When it comes to makeup, less is more. I always think that before getting started on my face. So it’s no surprise my all-time favorite beauty look is a fresh face accented with classic black winged eyeliner.
A lot of people are afraid of liquid liner. And for good reason! At first, it can be a little tricky to work with. But, as with all things, practice makes perfect! I can practically do my liner sans mirror (emphasis on the “practically”) thanks to a little muscle memory from doing it so often.
Using a black liquid liner with a very thin brush gently drag the brush along your lash line starting from the top inner corner of your eye toward the outer corner of your eye.
Be sure to follow the natural shape of your eye. When you try to change the shape of your eyes with liner, it actually makes them look smaller. Very counterproductive.
The trick is to line as close to the lashes as humanly possible. The firmer you press the brush, the thicker the line will be. Use a hands-free mirror and keep your eye relaxed and slightly open as you line.
This is very important: Once you finish lining your eye, do not blink for at least 10-15 seconds to allow the liner to dry.
After you have lined both eyes, be sure to compare the liner on each eye. Are they even? If not, simply take a pointed q-tip and lightly drag the line along the eye to make it symmetrical to the other eye.
Use a light eye pencil to create a sketch of how your “wings” will look. This way, you can easily make corrections by erasing with a Q-Tip. The line should start as thin as possible and grow fatter and fatter toward the outer corner of your eye (you’ll trace over it with liquid liner later, and many liquid liners are shaped like calligraphy pens, which’ll help you nail the perfect thickness).
How far your wings go is up to you (it depends on your eye shape, face shape, personality), but keep in mind that a few centimeters go a long way, and less is usually more.
Step away from the mirror for a couple minutes, then come back. You should be able to tell right away if your eyeliner looks symmetrical on both sides. If it doesn’t, erase and adjust.
If you really have trouble getting the angles of your wings to match up, trace a business card–that’s a trick Gwen Stefani’s makeup artist, Kathy Jeung, said, and somehow it really does help! Trace over the pencil with liquid liner, resting your elbow on a table to help keep your hand steady.
