Guest Author - Kim Ringler
Eyeliner is a great makeup product because you can do anything from making your eyes appear bigger to creating a sexy cat eye for a night out. Although there are several different formulas and brushes to choose from, once you pick up the techniques you can create an indefinite variety of looks. There is everything on the market from thick eyeliner crayons to precise liquid liners. Read on for how to choose the best eyeliners for you!
Eyeliner Pencil: Eyeliner pencils are the most commonly used eyeliners. They are forgiving if you make a mistake, create a natural look and are easy to apply. When using a pencil, make sure to sharpen it so it will apply easier; however, always make sure the tip is not too sharp or you can easily injure your eye. With a pencil you can simply draw a line on your eyelid as close to the lash line as possible. Not everybody uses a liner on the bottom part of your eye; if used properly it can help open up your eyes. You will want to begin by applying the pencil right under your eyelid from approximately where your pupil is to the outer edge of the eye, and smudging with your finger or a brush Be very careful if you decide to line the inside lid of your eye—you very easily could injure your eye. As regular pencils can cause tugging, Kohl eyeliner is a type of pencil liner that goes on a bit smoother, and is excellent for a smokey eye or more dramatic look.
Liquid Eyeliner: This makes for a more dramatic look. The biggest mistake people use when applying liquid liner is not allowing it to dry, resulting in smudging. Liquid liner is a great choice if you want a more defined look, or if you want a long lasting liner. Using the applicator your liner came with, draw a line on your top lid--for a natural look, create a thin line close to your lashes. If you’d like a more dramatic look you can create the line thicker, or extend it a bit past your eye for more of a cat eye look. Besides just drawing a line with your liner, another technique is to gently dab liner near your lashes and use a brush to smudge so you will achieve a subtle look. Liquid eyeliner in particular also works well if you would like to skip eye shadow and just use liner and mascara to accentuate your eyes.
Gel Liners: These are among the newest in the market and becoming popular. Using a small stiff brush, you can apply the gel to your eyes achieving the look of a liquid liner while being gentler to your eye. Gel liners are formulated to glide on so you can have a long lasting liner with precision of a liquid, and you don’t need to be concerned with a sharp pencil point. I recommend gel liners for those new to using eyeliner because they are easier to use than a pencil or a liquid liner where you have to be very careful while applying to create a straight line.
Cream Eyeliner: Similar to gel liners, cream eyeliners often come in pots and are applied with a small stiff brush. L’Oreal HIP and Smashbox both have long lasting, popular cream liners. One advantage of cream liner is that it is smudge proof, long lasting and can be applied as a liner. In some cases, these can double as cream eye shadow. Using a cream or gel, you won’t need to worry about tugging on your eyelid as you may if you don’t have a good glide-on pencil. Another positive is cream liners often outlast other liners. These cream liners are excellent for a more natural look.
Powder Liner: Powder liners are sometimes known as cake liners. You will more often find them in pressed power than loose powder, and you will need to invest in a good stiff eyeliner brush. Used dry, powder liners can be a subtle enhancement. If you decide to use your powder liner wet, you can create a heavier, more dramatic look.
No matter which eyeliner you choose, you will need to make sure you have a quality applicator or you will risk clumping or flaking. Always be gentle; eyes are often the first place on your face to show aging so if you are finding that you have to pull or tug on your liner, try changing to a liquid or gel.
