How to Apply Eyeliner | South Africa

With new beauty tricks popping up on the daily, it’s understandably challenging to master them all before they fade away. But one trend that will remain the mainstay of the beauty industry is the beloved winged eyeliner. The winged liner has graced the eyelids of icons like Elizabeth Taylor, Amy Winehouse and Adele, so, unlike glittered lips, this look is versatile and will almost always be the finishing touch to many of your makeup looks.

To learn how to master this timeless trend, keep on reading.

Using the right products

Pencils are a great option when practicing as you can build up the intensity and you can sharpen the tip to get extra precise with your liner. Gel liners are usually intensely pigmented and you can control the amount of product you want to use. They are also a great way to get a clean and precise line thanks to the formula and an angled brush. Liquid liners are great for achieving thin, subtle lines, making it a great option for everyday use, but be prepared to fall a couple of times before you learn how to fly high with your sharp wings. 

Find Your Eye Shape

Knowing your eye shape is key to creating a winged liner that will flatter your eyes and overall look.

Monolid

Eyes with little to no defined crease, usually prominent on Asians. The monolid is quite possibly one of the easiest lids to work with when creating a winged liner. 

Celebrity example: Jamie Chung

Double Lid

Eyes with a fold above the lash line that is visible with the eyes are open.

Celebrity example: Miley Cyrus

Hooded Eyes

The lid and crease are not visible when eyes are open.

Celebrity example: Jennifer Lawrence

Almond Eyes

The outer and inner corners are approximately aligned with one another

Celebrity example: Beyoncé

Upturned Eyes

The outer corners of the eyes are higher than the inner corners.

Celebrity example: Tiffany Hines

Downturned Eyes

The outer corners of the eyes are lower than the inner corners

Celebrity example: Corinne Bailey Ray

Deep-Set Eyes

The eyeballs are set back in the eye socket

Celebrity example: Megan Fox

Protruding Eyes

The eyeballs are set forward in the eye sockets

Celebrity example: Nicole Richie 

Close-Set Eyes

The inner corner of each eye is close to the bridge of the nose

Celebrity example: Jennifer Aniston

Wide-Set Eyes

The inner corner of each eye is a few centimetres away from the bridge of the nose 

Celebrity example: Brandy

The Technique

Choose your weapon of choice and let’s begin.

Step 1

Sketch a short line from the outer corner of your lash line upwards toward your temple. The rule of thumb is to visualise a line extending up and outwards from your bottom lash line and follow it. 

Step 2

Place your eyeliner at the outer tip of the line you just created and pull the liner back towards your lid in a downward motion to create a triangular shape. You should end up with something resembling an outline of winged eyeliner. 

Step 3

Fill in the liner. Don’t be worried if you don’t have an open space to fill in, that just means your liner covered more space which is essentially a good thing so you don’t have to go back and fill in as many gaps in your liner. 

Step 4 (Optional)

Take a look at your liner and evaluate it. If you want to sharpen the line, you can use your foundation or concealer on a small, flat brush. Dip the tip of the brush into the foundation or concealer and wipe off excess product. Place the brush at the outer corner of your eye and pull it back, tracing just beneath the eyeliner. 

There’s something about winged liner that pulls any look together and once you’ve mastered it, you can make it your own by playing around with different colours of eyeliner or even exaggerate it by extending the wing a little further – the possibilities are endless. Go forth and slay, girl!