Everlasting Liner.

One of the questions I am frequently asked as a makeup artist is how to make eyeliner last all day without it smearing, smudging, and melting. There are so many tips & tricks that work towards helping your liner last all day...there are even companies that vouch that their liner alone is all you need for a lasting look (closest I've found to this is Urban Decay's 24-7 Glide-on pencil). Well, today I'm going to share my tried and true 3-step process to guarantee you fabulous lasting liner, which is going to be especially beneficial with these summer months upon us! While reading over this you may think it seems like a lot of work, but once you start applying the techniques to your everyday routine it will be a piece of cake (and speaking of cake...just took some carrot cake cupcakes out of the oven...going to decorate them with a Royal Wedding vibe!). These steps can be used to achieve an eyeliner look with any color, but I will be referring to "black" since that is the shade I predominantly use. If you try these steps let me know how it works for you!

1. Create a Guide Line.
Using a black eye pencil (sharpened, but not to a fine point that will be rough on your eye), or retractable liner pencil, you will create a guide line for your liquid liner. To get a nice and even liner line (for any of these steps) gently pull the outer corner of your outwards, just a little bit, to create a nice smooth surface on your lid. Taking your eye pencil (my fave would be MAC's Smolder), I like to start on the outer corner of my eye and move inwards making small dashes, staying as close to my upper lash line as possible. (You can then go back and fill in any gaps in the dashes once you've made your line). You'll be left with a nice even line. If you like to wing your liner, I would personally wait until the next step to do so.

MAC's pencil liner in "Smolder"

2. Liquid Line

Using your favorite liquid liner (I like L'Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black) or even a gel liner (ie-MAC's fluid-line) go over your pencil guide line. keeping close to the lash line. If you need to add more definition to your line, or wing it out, do that now with your liquid liner.

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner in "Carbon Black"

3. Lock it in.

Now we want to lock in that liquid line--Using a small angled eyeshadow brush, dip into some matte black shadow and gently dab the shadow over your liquid line, making sure you are blending everything into your upper lash line. Anytime you put a dry application over a liquid one you are adding extra staying power (just like setting liquid foundation with a translucent powder, etc).  There you have it...lasting liner!



MAC 266 angled brush

Note: There are some other bonus jonas steps that can be done to not only add staying power to your liner but to your whole makeup look. Using an eyeshadow primer before applying eye makeup and using a setting spray after all your makeup is done can really give your makeup that stay-put edge in the summer heat.

Also: If you like to wear liner on your lower lash line (or waterline, like me) it's typically just a 1-step process as far as I'm concerned. I would just apply a creamy pencil liner to that area since your bottom lash line is more prone to watering. I really like Stila's kajal liner in onyx...it's creamy, goes on smooth and typically stays put! Questions, Comments?? Let me know....I have some cupcakes to attend to! <3

XOXO,

Jacqueline

Stila's kajal liner in "Onyx"