How to Fix Frayed Pen Eyeliners

A sharp eyeliner is less likely to smudge and easier to control.

Many people use eyeliner to enhance their eyes and make them stand out. To properly apply eyeliner, you need a pencil with a sharp point. However, if the eyeliner pencil is frayed, getting a sharp point can seem impossible. The pencil point can also keep breaking when you try to sharpen it. To fix your eyeliner pencil, use the right sharpener, a sharp blade and avoid using pencils that are soft.

Things You'll Need

• Manicure scissors
• Fridge or freezer
• Cosmetic pencil sharpener

Instructions

1. Even out the bottom part of the eyeliner pencil. Use manicure scissors to cut off any tattered edges along the point of the pencil. Remove any wooden particles sticking out from the bottom; when you look at the bottom of the pencil, the kohl must be flat and even with the wood surrounding it.

2. Place the eyeliner in the refrigerator overnight, or in the freezer for approximately half an hour. The cold hardens the kohl of the pencil, making it easier to sharpen it and less likely to break. If the pencil is warm and soft, it can smudge and smear if you try to sharpen it as is.

3. Sharpen the pencil with a cosmetic pencil sharpener that has a sharp blade. Use a sharpener made for the diameter of the pencil you are using. A sharpener with a larger diameter will not properly sharpen your pencil because the blade doesn't fully come in contact with it. Turn the pencil in the sharpener two times and check its progress. The point must evenly emerge from the pencil. Keep turning and checking the eyeliner pencil until it has a sharp point.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean the pencil sharpener after each use with rubbing alcohol, or in a shallow bath of soap and water.

• Check the length of the pencil shavings. If they are short, you might want to replace the pencil sharpener blade. Long shavings indicate the blade is sharp, and short shavings indicate a dull blade.