Your Most Useful Eyeliner Tricks

What's Your Favorite Eyeliner Trick?

February 6, 2011

One of the most useful eyeliner tricks I've ever learned I got from an interview with Lucy Liu. She said that when when she lines her eyes, she holds her pencil over a flame for a couple of seconds to soften it up and make it go on smoothly. I've been using it ever since, and it's made my life a lot easier (and my eyes a lot better defined). What's your favorite liner trick? Tell me about it in the comments, and I'll round up everyone's tips and feature them on BellaSugar.

Source: Thinkstock

22 Comments

amaebi519 2 years 12 weeks

I have several tricks I love: Great way to get liner between lashes: Usually I line my lower waterline (i.e. bottom, just inside the lashes) with a dark pencil and then squeeze my eyelids shut a few times. This gets the liner underneath the top lashes as well (time saver!). It usually doesn't stay in the waterline area very long, but it does migrate between lashes beautifully. Sometimes I line the top with a black or brown pencil and then set it with a dark shadow (I might use colour, like olive or purple, just for fun). I often line the bottom with just the eyeshadow I'm using on my upper lids that day (no pencil). If I'm going for a wide-eyed look, I use an irridescent nude pencil inside the lower waterline instead of white. (More natural & glowy) Also, if I'm lining my upper lashes I do hold the outer edge of my eyelid taut with my ring finger. I like to rub the tip of that finger in powdered foundation first so that I don't accidentally rub off the concealer I use there; I just blend in the powder afterwards.

matzsmith 2 years 12 weeks

I always apply loose powder to just below the liner line before I apply liner on the lower lashes. It keeps it in place very well for a defined look. You can smudge afterward if you like and still have a clean application.

2 years 14 weeks

I like to pop my eyeliner into the fridge overnight, and then come mornin' time sharpen it to a nice clean point to get between all my lashes for a nice thin natural line.

Talldiva45 2 years 14 weeks

Great tips everyone! Any suggestions for a first timer in lining the upper eyelids? I have just always done a thin dainty line on from middle lower lid to outside corner,

2 years 14 weeks

I learned this from a woman named Alicia Karpati, she had a wonderful line of natural skin care products about 30yrs ago. She was older when I met her (she looked great). She told me she never wore mascara only eye liner, which I thought was odd. As I got older (I am much closer to her age when I met her now!) no matter what type of mascara I wore it would inevitably wind up darkening my under eyes later in the day. So one day I switched to only eyeliner, (I do have dark hair and lashes) and I don't have that problem any more!

2 years 14 weeks

anybody have any good advice on the best eyeliners? stick or liquid? I want one that is a shiny black and lasts a long time.

2 years 14 weeks

i have very oily eyelids.. I even wash and scrub my face and lids before applying eyeliner! I have tried all kinds of primers urban decay etc and have had no success. The only thing that works is a combo of 1. MAC paint pots on the lid.. But the ones in the tubes they r much easier less messier and Bobbi brown gel eyeliner omg that eyeliner is amaze balls I have tried em all from Mac fluid line to literally all the drugstore and higher end ones. I have a 5 month old who loves to cudle and smush my face lol and let me tell u after a long day w a baby errands cleaning cooking the Bobbi brown liner has barely budged with nooooo fall out I love! Ps sorry for typos trying to get it all in as baby sleeps lol

Miriam Lacey 2 years 14 weeks

You guys! You are awesome. I was expecting like 3 tips, and instead I came in to work this morning to find a treasure trove of really smart, useful advice. I'm gonna start putting the feature together right now :) Anon, I'm using the silkn again, but I had to shell out an extra hundred bucks for more bulb cartridges, which made both me and my wallet cry. It works, and I only need to shave every couple of weeks now, but I'm afraid to stop using it biweekly because of what happened last time I did a cycle. Basically, as long as I'm still zapping it's great. But about two months after I finish a round, I get major regrowth. They warn you in the pamphlet that it may take as long as 32 months to get the full benefit, so I guess I'm in that unlucky bunch. Silkn is probably great if you're zapping your entire body, but if you're just doing armpits and/or bikini line, I say just look for coupons and discounts on laser hair removal and get it done that way.

2 years 14 weeks

what's the scoop on the silkn sensepil?

Smiley27 2 years 14 weeks

My favorite is going over my eyes once lightly with a black lightly, concentrating the color on the outer corner. then i take a brown/bronze/gold pencil which is similar to my skin tone with just a hint of shimmer and line from the inner corner to the middle of my eyes and then i blend alot. it makes it look like my eyes are smokey, and its workable for an everyday look.

bobbis girl 2 years 14 weeks

Just never, ever, EVER use eyeliner on your lower lashline only! It drags the eye down, making you look tired, older and just plain odd.

2 years 14 weeks

Putting it on under the eyelashes, where it enhances your eyes but can't be seen, instead of on top of the lash where it is obvious.

alexandra0926 2 years 14 weeks

My favorite look is stila's kitten eyeshadow then I swipe dark eyeliner from corner to corner, thinner towards the inner part and smudge. The smudger is my best friend! Then tons of mascara on the top. My trick is simple, I don't use eyeliner/mascara on the lower lid.

2 years 14 weeks

White eyeliner is a girl's best friend! I use it on my waterline and at the corner of my eye (the part close to the nose) to brighten my eyes and look awake! @EricaJane - I highly recommend NYX's white eyeliner. It's one of the longest lasting eyeliners I ever used. It's never bothered my eyes either, and it goes on smoothly. They're fairly cheap sticks too.. I think I bought mine for $2.99 at the mall. Go get some!!

EricaJane 2 years 14 weeks

Cupcake4491, do you have a recommendation for a white eyeliner?

Cupcake4491 2 years 14 weeks

I really like using white eyeliner along my waterline to make my eyes look more awake!

postmodernsleaze 2 years 14 weeks

Thanks for the tip, daisy! I always get Shahnaz Husain, which I assume is pretty safe considering she's pretty well-known and I believe Bloomingdale's carries some of her cosmetics. It costs about $13 where I get it.

2 years 14 weeks

I always put a black eyeshadow (MAC's carbon) overtop my eyeliner to prevent smudging after of course UD primer and applying a powder over my eyelids to prevent oil buildup. Also, if my eyeliner ever does smudge, i take a Q-tip with a bit of concealor or liquid foundation and apply over the smudge to get rid of the excess. Lastly, during application, I never tug at my eyes; it leads to premature sagging and crow's feet. Instead, I use a Q-tip to hold my lid in place.

daisy23 2 years 14 weeks

Postmodernsleaze you may want to be careful. I'm Indian and we love our eyeliner however that kajal is cheap for a reason it usually has a fair amount of lead!

julsiesf 2 years 14 weeks

You can also use a hair dryer and get the same results.

postmodernsleaze 2 years 14 weeks

I don't really have any special tricks. But I do suggest everyone invest in some kajal. You can find it at Indian/Pakistani stores and it's so much better than other eyeliners, even those that call themselves kajal (like the one from Rimmel). And it's a lot cheaper than the $35 cone kajal from Guerlain!

babeyqpid 2 years 14 weeks

For a super bold and dark eye makeup look, I start with the Urban Decay lid primer, then smear a thick black pencil like NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean over my lid. Then I smooth out the roughness with an eye shadow brush dipped in a dark brown color. After that, I use a thin eyeliner to fill in sparse areas between my lashes and on my inner top lid and finish off with a coat of mascara!

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22 Comments

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