Eyeliner styles make it easy to change your whole look by using a few simple lines. Learn which products work best for each style so you have professional looking results. It’s amazing how a simple process can make you look and feel so beautiful!
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Eyeliner Styles to Try
Eyeliner styles are generally grouped in several styles according to the look they enhance and how they are drawn. Natural liner aims to accent the eye without drawing attention to the liner. It will enrich your natural beauty by framing the eye much like a picture frame draws the eye to towards the main subject.
Be sure to read our Beautiful Skin and Makeup post for more beauty tips!
Winged liner styles can make eyes look longer or wider, open them up, and draw out the color specks in the eye to add sparkle and definition to your look. Smokey Liner, silver or glittery liner all intensifies your mood from sultry to festive and party ready.
A great tip to see what the impact of your new eyeliner style will be is to try it out on your face after a bath or shower without any other makeup to compete with the new style. It is easy and fun experimenting with your looks when you are focusing on creating something new instead of getting ready to go out. Once you have perfected your eyeliner style you will be ready to use it for the next “real” makeup time!
Natural Liner Looks
Natural Liner – Use a pencil liner for a natural, barely-there look. If you wear eyeshadow apply it first so the liner will glide along your lash line for flawless application. Line the eye with tiny, little, short strokes using 3 or 4 sweeps to fully fill the lash line. If you drag the pencil across the entire lash line in one sweep you will have a heavy lined look instead of a natural look.
Finish by using a Q-tip and a tiny amount of moisturizer rubbed in the cotton tip to thin the line. Another cleanup tip is to use a little bit of makeup remover on a Q-tip to clean up a line that is too wide or has gone astray.
Eyeliner Styles for Droopy or Hooded Eyes
Hooded or droopy eyes occur when excess skin droops from the eyebrow bone to the lash line. The crease of the eye folds over the outer corner making the eye look downturned or droop. There are various degrees of hooded eyes that cover part or all of the natural eyelid.
Be sure to read our Plump Lips post to learn how to have fuller lips naturally!
Create an illusion that the eye is open wider with eyeliner. When applying liner to the top lash line, pull the skin up instead of out straight across. This allows the skin to be tighter and smooth for applying the makeup. Add liner only to the outer edge to keep the eye from looking closed off. Use a gel product and a setting product or powder to keep the liner from running.
For the lower lash line, use a lighter eyeliner color to brighten eyes. Make the line the same length as the top. By focusing on applying product to the outer corners it makes your eyes appear more open and bright.
Winged Eyeliner Styles
Winged Liner – Start from the inner corner of your eye and draw a thin line on the top lash line using short light dashes toward the outer corner. Draw an angle line about 1/4 inch that is in from the outer corner of your eye toward the outer edge of your brow.
It will be in line with the edge of your nostril to your eyebrow. Try holding the eyeliner pencil at the outside edge of your nose and extend it to the outside of your brow. That is where the angle line should be drawn from the corner of your eye towards your brow.
Variations of the Winged Eyeliner Look
Fish Tail Liner – Draw a winged liner on top eyeline. For the bottom draw a thin line from inner to outer corner finishing with a wing parallel to the top wing. A skinny gel eyeliner will give you a clean-lined look for this style.
Thick Winged Liner – Use gel eyeliner to create a wider version of the traditional winged liner.
Long Line Liner – Precise Skinny Gel Liner will give you great results for this winged look that extends 1/4 inch more than traditional winged liner.
Reverse Winged – Use Gel Eyeliner to draw a wing on the bottom instead of the top for an exotic look that is not overdone.
Eyeliner Styles to Fit Your Mood
Cat Eyes – Draw a line from the outer extended corner below the edge of the brow across the eyelid in a downward motion ending at the inner circle of the colored part of your eye. Leave an 1/8 inch band of skin on your eyelid untouched by the line.
Finish by filling in that space and angled corner with a semi-permanent liquid eyeliner. Use a gel eyeline for the sharpest and most defining-lines.
Graphic Arrow Liner – Graphic eyeliner uses striking colors and geometric shapes to focus on your eyes. This one is similar to Cat Eyes but with a sharp extra edge. Use a semi-permanent liquid eyeliner to create this effect.
Smokey Liner – Natural eyeliner with a smudgy sultry look. Use a Gel Pencil Eyeliner to achieve this mood.
Silver Glitter Eyeliner – Spice it up with a silver glitter eyeliner on your favorite natural or winged style.
Types – The Best Products for a Pro Look for Eyeliner Styles
Pencil Eyeliner – Use on upper and lower eyelids. Easy to build color. Perfect for beginners and everyday use.
Cream Eyeliner – Comes in a small jar and must be applied using a brush. Crease proof coverage and defining lines.
Pen Eyeliners – Glide on easily. Use on upper and lower eyelids.
Liquid Eyeliners – Requires some practice to develop a steady hand to apply. Covers great over eyeshadow.
Gel Eyeliners – Great coverage but requires a brush to apply and setting powder to avoid rings around the eye.
Tips to Make Eyeliner Styles Easy
- Use a makeup mirror to see up close and get precision to your eyeliner style.
- Stretch Eyelid Skin to Each Side to Avoid Creases when Applying
- Sharpen Pencils and Draw a Line on a Kleenex Before Applying to Avoid Crumbles
- Draw from Nose Towards Outer Edge of Eye for most styles. The Cat Eye is reverse going from outer to inner direction.
- You can use tape to mark a straight edge for some of the sharp graphic or cat eye styles.
- Clean Up Creases or Smudges with a Makeup Sponge or moist Q-tip
- Remove Excess Eyeliner or Clean Up any Mistakes with Makeup Remover
FAQ’s
Glide on Pencil Eyeliner and Crayons are the easiest to apply and are versatile for the looks you can create.
Pull your hair back so it doesn’t get in the way of applying makeup to your eye area. Take a deep breath and hold it while you apply each line. Prop your elbow on a flat surface when learning to draw with liquid eyeliner. Stretch the skin outward and apply from the inner corner to the outer corner of your upper lash and lower lash.
Yes, you don’t want your contacts to absorb the cleaning solution and irritate your eyes.
Consider the shape of your eye. If you need to make them longer or wider, use an eyeliner style such as the winged liner look to make eyes appear wider. If you have small eyes, use white shadow eye makeup on the upper lash line above the eyelid to give the eye a larger appearance. Using a black and white eyeliner style will open up the eyes. A fine liquid liner with a small wing at the outer corners of your eye will draw attention to the outer edge and make your eyes look wider.
Blue eyes – black, dark grey. copper, gold or orange.
Hazel eyes – black, green, purple or plum colors.
Brown eyes – use any shade including black, brown, blue, teal, metallic copper or bronze.
Brown or variations of brown.
Yes but consider the eyeliner style. Choose an idea that uses minimal liquid and do not apply it to the waterline. Do not use a pencil that rubs off easily. Remove with gentle eye makeup remover.
Beauty from the Inside
Eyeliner styles are enhanced if you have nourished your skin and eyes from the inside. Vitamins and nutrients from the food we eat help to build healthy skin tissue and affects the appearance and elasticity of your skin. Antioxidants fight against free radicals that damage skin. Try some of our delicious and easy recipes like fresh fruit salad to boost your beauty from the inside!
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