There is no denying that not every aspect of applying makeup comes naturally. One of those is the skill of applying liquid eyeliner. It will require practice to get your skill to the level that you’d want it to be.
Apply liquid eyeliner close against your lash line. On your upper lash line create a line at the center of your lid. Extend that line to the outer corner of your lid. Then line the inner third joining it to the center. On your lower lash line start at the outer third, then center, then the inner third.
Don’t give up on lining your lids with liquid eyeliner. By following the right steps, I’m confident you can master this makeup essential. If you are ready to give it a try then read on to find out how to put on liquid eyeliner.
How To Apply Liquid Eyeliner
Luckily there are no complicated hacks when it comes to applying liquid eyeliner. All you have to do is follow these four steps for how to put on liquid eyeliner and then get practicing:
1: Prime Your Eyelids Before You Start
In case you didn’t know, eye primer isn’t only for eye shadow. While it’s true that primer can make eye shadows wear evenly and apply easier, the same applies to eyeliner.
Dab a small amount of primer onto your lids to create a base for your eyeliner. That way, you will reduce the chances of your eyeliner smudging or shifting as the day goes on. After all, none of us wants to end the day with our eyeliner only semi-intact, plus not knowing when our makeup malfunction happened.
2: Carefully Line Your Upper Lash Line
Now is the time to reach for your liquid eyeliner. Begin by creating a thin line along your upper lash line. Press the eyeliner into your lashes, getting as close as you can. You want to avoid having a gap between your lashes and eyeliner.
When you have a thin line all the way across your lid, you can stop there especially if you are new to liquid eyeliner. However, it’s up to you if you want to keep going. Stick with a thin line if you want a subtle, lash thickening effect.
If you’d prefer a bolder look, or if you want to add a wing, don’t stop just yet. Continue lining, but gradually increase the thickness of your eyeliner until you’re satisfied with the outcome.
Beginner’s tip: If you want to learn how to apply liquid eyeliner for the first time, you’ll want to break this down into three phases. Simply start by getting as close to your lash line as possible and create a line at the center of your lid. Once you have that, extend the line from the center to the outer corner of your lid. Finish up by lining the inner third of your lash line and connecting it to the centerline you created at the start.
3: Clean Up With A Cotton Swab
Here is one little hack that will make your girlfriends think that you are a sudden expert at liquid eyeliner.
If your eyeliner is not quite as perfect as you had hoped it would be there is no need to worry. That happens to all of us at some point.
Using a cotton swab dipped in micellar water is all you need to fix any mistakes. Saturate your cotton swab in micellar cleansing water and then clean up your line.
4: Repeat At Every Opportunity
Like I said earlier, applying liquid eyeliner flawlessly requires practice. I needed a lot of practice.
Don’t wait until you have a special occasion to try your liquid eyeliner. Whenever you get the chance, practice your liquid eyeliner skills. If you are new to liquid eyeliner then just go with the thin line that will enhance your lashes. It is subtle enough for daily wear, so it makes a good start for beginners.
Even so, the first few times might be a little bit of a struggle. Just keep repeating these steps enough times and your skill with liquid eyeliner on your upper lid will become more instinctive.
How To Apply Liquid Eyeliner On Your Lower Lash Line
Well done! You have finally learned how to apply liquid eyeliner to your upper lash line. Now let’s teach you how to do your lower lash line. Here are my 3 simple steps.
1: Start At The Outer Edge Of Your Lower Lash Line
Instead of starting at the inner corner of your eye like you did with your upper lid, you need to start from the outer corner.
Use your new favorite liquid eyeliner and line the outer third of your lower lash line.
If you have created a winged look on your upper lash line, be sure to extend the line from your lower lashes outward to connect the wing.
2: Line The Center Of Your Lower Lash Line
Once your outer edge is lined, continue the line from your outer third and extend it toward the center of your lash line. Be sure to place the liner-tip or brush as close as possible to the roots of your lashes for an even finish.
3: Finish Up Lining Your Lower Lash Line With The Inner Corners
Your liquid eyeliner look is almost complete.
Now extend the line from the center of your lash line toward the inner corner of your eye.
If you want to finish by adding some extra drama to your look, extend the line diagonally at your tear duct and connect it with your upper lash line to create a cat-like appearance.
Three Liquid Eyeliners That I Like
Now that you have the theory you will want to sharpen your liquid eyeliner skills. To do that you’ll need a liquid eyeliner that you really love. Here are my three favorite liquid eyeliners.
L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Liquid Eyeliner (available on Amazon): This felt tip liquid eyeliner has a long-lasting, waterproof formula with a high shine finish. I use the classic black but it also comes in trendy rose gold. Apply it using the flexible control tip for both subtle and sharp lines.
L’Oréal Paris Infallible The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner (available on Amazon): This skinny liquid eyeliner allows you to create precise, smudge-proof makeup looks.
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Flash Cat Eye Waterproof Brush Tip Liquid Eyeliner (available on Amazon): This long-lasting, brush tip waterproof liquid eyeliner is just what you need to create a smudge-free cat-eye look. What I like is the removable wing stencil helps you get perfectly precise wings, every time.
9 Additional Liquid Eyeliner Tips
If you are not yet at the stage where consider yourself a liquid eyeliner expert as yet, help is at hand. Here are nine tips that can help elevate your liquid eyeliner skills for a flawless application every time.
1. Apply Liquid Eyeliner After Eye Shadow
One of the aspects of liquid eyeliner that makes it stand out is the sharp precise lines that you create.
If you had to do your eyeshadow after your liquid eyeliner, the eye shadow will blend into your eyeliner leaving you with a smudged makeup look. Smudged is not the look you are going for with liquid eyeliner.
Consider liquid eyeliner as the final finishing touch to your eyeshadow look.
2. Make Adhesive Tape Your New BFF
If you are struggling to create a winged effect with your eyeliner, there is a solution for you if your liquid eyeliner doesn’t have a wing stencil.
All you need to do is apply a small piece of tape diagonally against your lower lash line. Use the edge of the tape as a guide to creating a precise winged look.
3. Line Your Eye With Small Dashes First
This tip is especially important if you have a shaky hand as it can be a bit tricky to apply liquid eyeliner.
What you do is make a few small dashes along your lash line to start as a way to map out the line you want to draw.
Once you’ve mapped out where to draw your line, you will be able to trace over them to create your flawless line. This also helps to prevent uneven lines.
4. Slow And Steady Gives You More Even Lines
I know that you have likely seen your favorite beauty gurus create their gorgeous liquid eyeliner look in mere seconds.
However, that doesn’t mean you should try and do the same. A better idea will be to take your time and move slowly so that you can avoid any mistakes.
5. Concealer Will Always Save The Day For Minor Mishaps
I know that you are likely worried about uneven lines, especially as a beginner. This is where concealer comes in handy.
Just dip a small, angled brush in concealer and gently clean up your lines for an instant fix to your shaky lines problem.
6. Use A Pencil Prior To Liquid Eyeliner
Here is another way to be able to create a gorgeous eyeliner look while still a novice without mistakes. I know it might sound counter-intuitive but try using pencil eyeliner.
In all likelihood, you have already been using pencil eyeliner for a while so you will have a more steady hand when using pencil eyeliner.
Start by lining your eyes with pencil eyeliner and follow up with your liquid eyeliner and use the pencil line as your guide.
7. Rest Your Elbow On A Table To Stabilize A Shaky Hand
When I started out using liquid eyeliner I also had a shaky hand. I was nervous about making a mistake and ending up with an uneven line and my shaky hand guaranteed that.
Luckily my BFF had already been using liquid eyeliner for a while and taught me the trick of resting my elbow on a table or vanity as I lined my eyes and it made my hand instantly steadier.
8. Draw The Line As Close To Your Lashes As Possible
It doesn’t look good if you have any gaps between your lashes and liner. To prevent making this basic makeup mistake, draw the line as close to your lashes as possible for the perfect look.
This is especially useful when you progress to using magnetic eyeliner to pair with your easy-to-use magnetic false lashes. Here is the article that I wrote all about using magnetic eyeliner and magnetic lashes for you to read once you have finished reading this.
9. Opt For Waterproof And Smudge Proof Liquid Eyeliners
There’s almost nothing worse than having your entire makeup look ruined by your eyeliner smudging or dripping throughout the day.
To avoid this embarrassing situation that I have had in the past rather reach for waterproof and smudge-proof options and that way keep your eyeliner exactly where you need it.
If you are avoiding using waterproof eyeliner because you aren’t sure how to clean it off properly without getting raccoon eyes, I have your solution ready. Go to my article that teaches you exactly how to remove waterproof eyeliner and other waterproof makeup so that you don’t need to worry about using waterproof eyeliner ever again.
Next up: Liquid eyeliner doesn’t go on the waterline, which is why you noticed that I didn’t mention it here. To learn all about that topic, click over to my article, How to Apply Eyeliner to Your Waterline.