Tuesday 28 February 2012

Makeup Lesson: Liquid Eyeliner

Loved by stars such as Adele and of course Amy Winehouse, liquid eyeliner is perfect for creating many dramatic looks. You can use it to add drama to a bold smoky eye, or a quick flick to add instant sixties sex appeal.
A slick of liquid eyeliner instantly makes your face look 'done' and like you've really made the effort.
However it is also a product many people are scared to try. I myself was really put off using it after a bad experience many years ago. If you're not sure what you're doing it can be really difficult and there's nothing worse than making an absolute mess of your eye and having to start again!

So here you have it, some tips to make applying liquid eyeliner so much easier.

First of all, try out a few different liquid eyeliners so you know which style suits you. Personally I like one with a brush as opposed to more of a felt tip pen style, but either will give great results.

My favourites are Benefit Magic Ink (£14), or if you're watching the pennies Rimmel Glam'eyes (£5.29) is also fab. Both of these eyeliners have nice long lids so you have something to hold onto which helps keep your hand steady. A longer lid also means your hand will be further away from your eye while you are applying the eyeliner, so you will be able to see what you're doing much easier.
Rimmel Glam'eyes
Benefit Magic Ink

If you prefer a felt tip style liner, Yves Saint Laurent Shocking False Lash Effect Eyeliner (£24) is really good as the tip is really flexible and easy to use. Also Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner (£2.99) is fantastic value and really long-lasting.
YSL Shocking False Lash Effect 
Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner

When applying liquid liner, make sure you have something to rest your elbows on, such as a desk or dressing table, this instantly helps keep your hand steady.

Rest your little finger on your cheek whilst drawing your line, to stop your hand wobbling and ensure your line is nice and even.

Another useful tip is not to fully close your eyes while doing eyeliner. If you close your eyes, your skin obviously wrinkles a little, so when you open them your line which previously looked smooth, can suddenly appear jagged. 
Combat this by placing the mirror below your face, so you can keep your eyes open but look down into the mirror. This means you can see what you're doing much more easily and your eyeliner will be nice and smooth.

Now when drawing your line, don't worry about getting it all done in one fluid movement. I find it easiest to start in the middle and draw the line to the outer corner of the eye. (Don't worry about adding a flick yet, I'll get to that bit later.)


Then take the line from the inner corner of the eye to the middle. Your line should get thicker towards the centre of the eye.


Once you're happy with your line, add a little flick at the outer corner if you like, and you're all done!


If you do make a mistake, don't panic. Just soak a cotton bud in a little bit of makeup remover and gently rub it off, then when it's dry just go back over it.

And there you have it, perfect eyeliner flicks without the drama.
xxx




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