Eyeliners Buying Guide

If you want your eyes to be center stage, then adding eyeliner to your makeup routine is a must. Eyeliner can make eyes pop, look smaller, or appear larger. Whether you prefer a natural look or a dramatic smoky eye look, we will show you how to go about choosing and applying eyeliner. 

How To Choose Eyeliner

• Quality, not quanity. Eyeliner will last you awhile, so it's better to buy a quality brand that will treat your eyes right. We all want bargains, but save the low quality brands for experimenting with different colours and eyeliner types.
• Buy what suits your personal style. You'll know if basic black is your calling or if something more adventurous would suit your fun loving nature. Go with your gut, spend more on the colors you'll use most and try cheaper brands for experimenting with random hues that don't fit into your everyday routine.
• Choose the type you are most comfortable using. Liquid eyeliner can be fun, but it may not be the thing for you. Try out a basic brand first to get the hang of it and then once you decide whether or not it's for you, there's always the option of upgrading.
• Consider your skin tone. Black eyeliner can be too heavy on people with very fair skin. Very light brown eyeliner, on the other hand, can look silly on people with darker complexions. 

Eyeliner Options

• Colors
• Black, brown and grey (soft black) are classic and perfect for daily use. They can be used for basic lining or for creating a smoky look.
• For a more dramatic look, use black liner .  It will stand out the most and create contrast. If you want something more natural, especially on fair skin, choose a soft brown  color instead.
• If you want to brighten your eyes and make them look bigger, try using a white eyeliner  on the inner corners of the eyes. It will instantly make them appear wider and it will even help draw attention away from dark undereye circles. You will instantly look more awake!
• Jewel tones are perfect for fall and can be paired with a matching eye shadow  if desired. Often, colored eyeliners are great to use on the under edge of the lid with a basic color on top.
• Get wild with bright blues, golds or other metallic liners  for a night on the town.
• Other Features
• Waterproof liner  is a great option during warm months, especially if you work or play outdoors.
• Want something flirty and fun? Look for shimmer or glitter eyeliners  to spice up your look.

Eyeliner Types

Pencil liners  Classic eyeliner type. Easiest to apply. A great variety of colours to choose from.	Liquid liner  Very dramatic. Usually used on the top lash only. A bit difficult to use, this type definitely takes some practice before you master its art.	Mechanical eyeliners  A frugal buy, because no product is wasted due to sharpening. Some have a nifty blending sponge on the end. Limited selection of colours.	Cream liner  Great for creating smoky eyes. Intense pigments. Apply with a brush. Some come with the brush, but others don't. Fairly easy to apply.	Powder eyeliner  Also know as liner cake, this stuff will create bold lines with its intense pigments. Mix with water and apply with a liner brush (sold separately usually). The thinner the brush, the easier it'll be to create thin lines.

Eyeliner Application Tips

• Always clean eyeliner brushes before using. It's fairly easy to get an infection in your eye from bacteria building up on brushes and pencils. Sharpen eyeliner pencils to wipe away the bacteria.
• For the same reason as above, never share your eyeliner with anyone. Puffy, red, infected eyes are not exactly the latest style, so make your eyeliner clean and hygiene-friendly.
• Warming up pencil liners by holding it under a lighter for a second or two will remove bacteria and create a bit of a liquid liner effect that is still as easy to apply as a normal pencil liner. Make sure you test its temperature before putting it up to your sensitive eye area!
• Start the line as close to the lashes as possible. Go from the inside to outside making small lines as you go and then blend with a Q-tip, smudge brush, or your pinkie finger. If you have a steady hand, try to make one smooth line from the inner to outer corner for the best look.
• Use pencil eyeliner on the inner rims of the eyes if you wish.
• If you're new at liquid eyeliner, simply dab three small dots along the upper lid from the middle to the far edge. Then use a well sharpened pencil liner to spread it out from the inner to outer corners of the eye. You'll get a smooth, bold line that's close to the lashes with very little chance of making a mistake. As you get better you can gradually adopt the liquid liner only technique.

Quick Picks

Long-wear Gel Eyeliner by Bobbi Brown	Liquidlast Liner in Aqualine by MAC Cosmetics	Urban Decay Heavy Metal Eyeliner	Dior Crayon Khôl	Stila Smudge Pots

Related Guides

Mascaras	Eye Shadows	How to Create Smoky Eyes	Bronzers	Luminizers

International Resources

For this resource in your home country, please see:
NL: Eyeliner en Oogpotlood Shopgids