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As promised, this is the second part of my Introduction to Eyeliner Series.  This part will hopefully be helpful to those who are having trouble with the application of eyeliner and want to get it right.

Tips and Tricks:

~ Remember pencil liner is easiest to apply, so perhaps it is best to leave gel and liquid liners until you have become more well-practiced.

~ When applying liner, be sure to use a steady hand.  If you find this difficult, try resting your elbow on a table or your hand on your cheek while lining your eyes.

~ Resist the urge to pull you eyelid taut while applying liner, this can lead to wrinkles.  Instead, gently place your finger on the eyelid and hold it to prevent the lid from moving while you draw the line.

~ Apply the product as close to the lash line as possible, you don’t want visible gaps between your lashes and the liner.  If you do see these gaps, try to fill them in.

~ If you’re using a gel or cream liner be sure to use a good brush to apply it.  Liner brushes can be flat topped, angled, or come to a very fine point, it’s important to find one that works for you (I much prefer angled liner brushes).  Also, synthetic brushes work best to apply liner, so look for one made of Taklon.

~ Experiment with colored or glitter liner! Depending on what shade your use you can bring out your eye color or just really complete your makeup look.

~ Experiment with shapes.  My eyes are quite small so I tend to “wing out” my liner at the outer corner (extend it just a bit and end it at a very fine point) to make them appear longer.  You can make your eyes look rounder by making the line a little thicker at the middle part of your lash line, or try making the outer corner thicker to elongate your eye.

~ While lining the waterline with a dark color can make for a more dramatic intense look, keep in mind it can also close up the eye, making it appear smaller.  Adding a white or flesh colored liner to the waterline can make the eye appear larger.

~ As with most things, practice does make perfect so keep at it and pretty soon you’ll be lining your eyes with ease!~

Products I Recommend Trying:

NYC Liquid Liner

Rimmel Eye pencils

Gel Liner (available on Ebay or CoastalScents)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils

Urban Decay Glitter Liner

Beauty Rush Glitter Liner

This series is hopefully going to answer some questions about eyeliner, and provide some tips to help you use it better.  This first part is a brief history and a rundown of each type available.

The use of eyeliner started in Ancient Egypt as far back as 10,000 BC.  Back then girls and guys lined their lids with kohl not only to look pretty and enhance their eye shape, but to protect their eyes from the glare of the sun.  Ancient Egyptians used a mixture of ash, copper, lead, ochre, burnt almonds, and more to line their eyes, and applied it with a small pointed stick.  Eyeliner has come a long way since then and now comes in many forms: liquid, pencil, kajal, gel, and cream.

Here’s a rundown of each type, what to look for, and what they’re good for:

Pencil Liner:

Pencil liners are the easiest to control and are the best type of liner for beginners.  Just try to get one that’s as soft as possible, you don’t want to pull or scratch the sensitive skin around your eye.  Also, because pencils tend to be softer in color, look for a very pigmented product, like Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils (shown above), or Revlon Colorstay liners.

Pencil liners are best for softer, smudgier lines, and for lining your waterline.

Liquid Liner:

Liquid liners are my least favorite, just because I find them more time consuming than gel liners, which give the same result.  Liquid liners usually come with one of two brush tips: a pointed brush (as shown above, Victoria’s Secret Glitter Liners) or a pointed sponge (like Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner).  I personally prefer the pointed brush because I find it offers more control and makes it easier to draw thin lines, but it’s all a matter of personal preferance.  These products offer quite a bit of pigmentation and usually dry really quickly, so they’re good for creating dark, sharp lines.  Because they are obviously liquid, these liners are a little more difficult to apply, so be sure to steady your hand while drawing the line.  Try resting your hand on your cheek while applying liquid liner.

I wouldn’t recommend using a liquid liner in the waterline.  Opt for a pencil liner instead.

Kajal:

Kajals are much like pencil liners in that they’re easy to use.  They are very pigmented however, so you have to be a bit more precise with them.  Also, a lot of kajals are produced outside North America and may not be FDA approved – some even contain lead, so make sure to do your research before purchasing.  The Shahnaz Hussain Kajal, shown above, is safe and lead free.  The L’Oreal HIP line also has a kajal liner.

Kajals can be used on the waterline (just be sure it’s a safe product!).

Gel/Cream Liner:

My favorite type of eyeliners are creams and gels.  With a little practice and a good liner brush (either angled or pointed), you can create really nice precise lines.  In my opinion, its also the easiest way to create winged liner (a little flick at the outer corner of the eye extending towards the brow).  This type of liner is relatively new, but larger companies have recently hopped on the bandwagon and you can even find these little pots at the drugstore (check out L’Oreal HIP Color Truth Cream Liner, shown above).  With cream/gel liners, look for a pigmented, creamy formula that goes on smooth and just practice!~

Gel and cream liners can be used in the waterline, but I still prefer to use a pencil.


Tip: For beginners, an easy way to get used to using eyeliner is to dip a damp liner brush into your favorite dark shadow and smudge it along your lash line.  With powder shadow, it’s easier to fix mistakes and easier to apply.


—Next in this series: an eyeliner how-to—

I think red lips scare a lot of people, the thought of slicking on such a bright, vibrant color makes some people cringe.  But it shouldn’t!  I am positive that just about anyone can pull off the look, with a little tweaking.  When done right, red lips can look classic and sophisticated.  Here are a few tips for achieving the perfect red lip:

~ Line your lips!  Red lipstick is so bright that any feathering or smudging can become very noticeable, lining your lips is an easy way to prevent this.  Also, for extra lasting power, try filling in the lips with liner before applying lipstick.

~ Apply red lipstick with a lip brush, not straight out of the tube.  Again, because red is such a prominent color, it can look sloppy if not applied very precisely.  Painting your lips with a lip brush allows for better control.

~ Choose an appropriate color.  This has a lot to do with your skin tone; if you have fair skin, try a bright cherry red, if you have olive skin, try a true fire engine red, and if you have darker skin, deeper red/wine tones look best.

~ Anytime you’re wearing a bright lip color, pair it with a neutral eye to avoid looking clown-like.  A general rule of thumb for makeup is to emphasize only one feature at a time.  In this case, playing up the lips means that a smokey eye might not be the best choice.  Instead, subtly enhance them with neutrals so they’re not competing with your standout lips.

~ If you’re still absolutely terrified of the red stuff, opt for a red gloss instead and ease into it!

What I did:

- Applied foundation and powder as usual.

- Dusted a little light pink blush onto to apples of my cheeks (being careful not to overdo it).

- Opted for a neutral taupe eye; applied a light cool brown shade all over the lid, a darker taupe in the crease to create dimension, and added a white highlight to the brow bone.

- Brought some emphasis to the eye with black gel liner, only on the top lash line, and winged it out slightly.

- Applied a white pencil liner to the waterline to brighten my eyes and added mascara to the top and bottom lashes.

- Lined the outer edge of my lips with a neutral pink lip liner, applied two coats of CG Outlast Lipstain in Wild Berry Wink, and topped it with CG Wetslicks Lipgloss in Fire Fly (discontinued, sadly, its the perfect red gloss).

Some shades to try: MAC Russian Red, and Dubonnet, Revlon Matte Lipstick Really Red, and In the Red, CG TruShine Fire Shine, and Elf Plumping Lip Glaze Ruby Kiss.

If there’s one thing that can really add drama to your look, it’s lashes, and let’s be real for a second: there’s only so much mascara can do. This is especially true for people with lashes like mine: short, thin, and straight. So anytime I want a more dramatic look, I turn to false lashes. Something I’ve noticed though, is that people seem quite daunted at the thought of putting them on, so hopefully this little how-to will be of some help!

What you’ll need:
~tweezers, lash glue, and a set of lashes (that’s it!) If you’re just starting out, try a natural looking pair.

What to do:
~Carefully remove the lashes from the packaging. They are as delicate as they look so be careful to avoid bending or breaking them. If you are careful with them you can get a few uses out of each pair.
~Check to see if your lashes need trimming. Hold the strip up to your eye and measure. If they are too long, simply trim them by cutting the outer end (not the inner end with the shorter lashes).
~Gently hold the middle of one strip of lashes with your tweezers and squeeze some lash glue onto the strip that binds the lashes together (the part you want to stick to your lash line). Be sure to coat the ends of the strip.
~Wait 20 seconds!!! I cannot stress this enough. You have to wait for the glue to become tacky. If the lashes are applied right away the glue will get everywhere and they won’t stick. Trust me, wait 20 seconds.
~After twenty seconds, half-close the lid you are applying to and place the lashes directly above your natural lashes, as close to the lash line as possible. Start by placing the middle part of the lash strip first, then one end and the other.
~Repeat, and voila!! Full, dramatic eyelashes!
~To remove false lashes, try applying a warm washcloth to the area for a few seconds, this will melt the glue and allow for an easy removal.

Elf Natural Lashes: