If your cat eye is looking more like a raccoon eye, it might be time to try something new.
Before the world of endless makeup reviews and tutorials, the only way to find out which makeup was best for you was through word of mouth and the classic trial and error method. While that does give us plenty of opportunities to perfect technique, it isn’t exactly wallet-friendly. When it comes to eyeliners, there are quite a few varieties in the market. Whether you’re a hardcore Glamazon or just want a little something to make your eyes pop, there are a number of options to choose from. Here we outline the main types of eyeliner and how best to apply them.
Pencil Eyeliner
Pencil eyeliner is generally the cheapest on the market and is easy to apply, making it a good go-to for beginners. But if you’re looking for long-lasting wear, a pencil liner is generally not your best bet, as they tend to smudge. They also are not as bold or as dark as other black eyeliners. And you’ll have to buy a sharpener to maintain a fine tip (unless you want a thick line).
A step up from pencil liners would be retractable liners. The lead is softer, so they glide on more smoothly and do not need to be sharpened. Although, pencil liners can also be softened by aiming a hot hairdryer at the tip. Pencil and retractable liners are the easiest to blend with the rest of your eye makeup. Pick one of these if you want to achieve a classic smokey eye look.
Liquid Eyeliner: Felt Tip vs. Feather Tip
Liquid eyeliner demands a steady hand and plenty of patience to get it done right—so make sure you have makeup wipes handy. Liquid eyeliner is typically packaged as a standalone pen or an applicator attached to a tiny, nail-polish like pot. There are also two kinds of tips that come with this eyeliner, felt and feather. The latter which I will happily comb an entire mall (or two) to obtain. Feather-tips are much more flexible than felt tips eyeliners, but felt-tipped liners paint thick lines the more easily.
The biggest con when it comes to liquid liner is that it can get very messy, very quickly. Whether you’re using a pen felt-tipped version of liquid eyeliner, there’s always a learning curve. But it’s the best way to get a picture-perfect winged eyeliner look.
Gel and Cream Eyeliner
Gel eyeliners come in a little pot, which may very well outlast liquid eyeliners if you take care of it. You can achieve any eyeliner look you’d like by choosing an appropriately sized angle brush for application. This type of eyeliner is generally quite creamy, easy to apply, heavily pigmented, and comes in a variety of colors. Their only downfall is the fact that they have the tendency to dry out if you don’t screw on the lid tightly enough (but that can usually be fixed with a few eye drops).
Whether you select the pen, liquid, or gel eyeliner, know that all three are good choices. Think about the result you’re looking for and then match your needs with the product. Want to do thin lines? A feather liquid liner is your best bet. Winged eyeliner? Go for felt-tips. Want something that’s easy to glide on? Gel and cream eyeliners #FTW!
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