Eyeliner Application Tips & Tricks

Some women pull off their eyeliner with ease, getting the perfect look in a matter of seconds. And then there are those who struggle. You can stop worrying now. We’ve got a few tricks that will make the effort worthwhile.

Eyebrows raised or not, mouth open or closed, chin jutting or not – every woman has her quirks when it comes to applying her eyeliner. Doesn’t matter if she’s quick at getting the job done today; nearly every woman has gone through the initial stages of struggle while learning how to perfect her eyeliner.
If you are someone who still stresses, here are a few eyeliner application tips and tricks to getting that perfect stroke. 

1 Identify your eyelinerThere are three types of eyeliner products – pencil, gel and liquid. What you choose depends on the level of confidence, expertise and final look that you want.

• Pencil is easier to apply, but doesn’t spread as smoothly as a gel or liquid liner. You also don’t get a very thick line with it.
• Gel liners are easy to apply and spread. You get it in a small pot and brush.
• We all know liquid liners. Small bottles with a precision brush, these require more practise and a steady hand.

#2 Steady the shaky handIf your hand shakes a lot (nearly everyone’s does) then this is what you can do:

1. Sit at the dressing table.

2. Place your elbow on a steady, flat surface.

3. Rest your little finger on your cheek.

4. Apply the liner.

#3 Connect the dotsIf you’re still not confident, you can begin with dots which you simply join. You can do the same with dashes. Remember to make the dots the same size as the liner you want.
You can also first draw the line with a pencil and then use the liquid to get a neat look.

#4 Eye shadow to the rescueYou can turn a disaster into a special look. Another of our favourite eyeliner tricks is to apply a little black eye shadow to hide a less-than-perfect eyeliner line.

#5 Have you tried tight lining?If you’re just starting with eyeliners and are not sure of the made-up eyes look just yet, try tight lining: putting the liner beneath your lash line. Use a waterproof liner so it doesn’t rub off in case of watery eyes.

6 Dab on a bit of powderLiquid eyeliner takes a while to dry and you might accidentally give yourself a crease stamp. Instead of rubbing it off and risking spoiling the liner, dab on a little translucent powder.

#7 Use your eyelash curlerHere’s a hack for the lazy and unsure woman. Apply the liner on your eyelash curler. This will save you time and also get you that elusive straight line. Use the eye pencil for this. You might need to finish the job a bit by hand.

#8 Conceal the mistakesInstead of starting all over (again and again) use a tiny bit of a primer or concealer to hide smudges. Clear lip gloss also does the trick. You can also use Olay Eyes Ultimate Eye Cream which has a touch of concealer and also works as a Decircler, DeWrinkler & DePuffer.

#9 Don't pull your skinLet your face and eyes remain in their natural position to get the perfect line. Don’t pull the skin while drawing the line and you will get just the right shape.

#10 From the end to the beginningHere’s a little secret to getting the perfect angle on your winged lines. Start from the outside, towards your eye instead of away from it.

#11 Turn your eye shadow into a linerEyeliner gone lumpy? Don't worry. Create your custom eyeliner with a wet liner brush and your favourite eye shadow.

#12 Do you have monolids?If your eyelids are small (monolids), draw a thicker arch to create the perfect line. When you open your eyes, the line will look perfect.

#13 Make the colours popUse white eyeliner to make dull eye shadow stand out. Cover your eyelid with the white liner and then apply the eye shadow.

#14 Always keep a skin-coloured liner handyAnother of the lesser known eyeliner tips is to use a skin-coloured liner to correct any mistakes. This is also a great way to get a clean finish.

#15 From day to night, in a strokeInstead of redoing your eye makeup for the night, up the glam quotient with just a stroke of a glitter liner. And totally transform your look.
That’s an exhaustive but very useful list of eyeliner makeup tips. Keep them handy, keep practising and you will definitely perfect your eyeliner technique.