How to choose the right eyeliner and how to apply it

Last night I did a live on Instagram (@ ioanadumitrache.ro) in which I talked a little more with you while I was putting on my make-up for the opera. You can still see that live until 16:00 (go to me on stories and click where it says LIVE in the lower right corner). I enjoyed telling you more about you and answering your questions.

Among those questions Denisa Andreea asked me to make an article on the blog in which to explain how to choose the right eyeliner and how to use it correctly. I thought it was a great idea, especially since it is one of the most frequently asked questions.

This topic primarily needs photo / video support, so in the near future I will be doing a video tutorial on my Youtube channel (subscribe here) to see what I explain today, but also in this article you will find useful information that will make your work easier and improve your technique.

What exactly is eyeliner?

Eyeliner is, as the name suggests, a make-up product with which you can contour your eyes. It can be an ink, a pencil, it can be a colored powder - practically, any product with which you can make a stripe (thicker or thinner) can become an eyeliner. For example, in college I had a period in which I outlined my eyes with a pink lip pencil. I liked the contrast between the green of the iris and the pink of the pencil.

As long as it is a product that does not endanger your health, you can be creative and use any product in your makeup kit for eye contouring. Another creative example is the transfer-resistant matte lipstick that can be used successfully as an ink. Or mascara: if you have a brush to apply to you, you can also use mascara paste for eye contouring.

How do we choose the right eyeliner?

As I told you, eyeliner can come in many forms, so the choice depends on your preferences and needs.

When choosing eyeliner you need to consider a few things:

• The result / effect you want to achieve
• Resistance of the product on the eyelid
• Your skill and the physiognomy of the eye

In the case of a mature eyelid, slightly wrinkled which is no longer perfectly stretched, I recommend using a pencil with a soft lead, easy to fade, but which dries perfectly and becomes resistant to transfer. Also, a perfect graphic line no longer looks good on a wrinkled eyelid, so my recommendation as a make-up artist who made up hundreds of people with mature skin would be to apply a pencil line (it doesn't have to look perfect ) and then blur it with a pencil / sponge blush / ear stick. By blurring you get the same effect, but without highlighting the wrinkles of the eyelid. My recommendation is that in the case of a mature complexion, do not focus on the ponytails because they would only highlight the asymmetries.

My favorite pencils are Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eye Pencil, Xtreme Lashes GlideLiner Long Lasting Eye Pencil and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, the one from Bobbi being the most recently discovered. I like these three products because they have similar textures (they are creamy and easy to apply), they are intense and after drying they become waterproof and sebumproof. They are extremely resistant and last for hours even on the conjunctiva (waterline in English). Over the years I have discovered few products that are resistant to the conjunctiva and that you can work with so easily. The price is similar to all (around 100 lei), but I think it is important to invest in a good eyeliner.

People with oily eyelids (and in most cases the skin) and those whose makeup does not resist or the ink line stretches, should choose a product resistant to transfer and sebum.

The most resistant eyeliner (in my opinion, because I am convinced that there are others just as effective) is Inglot AMC Gel Eyeliner. This is a gel product that can be found in a jar, so you will also need a brush for its application, but also a little skill that can be acquired through exercise. For the application of gel eyeliner you can use a very thin paint brush, I recommend Milan 01 (it costs around 4-5 lei and can be found at paint shops) or a special makeup brush (found at Sephora, Inglot, Melkior , Make Up For Ever, MAC, Parisax, Douglas etc). Another durable gel eyeliner that I like is Shiseido Inkstroke Eyeliner. The advantage of this product is that it comes with a very good brush, inspired by Japanese painting. This is my favorite type of ink brush (the Kat von D and NYX ink pens I tell you about below have the same type of brush).

Also in the chapter of very resistant inks, I would add some favorite products in the form of cariocas (perfect for people less experienced when applying eyeliner): Kat von D tattoo liner and NYX Epic Ink Liner.

Of course, there are many other very resistant inks, but I use them, so I can only recommend the products I am happy with.

How to apply eyeliner and how to make symmetrical tails?

There is no rule that you must follow when it comes to makeup, but there are some tips that can guide you until you complete your own technique.

First of all, you need to know that when it comes to applying eyeliner exercise is the most important. I painted as a child, and from high school I started to use pencil or ink, so we can say that I have been practicing for many years. I also want you to know that you can lose your skill if you do not practice.

Secondly, I want you to have realistic expectations of you. This means that if you do not have a permissive eye physiognomy (almond, ascending or round eyes), but rather are deeper, descending or wrinkled - the eyeliner will never look like a person with a generous eyelid. I do not want to discourage you because there are solutions for every type of eyelid, only the result will be different.

Also, we must take into account the asymmetries. The eyes, lips, breasts, arms, legs are not symmetrical. And the eyes don't wrinkle the same way. For example, I have two fine lines in one eye and three in the other. When I go crazy, I take this aspect into account so as not to highlight the asymmetry even more.

If you have pronounced wrinkles in the outer corner of the eye, my advice is to avoid ink and tails. You can outline your lash line, but without trying a cat eye tail.

Okay, now that you have a database, the right products, and you're ready to practice, let me share a few points to keep in mind:

• To make the tail of ink follow the line of the lower lashes. They show you the angle of inclination of the ink tail and is a natural landmark. You can simply continue the lower lash line. You choose how short or long the tail is. My advice is to have around 3-4mm.
• Start applying the ink from the inner corner to the middle. Then continue to where the eye ends. Join the line drawn along the lashes with the one drawn below the lower lashes and fill the gap.
• Another trick for symmetrical tails is to make an ink point where you want the tail to end. Do the same for the other eye. Then join the point with the outer corner of the eye. Draw a thin line (or as you prefer) along the eyelids of the upper eyelid and join with the dot.
• Very important! Do not pull on the eyelid to stretch it because you will create asymmetries. At most fix the eyelid with your finger.

If you are a beginner, it is easier to practice with a pencil or an ink-type ink.

I hope that my tricks and tips will help you, I know that I must make a video to exemplify what I meant. If you liked this article, don't forget to tell me in the comments. I also expect ideas and suggestions for the following materials from you and don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel to see the video about eyeliner.

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