Learning different ways to apply eyeliner can give you a variety of looks appropriate for the time of day, a special occasion or even to help you transition from day to evening and still look great. Not only that, but the way you apply eyeliner can make your eyes look bigger or smaller.
Choosing the Right Color
When it comes to eyeliner, it isn't all about how you apply it. Along with the different ways to apply eyeliner, it is important to understand how to choose the right color for your eyes.
Blues, grays and black liners work well with light-color eyes, and purples, greens and browns complement dark eyes. Eye color is only one aspect to think about, though when selecting your eyeliner, because you also need to take into consideration the shadow color you plan to wear and coordinate the two. Choosing your color palette is the first step in deciding which eyeliner is right for you.
Pencil or Liquid Eyeliner
Eyeliner is used to accent the eye, and the type of eyeliner you choose affects the results you achieve. Pencil eyeliner provides a softer option that's easy to blend and smudge, while liquid eyeliner expresses more dramatic definition. If you decide to go with a liquid liner, it should only be used on the upper lid.
Six Different Eyeliner Makeup Looks
Eyeliner application changes your overall look. While the most common way to apply eyeliner is in a straight line, it isn't the only way. In fact, you can get several different looks with just one eyeliner by changing the way you apply it.
- Casual Daytime - For casual daytime makeup, line only the upper outer eyelid. Smudge with a cotton swab or makeup sponge for a softer, natural look.
- Weekend Casual - Weekend casual is a little darker than casual daytime. Apply liner in small dots along the lash line and blend with cotton swab.
- Workplace - Makeup for the office or workplace should be professional. Pencil is easier to smudge which provides a more natural, less made up look. Apply liner at the outer corners of the upper and lower lashes and blend at an angle into a V that is almost invisible.
- Smoky Eyes - Smoky eyes give you a sultry look that is appropriate for nighttime wear and parties. Apply liner in a thick line along the upper outer lid and blend a dark gray or deep bronze shadow over it. Use a lighter shadow along the crease. Apply liner to the outer half of bottom lid along the lashes.
- Dots and Dashes - Apply liner in dots and dashes along the lash line and then connect the dots.
- Day to Evening - Sometimes we have to go from day to evening without time to change our makeup. For a day to evening look, apply liner along the outer edges of top and bottom lids using the dots and dashes application along the lash line of the lower lid and smudge.
Liner and Your Eyes
Eyes come in different shapes and sizes, and to get the look you want it is important to learn to work with the eyes you have. In general, drawing a thicker but softer line is the classic way to apply eyeliner for fuller lids while a thinner, distinct line is used on less pronounced lids.
Practice to see what looks good on you. The idea is to accent your eyes in a way that complements your overall beauty. Extending eyeliner to the inner corner of the lower lid will make your eyes look smaller. To give them a bigger look that pops keep the line at the lash line or close to the middle of the eye.
