Beauty Tips From the Pros: Precise Eyeliners
Don't want raccoon eyes? Learn to be precise with your eyeliner.
April 10, 2008 — -- We all adore beautiful eyes, especially when we think of Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn. Their eyes were such a big part of their iconic, signature beauty.
Beautifully applied eyeliner can truly help say "gorgeous" by giving you a bright-eyed and awake look. You must be quite careful with this makeup step, as it can make or break your look overall if not done correctly. Let's get the basics down once and for all.
What's YOUR line?
Not all eyeliners are alike. There are many types to chose from: pencil, liquid, gel, crème, cake, sponge tip and even eye shadow can be converted to an eyeliner. Some are even waterproof. There are limitless colors to choose from, especially when you use shadow as a liner.
First, decide the effect you want to achieve, then choose the applicator that you'll be comfortable using.
* Want a natural daytime look? Try a sharpened pencil or a sponge tip.
* Smoky and smudgy look? Go for a dark, creamy, soft, slightly rounded tip pencil.
* Dark and dramatic? Liquids and gels rule.
* Festive color line on your upper or lower lid? Eye shadow plus converter.
Feel free to even combine any of these effects for fun.
Finding the Right Tools
There are also different kinds of applicators to choose from. The most common are very thin, traditional brushes, and with eyeliner, the better the quality and finely tooled bristles, the better control you will have. Even if an eyeliner comes with a brush, investing in a better brush is a good idea.
I find that the easiest for beginners are the newer sponge-tipped, all-in-one eyeliner tubes. They're the easiest to control or go back and fine tune. And they're not messy.
A flat eye shadow brush is another choice that's really easy to use -- it lays down precise little dashes that you connect side by side to make the perfect eyeliner. This is perfect for lining the lid with a dark or festive color of an eye shadow. A great option, it is my ideal tool of choice to get the liner closest to the lashes.
