We all love the way a great feline flick can magically transform our eyes. Unfortunately, we can’t just say abracadabra and flip our wrists for that insanely perfect, killer eyeliner we’ve seen on Adele. Applying eyeliner is a fiddly business, especially if you’re just getting started. Luckily, these four hacks can make it considerably easier.
Trace the shape first: Liquid liner, which is used for the more precision looks, is probably the trickiest kind of eyeliner to handle. To help you cut down the frustration, there are several ways you can make applying it easier. You can try tracing the shape you want with light brown eyeliner first, doing it as many times as necessary, as it’s easy to wipe off. Another way to perfect a line using liquid liner is to begin with dots, making sure they’re the same size you want the width of your line to be. All you need to do is make dots along the lash line, then connect them slowly and allow them to dry. You can try this with dashes as well.
Control a shaky hand: If you have the shaky hand syndrome, yes, the struggle is all around, this hack will be your saviour. All you need to do is sit down and find a flat surface to put your elbows on. Then place your pinky, the little finger, on your cheek. This helps you be more stable, which in turn, leads to fewer erratic movements, culminating in much better results.
SOS clean ups: After you’ve finished applying eyeliner, you can polish up the shape and precision in several different ways. One of these is getting a small brush and dipping it in primer or concealer to smooth any irregularities out. Primer is great for fixing smudges as it ensures longevity and creates water resistance. Other ways to conceal errors include using petroleum jelly, clear lip gloss, a make-up remover pen or a make-up remover soaked swab.
Use a piece of paper to achieve a straight line: Do you constantly end up with wonky and irregular looking wings? You’re definitely not the only one. In order to get those longed for two identical wings, try using a piece of paper, similar to a Post-it. Choose a piece that’s thinner than a credit card and line it up with the corner of the eye. Ideally, it should stretch from the outer corner of the eye to the eyebrow. By angling it where you want the flick to go and drawing the line while pressing down on the paper, you can pretty much ensure two even lines.
