All Made Up: Eyeliners Outlined

April 4, 2009 Posted in Beauty

eyeliner

Eyeliner is the one makeup staple that I just won’t leave the house without. Liner-less eyes make me feel like a zombie and I inevitably get bombarded with “are you sick” or “did you not sleep well” type questions.

I’ve tried so many different liners just trying to find that perfect one. And then I realized there isn’t one. The trick is that with so many different varieties, there are perfect liners for different occasions! Certain lifestyles and situations fit better with a particular type of eyeliner. I’ve outlined the different types of liner and the pros and cons of each so you can decide which ones are right for you:

Pencil Liner

This is the most common, most convenient liner out there. Just about every brand makes one and I don’t know a girl who doesn’t have at least one eyeliner pencil in her bag.

Pros: Easy to use, easy to find, no fuss, no muss.

Cons: Racoon eyes. For some girls a pencil liner only stays in place for a few hours before it’s essentially smeared into not-so-cute panda markings.

Perfect For: Day to day wear. To class, the grocery store or anywhere you want to look presentable but not have to try too hard.

Recommend: Urban Decay 24/7 Liner – $16 www.urbandecay.com

Liquid Liner

Liquid is the must-have liner of all the classic beauty, Hollywood glam girls out there. Ladies like Dita von Teese and Katy Perry who rock the vintage style are rarely seen without a little liquid liner!

Pros: Precision lines that don’t budge.

Cons: Very tricky to put on. You better have a steady hand guiding that teensy little brush along your lashline. And if you screw up, pull out the makeup remover and get ready to start over completely.

Perfect For: Special occasions where you want to step up the glamour! Sexy cats eyes, or any other look requiring very defined lines.

Recommend: Kat Von D Eyeliner – $16 sephora.com

Cream Liners

Cream liners are a little bit the best of both worlds. You can achieve a softer look than a liquid, but still more precise then a pencil.

Pros: Easy to use, stays put no matter what, creates precision lines but can be smudged out for a softer or smoky look.

Cons: Requires a special brush and can be time consuming to apply.

Perfect For: Going out to clubs or nice restaurants. Anyone who is scared or inept at liquid should feel comfortable with a cream liner.

Recommend: Stila Smudge Pots – $20 sephora.com

Powder Liner

Simple and refined, lining your eyes with a black (or really any shade!) of eye shadow can created the framing effect like other liners, but with a softer look.

Pros: You can use any eye shadow (preferably a darker shade) that you already have. It stays in place very well, and subtly fades away instead of smearing off like the others.

Cons: Also requires a brush and doesn’t give a defined line. More difficult to achieve a dramatic look.

Perfect For: Girls who like a softer look, or lining the inner rim.

Recommend: Make Up For Ever Eyeshadows – $19 sephora.com

261207 CommentsAll+Made+Up%3A+Eyeliners+Outlined2009-04-04+14%3A00%3A00Liza+-+Grove+City+College on "All Made Up: Eyeliners Outlined"

Linda says:
Sat, 4th Apr 20097:01 pm

The chosen products are way more than I'm sure most of us care to spend on eyeliner.

Kristina says:
Sun, 5th Apr 200911:22 am

I agree with Linda- I've never seen the appeal of Spehora when you can get virtually the same products at the drug store.

Christina says:
Sun, 5th Apr 20094:24 pm

To be honest, the quality difference is HUGE.

Every liner that I've gotten from a drugstore doesn't even come close to the quality I get from quality brands from Sephora and department stores, think MAC, Urban Decay, Stila, Bobbi Brown, Makeup Forever, etc.

And besides, MAC makes A-MAZING cream liners and I've had my pot for over a year, it's clean, I've barely made a dent, and I've used it almost everyday. I'd say that more than justifies the cost, especially since it doesn't smear. At. All.

Urban Decay eyeliners, pencil ones, do not move. They are a pain to take off, but are great liners for that long-ass day you've got.

Jennyl says:
Sun, 5th Apr 20097:57 pm

I get the SAME compliments when I go a day without eyeliner

Jessica says:
Mon, 6th Apr 200910:07 am

I've been using liquid liner daily ever since I realized that pencil liner gives me a severely unattractive heroin chic look.

In response to Linda, I've tried several expensive brands for liquid eyeliner but the one that I've stayed true to for several years is L'oreal Lineur Intense liquid eyeliner.. it's about $8-10 and it works better than most expensive eyeliners – my mom has even been using it since the 90's.

Renee says:
Sat, 11th Apr 20092:09 pm

I agree with Christina, that quality comes with the price. There is a reason that drugstore brands are a lot cheaper. But one exception is L'Oreal, and their liquid eyeliner is as good as MAC. It's a bit more expensive than other drugstore brands and it's made by Lancome.

Tracy says:
Wed, 22nd Apr 20097:24 pm

The reason people ask you if you're sick or if you didn't sleep is probably because you wear eyeliner so often that when you don't wear eyeliner, it looks strange. I've seen this effect on a lot of girls. If you get used to them wearing eyeliner everyday, when you see them without eyeliner, they tend to look uglier than if they had never started lining their eyes.

Tell us what you're thinking...

Notify me of follow-up comments via email.

Notify me of new posts via email.