the tv/computer screen and rip the darn thing out of her perfectly manicured and bauble-adorned hand. She clearly needs an intervention.
But as I am neither important nor wealthy enough to gain audience with the darling Duchess, I’ll just have to hope for the best for her and set my sights on helping all of you spot the gaps (::snicker:: more on this later) in the eyeliner education in America. 
So here we go – Top Mistakes Women Make With Eyeliner:
- Too much. Unless you’re going out on the town at night, heavy black eyeliner from corner to corner and top to bottom is way more definition than necessary.
- Wrong color. Eyeliner is meant to bring out your eyes. Choose a color that enhances your eye color. Green eyes look great with purple/violet liner, Blue eyes look amazing with bronze or deep brown/gold toned liner, and brown eyes can pretty much look great with any color. Taupe colored liner is a great way to add definition while still looking very natural. When in doubt, warm tones that aren’t too dark look fantastic on anyone of any age.
- Lining bottom but not top. This is a HUGE makeup faux pas! If you are going to line the bottom lid, you must also line the top. The top can be lined without the bottom, but not vice versa. Lining only your lower lid makes you look haggard and old. Nobody wants that!
- Neglecting to “set” your liner. If you are not a foundation wearer, it is likely that the oils produced naturally in your skin may disintegrate your eyeliner throughout the day, causing it to smear,bleed, crease, and build up in fine lines around your eye. Wearing a long-wear oil free liquid foundation that is set with finishing powder is the best way to keep your eyeliner in place. Failing that, use an eyeliner that is high in wax content (these tend to be the mechanical pencil type and are fairly firm in consistency), and use a primer all over the lid and lash line before applying. (My personal fave is Benefit’s Stay Don’t Stray eyeshadow primer.)
- Tattooing permanent eyeliner. NOT OKAY. At all. Over the years I have seen dozens of clients with tattooed eyeliner, and not only is it usually the wrong color (see item #2), but it almost always is done much too far outside the actual lash line. This leaves a stark, flesh colored gap of tissue between the eyeliner and the lash line, which actually defeats the purpose of eyeliner altogether.
Which brings me to…
- Applying too far from natural lash line. The gap that’s created when eyeliner is applied outside or too far from the lash line makes women look older, and instead of defining and enhancing the eye, it actually “closes” the eye up. Most women want to “open” their eyes up – make them appear larger, brighter, more awake, and more youthful. Placing your eyeliner carefully and with special attention to your true lash line (where your eyelashes actually emerge from the follicle) brightens up the whites of your eye, makes your lashes appear fuller, and helps achieve that gorgeous glance we all want!
So in light of all this, let me introduce you to a technique called “Tightlining.” Not to be confused with waterlining, which is actually not so great for your eye tissues. In tightlining, you actually apply the liner directly into the lash line, where the lashes emerge from your eyelid. The easiest way to do this:
Make sure your eyeliner is a really high quality, water resistant, but still creamy, cake or gel formula (I adore Xtreme Lashes Glide Liner!)
With your left index finger, gently push back against the lashes of your right eye so that you hold them close to your eyelid, moving them out of the way of the lash line. This exposes the exact base of the lashes.
Holding your eyeliner pencil or brush with your right hand at about a 15 degree angle from your face, rest the heel of your hand on your face and touch the tip of your pencil or brush directly where you see the base of your lashes, as if you were about to draw in some lashes.
Starting at the outer corner of your eye and working your way in, apply eyeliner in tiny back and forth wiggling motions, literally wiggling your eyelashes as you apply.
General rule of thumb is to start and stop where your lashes start and stop. you do not have to line all the way to the inner or outer corner, unless you want to create a more dramatic look or close up the appearance of your eyes. If you choose to line all the way to the inner corner, taper the line a bit so that you actually use a lighter, thinner application at the inner corner.
PRACTICE!! This takes a lot of practice, especially if you are not used to applying eyeliner at all. Remember, makeup is washable! If you hate it, wash it off and start over!
Happy Lining, everyone!
