5 Ways You Should Be Wearing Your Eyeliner
I recently had to admit to the cold, hard truth about myself: I'm slightly obsessive compulsive.
Exhibit A: When I like a song, I play it on repeat from 9 to 5 for a week straight. (This week it's been Bruno Mar's "It Will Rain." OK, so it was the Twilight theme song -- don't judge.)
Exhibit B: I like my office supplies to sit in alphabetical order on my desk: antibacterial hand gel, pens, ruler, scissors, scotch tape, stapler, and whiteout. (Go ahead and judge me on that one. Heck, I judge me for that one.)
Exhibit C: When I finally figured out how to master the perfect winged tip, I worked that bad boy for months.
Related: What's Your Best Eye Makeup Look?
But while I figured I shouldn't mess with a good thing, my snarky cube-mate had other thoughts about my new go-to eye makeup. "Do you ever wash your face?" she asked in that I'm-joking-but-not-really tone. "Is that eyeliner tattooed on or something?" She had a point.
So, true to my obsessive compulsive ways, I tapped the best eye makeup guru on the west coast for the 10 most stunning ways to wear eyeliner. Even better, I got her to fill me in on the tricks and techniques it takes to master these looks on the first try. Here are the 5 looks that I've started wearing in rotation this month. Take a look:
Eye makeup guru Taylor Chang-Babaian says it's easy to wear a statement look even if you don't have a steady hand or hours of practice. All you need for this bold look is a long-wear pencil liner in a bright color of your choice. Long-wear liners are usually twist-up pencils, so you can't control the sharpness of the tip, which prevents drawing a straight edge. However, unlike kohl pencils, long-wear pencils will give you bold matte color that'll last for hours. (I like Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner, $23.) Apply the liner to just your lower lashline from the inner to outer corners, using short strokes. To pull it into a cohesive look, you can apply eyeshadow in the same color family to your upper lids, but make it two shades brighter. Break up the bright color by applying a thin black line to your upper lashline and apply mascara.
The upper inner rim doesn't always get as much attention as its lower counterpart, but I found out it's an equally important area to define. Applying black liner to your upper rim will intensify your lashline, giving you natural looking definition without the hard edge of a liner. All you have to do is lift up your upper lid, while looking down into a mirror, and apply the black pencil in short strokes.
For those with close-set or small eyes like me, you can lengthen the width of your eyes by focusing your liner at your outer corners. Using a cream liner, draw a line from the middle of your upper lashline to the outer edges without winging it. Then apply the liner to the outer third corner of your lower lashline, connecting the tip to the line you made above. "This is perfect for rounder eyes to create more angles and add a hint of sexiness," says Chang-Babaian.
"This take on the winged tip is a little bit edgier," says Chang-Babaian, but totally wearable. After drawing your winged tip on your upper lashline, take your cream/gel liner and mimic the winged tip on the outer corner of your lower lashline. First, draw the line for the tip starting from your outer corner and making it parallel to the tip above. Then, line your lower lashline from your outer corner to about half of your lashline. Finally, connect the two endpoints, creating a triangular shape and fill it in. To provide contrast, you can apply a highlighter to the inner corners of your eyes on your lower lashline.
For this throwback to the '60s look, you'll need a black liquid liner (try Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, $18). Using the liner, apply a thick line to your upper lashline, then angle it at the outer corner of your eye at 45 degrees, creating a dramatic winged tip until you hit your crease. Work the liquid liner into your crease from the winged tip. Expert tip: If you have oily lids, apply the liner slightly above your crease to prevent the makeup from transferring. For an extra bold look, apply a matte, bright-colored eyeshadow to your lid before doing the liner.
Want to see 5 other gorgeous ways to wear your eyeliner? Click here.
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