The eyeliner was the first piece of makeup which I owned (Not counting lipglosses.). It was a kohl one from The Body Shop and gawd! For the life of me, I couldn't sharpen it! It kept breaking and breaking and I was so afraid that Mum would scold me for wasting it that I chucked it away and bought a new one (So much for the 'wasting' worry.). Spending that $20 (On my side and $20 on Mum's side.) to a 16 year-old me was very painful. :\ But at the same time, I got to line my eyes real thick and in my opinion, looked like a rock chick. Heh (Remember, I was 16.).
I know a couple of my brother's friends and some of my friends, who just got into makeup, read my blog, so this entry is for you guys! I think that the first step into makeup is on the eyeliner so let's get started! (:
Eyeliners are very versatile tools. From simply defining the eyes to making your eyes look big, dark, dramatic... If someone posed me the proverbial scenario of me being lost on the island and asked about the one makeup that I would want to have, hell yes it's going to be the eyeliner *grins*! But there are different types of eyeliners out there, how do you actually make a choice?
There are basically 3 different types of eyeliners;
Pencil eyeliners,
Gel eyeliners and
Liquid eyeliners.
Each type gives you a different look and it is based on this that you pick the type of eyeliner.
Pencil Eyeliners
You will probably start out with pencil eyeliners. They are the easiest to control and are basically like colour pencils. A good sharpener (Try the German-made Canmake one from Watsons. It's around 8 to 10 bucks, I think.) will get the tips nice and sharp and you can draw your line as thick or as thin as you want it to be.
Pencil eyeliners also come in various colours, so you don't need to stick to the blacks and browns. Urban Decay has gorgeous colours, from electric blue to deep forest green to a rich plum... Name a colour and they probably have got it. I did a review on them and you can read it here. (:
The downside of pencil eyeliners is that they can smudge, especially if you have oily eyelids. In that case, you can apply a primer before you draw on and then, pat an eyeshadow of the same colour after you have drawn on. And if that fails... Look at the other types of eyeliners. (:
Some ideas for pencil eyeliners:
1. For just simple definition of the eyes, draw on the eyeliner where your eyelashes are. A creamy eyeliner will make things a lot easier, in this case (Try Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils or L'Oreal HiP's Color Chrome Eyeliners.).
2. An even softer look can be achieved by smudging the eyeliner a little with a cotton bud after you have drawn it on.
3. Make things a little exciting by using coloured eyeliners! If you're thinking 'Maybe not...', pair the coloured eyeliner with your black or brown. You can draw on the coloured eyeliner on top of the black or brown, or you can line the top with black or brown and the bottom with a coloured one. Try it and I daresay that you will like the result! :D
When I was promoting eyeliners for a summer job, there were ladies who asked me the difference between using black and brown eyeliners. Black eyeliners usually give a harsher look. But this doesn't equate to fierce or anything like that. Brown eyeliners just appear more natural but then again, it also depends on the shade of brown that you are using. One good shade is the Dark Brown from Maybelline's Unstoppable Smudge Proof Eyeliners collection (Which cost just a little under 10.).
Splurge: Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil
Save: L.A. Girl's Eyeliner Pencil
Gel Eyeliners
Gel eyeliners are usually accompanied with brushes (Angled, flat or pencil.). The difficulty level is between that of the pencil and liquid eyeliners. They are much easier than liquid eyeliners because you have more control over the amount of eyeliner and the brush itself.
One mistake which I made when I first started out with my gel eyeliner is that I actually 'scooped' the eyeliner and directly applied to my eyelids. You can imagine the awful mess when I tried to brush it out! Always test it out on the back of your hand first!
Gel eyeliners take a little longer to dry, so you can smudge it out a little for a softer look. The trouble with gel eyeliners are that they aren't exactly practical to bring around. And do remember to wash your brush! You don't want the eyeliner to dry up on it and the whole brush goes stiff!
Splurge: M.A.C's Fluidline
Save: Maybelline New York's Cream Gel Eyeliner by Eyestudio
Liquid Eyeliners
Precision, sharpness, thinness... If these are what you want, look at liquid eyeliners. (: They are a little hard to handle but really, with practice, they are possible! You will need a steady hand so if you're shaking a little, rest your elbow on a table. (:
Thanks to Math, I can draw curves pretty smooth (I barely touched my curve ruler!)! I start at the inner tip of my eye and draw a line across. For those who are just starting out, you can draw small strokes instead. Start at the middle of your eye and draw towards the end. Then, draw from the inner tip of your eye to the middle. (: The main thing is to not be 'afraid' and practise, practise and practise!
Liquid eyeliners are fabulous for winged-out eyeliners (Think: Taylor Swift.) because you want the tips to be clean and sharp. One tip for the angle of the wing is to use the bottom tip of your eye as a guide. Follow your bottom lash line and draw a small line at the tip of your eye and join it to the top with a smooth curve. (:
Splurge: Lancôme Paris' Artliner
Save: K-Palette's 24H Real Lasting Eyeliner (Review here.)
Thanks for reading and I hope it helps! If you have other questions, just leave a comment and drop me a mail! (:
P.S.: Much thanks to the sister for 'lending' me her eyes!
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