One brush = endless eyeliner options - pic

I took this pic right after I wrote the previous post but never got around to sharing it.

So here's the effect I achieved using the Stila's wondeful brush and the darker shade of L'Oréal's HIP concentrated shadow duo in Dynamic - a beautiful metallic antique gold and a shimmery dark olive bronze. It doesn't really qualify as a forgotten eyeshadow because I actually use it a lot.

I got my bonus points by smudging it and I achieved a very natural look with a just a hint of color. I left my lashes bare so the eyeliner effect was clearer in this photo, but would normally have added mascara.

One brush = endless eyeliner options

While my goal is to pretend that I’m not wearing any makeup and just look naturally polished, eyeliner is my weakness and the only place where I get a little “showy”. We’ve established that in my previous three posts about different levels of eyeliner intensity, especially in that last one (read all about it here).

Eyeliner pencils are great but my eyeliner philosophy was greatly augmented when I discovered this magic brush – Stila #28 Smudge Pot Brush. On one end it’s a pointy (rather than flat) eyeliner brush and on the other end it’s a tightly packed smudge brush.

Though it was designed to be worn with Stila’s Smudge Pots (and I’ll surely write a post about them at some point), the really interesting thing is that you can use it to turn just about any eyeshadow into gorgeous, custom eyeliner!

Start slow and easy and pick up any basic old eyeshadow that you haven’t used in a while. Maybe it’s a basic brown that you’re not crazy about because it doesn’t go on evenly or a forest green that you bought after reading about it in a magazine, but can’t imagine wearing it all over your lid. Find it and let's get started!

Now dampen the pointy side slightly with tap water, wiggle it in the eyeshadow a couple of times and carefully draw a line as close to your eyelashes as possible. Pick up more eyeshadow if needed until you’ve completed both eyes. If you are worried that you’re not enough of an “artiste” to make this work, let it go. It’s honestly super easy and forgiving, nothing like liquid eyeliner.

You can leave it at that or turn the brush around and use the other side to slightly smudge the line. When you’re done admire your work and then go unearth all the forgotten eye shadows you can think of – you have just breathed new life into your eyeliner options!

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Eyeliner pencil – intensity 3

Well, once we go into eyeliner intensity 3 we are straying a little from our “no makeup look” ideals, but it’s worth it. Check intensity 1 and 2 for more natural styles and stick around for the heightened and smokin’ version of just eyeliner, as we line the inner rim of eye. I like this slightly disheveled and bohemian approach to eyeliner and enjoy sporting it in the evenings and even during the day on the weekends.

Start by adding concealer to dark circles and to the lid itself. Use something like bareMinerals Well Rested (check out my post about it here) or a creamier concealer applied with a brush and set with a little bit of powder. 

Now that the canvas is ready, take a kohl eyeliner such as Lancôme’sLe Crayon Khol in Brun or Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (a really inky and black liner) and sharpen it slightly so that you expose untouched product. Using your finger pull your lower lid down and show the inside rim. Line the inside rim of your eyes, both on the bottom rim and upper rim. Blink a few times and repeat the lining process.

For extra bonus run the pencil over the roots of lower lashes, working it in carefully. Do the same at the roots of the upper lashes, working from the top. Once you’re done, take a q-tip and smudge any excess around the roots of the lashes.

Add mascara and go show off this smoldering look!

Some people express concern over lining the inside of the eye – is it safe? Run a search online and you’ll find pros and cons. I’ve done it all my life, and though I’m a contact lenses wearer, I’ve never had any trouble. Here are a few tips that have helped me stay that way. Wash your hands with soap. Then sharpen your eyeliner slightly to expose new, clean surface. Don’t share eyeliners and discard if yours comes in contact with any kind of eye infection. Lastly, be careful when applying so you don’t accidentally scratch your eye (this is really not the makeup technique for a moving car…). If you wear contact lenses, you may notice a small amount of product accumulating on the edges of the lens. Remove and clean if it feels uncomfortable, and always clean extra well when you take them off at the end of the day.

Eyeliner pencil – intensity 2

For this second eyeliner post (see the first one here) we will focus on more definition and a hint of smokiness. Since we are going for a natural effect, I recommend using colors such as brown, grey or black. This application technique is one of the most traditional for eyeliner and is appropriate for most occasions. My favorite product ever, Lancôme’s Le Crayon Khol in Brun (or Black Coffee), is once again the recommended product.

Make sure that your eye pencil is reasonable sharp, pull at the outer corner of the eye to make eyelid taut and carefully draw a fine line from the inner to the outer corner, as close to the eyelashes as possible. Since this is not liquid eyeliner, you don’t have to do it all in one line and can go bit by bit until you’ve lined the whole upper lid.

Don't worry about getting it just perfect because we are about to smudge it. When you’re done drawing the line, run a fingertip over it until the edges are gone. Go sideways rather than up and down, so the eyeliner stays concentrated at the lash line. You can use a q-tip for more control and to clean up any smudges that have strayed too far.

You should have a smoky lash line right now with no hard edges. For extra credit, take your eyeliner and draw a very fine line right at the base of your lashes. Don’t smudge this last line, which should blend beautifully into your slightly wider smudged eyeliner. Add two coats of lengthening mascara and go show off your gorgeous eyes!

Eyeliner pencil – intensity 1

What is the cosmetic product you take with you to a deserted island? (I’d love to hear your opinions in comments!) As for me, if I had to pick one it would probably be Lancôme’s Le Crayon Khol in Brun (a.k.a. brown).

Eyeliner is my weapon of choice, and I can say that this particular product goes above and beyond. It’s the perfect dark chocolate shade, it’s richly pigmented, it blends better than anything I’ve ever tried and it has considerable staying power.  As if that wasn’t enough, it also wears off well – when it’s a little smudged at the end of the day, it looks even better.

Intensity 1, the first post focusing on eyeliner, is all about intensifying the shape of your eyes in an understated way. Take a sharpened eyeliner pencil and carefully dot it between your upper and lower eyelashes, wiggling the tip into the lash line. Do it at small regular intervals, aiming for at least 10 dots. Run your finger over the base of your lashes gently to smudge any excess.  This technique makes the roots of your lashes darker, which in turn makes your lashes look fuller and your eyes more defined. The effect is very light, but you’ll see the difference. Look for intensity 2 next week.