• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To MakeupMakeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

3-Step Easy Eyeliner

April 10th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

This is the face I make when I’m having a bad eyeliner day…

LOL! Yes, having a bad liner day is a real thing (albeit one that doesn’t exactly constitute the definition of “important”), and it’s happened to me on many, many occasions.

It usually happens when I’m rushing (in other words, all the time), or I’ve had too much caffeine and get the shakes, or when I’m just less coordinated than usual for reasons I can’t explain. The resulting uneven lines (referred to as “wonky liner,” as in “My liner is extra wonky today.”), cray-cray bat wings, jagged edges, or combination of the three are extra annoying.

I’m always trying to figure out ways to make lining my eyes easier, and I think I’ve hit upon something that works.

It’s totally easy (important) and fast (also important), too. You just need 1) your favorite long-wearing pencil liner and 2) an angled brush.

Ideally, the pencil liner should be one that gives you enough time to smudge and manipulate before it dries, like the Pearlglide Intense Eye Liners from MAC ($16 each). They’re long-wearing, so they don’t transfer up into my crease as I go about my day, but when I’m working with them, they stay soft for 2-3 minutes, which gives me enough time to tweak, cajole and play.

The shade I’m wearing in these pics is Chanel Stylo Yeux Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ardoise. It’s a dark gunmetal gray with subtle shimmer. Really, though, use any liner that you like.

Here’s what I do…

STEP ONE

First, I sharpen the pencil, because I really want a precise point. Then I draw a thin line along my upper lash lines, really getting in there at the roots of the lashes with the pencil’s tip.

At this point, it doesn’t really matter if the line is neat because we’ll sharpen the edge in a second. The key is just to make it thin.

STEP TWO

Next, I grab my angled brush (usually the NARS #47 Angled Brush), and use it to smooth out the edge of the line, working from the inner corner out, and subtly thickening the line as I go.

The resulting soft liner defines the eyes but doesn’t look too harsh. It’s also very fast and very easy (yay!).

Sometimes, depending on the clock, I’ll stop at this point, then curl my lashes and add mascara, but if I have a few extra minutes, I move on to step three…

STEP THREE

The flick. When I’m in the mood for one (which I usually am), I take my pencil liner and add more on the outer corner of my upper lash line. Then I drag out the liner to create a soft flick with my angled brush.

After that, if I STILL have a little more time, I’ll tight-line my water line with a black eye kohl to make my lashes look thicker.

That’s it! 🙂

Seriously, this is the easiest way I know to do liner. If you end up giving it a whirl, please let me know! And let me know if you have any questions.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

3-Step Easy Eyeliner / Originally published April 10th, 2015

There are 13 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup Tips/How To

Previous Post: For Impatient Lacquer Lovers, There’s ORLY Color AMP’D Nail Lacquer [VIDEO]
Next Post: Just a Cat Lady Friday

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Allie says

    April 10th, 2015 at 7:26 pm

    Ugh. Im too stupid to understand this. I need a video. This is too important to not have a video.

    Reply
  2. Chelsea says

    April 10th, 2015 at 7:30 pm

    I’ll try this out! I want all the Chanel Stylo Waterproof colors.

    Reply
  3. Lexi says

    April 10th, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    I love your tip to manipulate the pencil line with a brush! I find that I work best with the brush, but sometimes I like the pencil formula better…genius. And I lol’d at “the shakes”. Too funny.
    Lexi recently posted … Confident Young People | #TWSS

    Reply
  4. sarahc says

    April 10th, 2015 at 8:55 pm

    Great minds think alike. I love a soft pencil liner look. It’s so easy and no one can tell when you make mistakes. 🙂

    Reply
  5. HollieH says

    April 10th, 2015 at 9:41 pm

    Apparently, I have a case of the wonkies. I was rocking this technique all week after a complete epic eyeliner fail on Monday. You just can’t mess this one up.

    Reply
  6. LindaLibraLoca says

    April 10th, 2015 at 10:22 pm

    If it has to be perfect, I do the sticky tape thing, other than that I´ll just go with the flow…
    LindaLibraLoca recently posted … On my plate – Vegetable Hot Pot

    Reply
  7. Agata says

    April 11th, 2015 at 3:00 am

    I need to try that soft pencil look! Although for a perfect cat flick I always go with my Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. Although, as we discussed before, both eyes hardly ever come out exactly the same…
    Agata recently posted … Mac Boca might be my new favorite MLBB shade

    Reply
  8. Chic Lapin says

    April 11th, 2015 at 3:30 am

    I usually smudge my liner as a last resort when I’ve messed it up too badly, lol 😀 Nowadays I only use liquid eyeliner so I don’t rock this look that much. Looks very sultry on you though!

    Reply
  9. Jenny says

    April 11th, 2015 at 8:13 am

    I do this little trick on days that I’m in a hurry! It’s super easy but looks like you really put forth effort 🙂
    Jenny recently posted … Renewed Hope

    Reply
  10. Erin says

    April 11th, 2015 at 11:48 am

    I’ll have to see if that Chanel liner is still available!
    Erin recently posted … Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Serum Review

    Reply
  11. Kiss & Make-up says

    April 12th, 2015 at 6:29 am

    The flick is always where it goes wrong for me! So I just don’t flick 😉 Or at least not much. And I use powder instead of liquid or gel liner usually, ’cause it’s more fool-proof and forgiving.
    Kiss & Make-up recently posted … Recap | 2015’s top five most popular skin care posts

    Reply
  12. Gloria says

    April 12th, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    Your face is flawless. What foundation did you use????
    No comment about the liner though. lol

    Reply
  13. Cristina says

    April 10th, 2016 at 8:51 pm

    Need a video about it. It can be a quicky one, but definetelly need a video. Pleaseeeeeee
    Xoxo

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

SHOP THE STORE


Long Live Lipstick Tee 💄



Blush Is My Crush Tee



Mascara & Kitties Tee



Thank You For Being a Friend Tee



You Hair Me Tee


Recent Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 655

sumo citrus in hand

Saturday Surfing, April 17, 2021

honest beauty happiness lipstick glam on the go coral lips 5

This or That: The High/Low-End Beauty Edition, Part II

disney house of sillage

Disney X House of Sillage

skinfix hand repair cream

Checking In: SkinFix Favorites | A Possible Solution to Crazy Baby Hairs | The Dinner Rage Chronicles, Continued

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

red brown smokey eyes tutorial top pic 2

A Glamorously Grungy Makeup Tutorial: Smoky Reddish Brown Eyes and Vampy Matte Lips [MODERATE SKILL LEVEL]

Copyright © 2021 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.