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Lip liner is a waxy pencil traditionally used to line the outer edges of the lips to prevent lipstick from bleeding (smudging outside the lip line).  You can even use liner as your actual lip color by just filling in your whole lip and topping it with lip gloss.  Sometimes lip liner can go wrong though, if you choose a liner that’s too dark for your lipstick (à la Eva Longoria Parker) or if you (gasp!) only wear liner on the ring around your lips, it can look tacky.

Here are some tips to avoid this makeup don’t:

~ Don’t feel the need to wear lip liner every time you wear lipstick.  It’s really not necessary most of the time.

~ Fill in your entire lip then top with lipstick when you want extra lasting power.  By filling it all in, you’ll avoid that darker ring that forms around you lips.

~ Pick a color that matches your lipstick perfectly.  If anything you can go a little lighter, not darker.

~ Buy a neutral colored liner and wear that under all your lipsticks.  Something that matches your skin tone won’t look tacky and will still make your lipstick last longer and not smudge.

~ Be careful not to line outside your natural lip line.  If you are trying to make your lips appear larger, try a bright lip gloss instead of over-lining, to make your lips appear plumper.

~ If you are wearing liner on the edges of your lips and under lipstick, don’t forget to retouch your lip color after eating or drinking.  Lipstick wears off faster than liner, and you don’t want to be left with the dreaded dark ring.

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—

Products Used:

88 Matte Palette: dark taupe, black

L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara: blackest black

Rimmel Two Toned Liner: trendsetter (white end)

6 pan Contour Palette: bright pink blush

Manic Panic Lipstick: vampire red (thanks Justin!)

CG Wetslicks: mauvelicious (discontinued)

Elf Eyebrow Kit: dark

–For this 1920′s makeup look I took inspiration from the risque flappers of that era.  High, arched, very thin brows, dark smokey eyes, and bright lips are all characteristics of the look.  If you plan on trying this for a costume party (or everyday, whatever!), remember to:

~elongate your brows and make them appear as thin as possible.

~choose a bright pink or plum blush.

~apply a dark gray, taupe, or black eyeshadow on the lid and smudge it along the lower lash line.

~apply a pigmented dark red or plum lipstick.  The most defining feature of this look is the lips.  They are not colored all the way into the corners, are over-lined on top to emphasize the cupid’s bow, and have a “bee stung” appearance.  Think Lady Gaga in her Paparazzi music video!

I thought I’d throw in a black and white to make it look more authentic! Haha

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.

Along with overplucked brows, wearing too much blush can make you look older.  Believe it or not, in the above photo Hayden Panettiere is only 18.  Yeah, I think I’ve made my point.  To avoid looking like you’re ten years older and wearing clown paint, try these quick tips:

~ Choose an appropriate color.  Try to pick a shade that matches your natural blush color.  If you are unsure about this, try bending over for a few seconds and let the blood rush to your head.  The color that appears on your cheeks is what you should aim for.

~ Makeup can look quite different under different lights, so make sure to check your reflection in a few rooms before stepping outside.  Even ask someone you trust to tell you if you have too much on.

~ One way to achieve a natural look is to apply blush before your foundation.  This is also a good way to make sure your blush is well blended.

~ Be careful not to apply too much.  Using a soft, fluffy blush brush, pick up a little powder (tap off any excess), and dust it onto your cheeks.  Remember not to pick up too much product, if you haven’t applied enough, you can always add another layer.

~ Brush color onto the apples of your cheek and sweep the rest along your cheekbone.  Avoid depositing color too close to your nose or eyes.  Keep the product focused on the apples of your cheeks, you want to look like you have a healthy flush, not like you just ran a marathon.

~ If you do apply a little too much, don’t panic, you don’t have to remove all your makeup.  Try blending it with a clean fluffy brush, or with a little translucent powder.  If that doesn’t do the trick apply a thin layer of foundation on top of the blush, some color will still show through, but it won’t be as dramatic.  This works especaially well with mineral foundation.  Be careful not to repeat this layering process to much, you don’t want your foundation to look cakey.

Products Used:

Revlon Illuminance Creme Eyeshadow: sea shells

88 Shimmer Palette: teal, purple, white with pink and blue reflects

88 Matte Palette: highlight color

Gosh Extreme Art Eyeliner: 01 purple

Colossal Mascara: glam black

Rimmel Eye Pencil: trendsetter

Scotch tape

Elf Contouring and Blush Palette

CG Wetslicks: mauvelicious

NYX round lipstick: margerita

Tip:  For a more precise eyeshadow look, apply a piece of scotch tape to the outer corner of your eye at an angle before applying eyeshadow.  After you’ve applied the shadow, remove the tape and voila!  A crisp, defined line!

Time for the second post in the Makeup Don’ts Series!

I was completely thrilled when I came upon this image of Keira Knightley while looking for photos of overplucked eyebrows.  It shows what a huge impact eyebrows can have on your overall look.  Along with making you look less refined, overplucking can really age a person, as shown in the photoshopped image on the right.  To prevent overplucking, check out the tips below:

~If your brows are overplucked, please, please let them grow in.  I know it might be a difficult process, but it will be well worth the wait. Resist the urge to pluck!

~Once they have grown back (or if you have au naturale brows to begin with), try removing only stray hairs.  These are hairs that are visibly separated from the actual eyebrow and most of them are under, not above, the brow.

~Avoid plucking above the brow.  Arched eyebrows are flattering, so try not to diminish yours.  If your brows are really unruly, try to keep above-the-brow plucking to a minimum.

~When shaping your brows take note of where they should begin and end.  A good trick to use is to imagine a line between your nose and the corners of your eye, as in the photo below.  Anything past those lines can be removed.

~A little grooming can go a long way: fill in any gaps with a brow powder or a pencil (make sure the shade is not too dark!), apply a brow gel to keep them in place, and trim the hairs if they are too long.

~Remember that brows generally look their best when their natural shape is maintained, so try not to mess with them too much!