How to Apply Eye Liner

If you've ever frantically splashed water in your eye after making a mistake with your liquid eyeliner, then you'll understand the importance of knowing how to apply eyeliner the right way. At some point in every young woman's life, there is a curiosity about makeup. Even as an adult change is good, so it's always useful to refresh your technique, learn a new tip or try a new form of eyeliner. Here I'll show you how to apply eyeliner for the best results.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Liquid Eyeliner or Pencil Eyeliner
• Pencil sharpener
• Mirror
• Cotton Swab

How to Apply Eyeliner

1. Wash your face. Excess oil on your skin can cause your eyeliner to smudge or have an "old" look to it, so it's important to cleanse your skin before beginning. Equally as important, any foundation, powder and eyeshadow that you want to use must already be applied. It's pretty uncomfortable to apply eyeshadow after eyeliner, not to mention it will dull or completely cover your liner. So make sure you've already applied any eyeshadow or skin makeup.

2. Sharpen your pencil eyeliner. Remember: the sharper the tip, the thinner the line. Make sure you have good lighting for your mirror and can see clearly.

3. Tilt your head slightly back, and close one eye. Draw your line as close to your eyelash base as possible. The line should begin about a quarter of an inch away from the inner corner of your eye and extend to the outer corner. If the line is too thin for your taste, just dull the eyeliner tip like you would with a pencil, by wearing down the tip with a little rubbing. If your hand isn't as steady as you'd like, you can close your eye and hold down your eyelashes to get a more controlled line. Any mistakes can be wiped with a cotton swab.

4. Shake your liquid eyeliner to evenly distribute the contents, if this is the one you're applying. The key is to brush off any excess liquid from the applicator into the rim of the bottle--like you would with nail polish. Liquid eyeliner can be applied either open-eyed, as close to the lashes as possible or by closing the eye and holding down the lashes. The line should begin a quarter of an inch away from the inner corner of your eye and extend to the corner of your eye. Depending on the style you're trying to achieve, you can extend the line further. Any slip can be wiped away with a cotton swab but do so before it the liquid dries.

5. Draw right on the lash line when doing the bottom of the eye- avoiding the inside rim. Pencil is recommended for the lower lashes, even if the top is liquid because liquid tends to look severe on the lower lash line. Likewise, liner on the inside rim can make eyes appear closed in. The lower line should also start about a quarter of an inch away from the inner corner of the eye and extend to the outer corner.

Tips & Warnings

• Liquid eyeliner is the better choice if you want it to stay put longer. Pencil is better if you want to be more creative and blend colors or create a smoky eye.
• Pencil eyeliners can last about a year or two if they're regularly sharpened, but liquid eyeliner needs to be tossed after about three months to avoid infections.
• Never line both the upper and lower lash line from corner to corner. It will make your eyes appear smaller instead of larger. Instead leave a small unlined space by the inner corner of your eye.