Make-up; where to start - Lesson 2 Part 1 (Eyeliners)

As promised, this is lesson 2 of our make-up master class and today we will be talking about eyes.  In the first of our eye-based lessons we will discuss eyeliners and continue another time with eyeshadows and mascaras.

I personally love love love eye make-up and think I probably focus too much on eyes above other aspects of make-up as I have large lips and too much colour on my lips can look over powering so I tend to stick with more neutral colours there.  However, with my eyes, I experiment with colours and love trying out new, dramatic and interesting styles.

When starting with eye make-up it is really important to have a base to put the eye make-up on to.  First things first you need to moisturise - this is not just a make-up thing but helps to nourish your skin.  It always astounds me when I meet people that don't moisturise but anyway - I'll save that for another post ;-)

After moisturising you may decide to go for a primer, foundation or powder, however, whatever your beauty and make-up regime and before you start with the eye make-up you need to make sure that you put a powder with a silicone base (see Lesson 1 for our powder recommendations). Although this sounds very scientific, it is not - any powder with a silicone base just goes into your natural facial creases and stops the make-up from creasing or bleeding. Another tip  for stopping make-up bleeding (Nisha) is to not rub your eyes...

For the powder base, I like to use a loose powder, brushed over the eyelids with a small powder brush. A tip I learnt from Kim Kardashian's make-up artist is to brush a little more loose powder under the eyes so that if the eyeshadow falls onto your cheeks - which it often does - you can easily brush it away.

Eyeliner

I am totally one of those people who cannot leave my house without wearing eyeliner. I absolutely love the stuff and get through a (UK) tonne of it every month. You can get lots of different types of eyeliner; whether it be liquid, gel, powder, pencil, kohl, pen and I think the look you are going for should be what dictates your choice of liner. But before I go on, I have a bug bear, I absolutely hate to see when people leave a gap between their lash line and the liner.  Unless this part of a retro 70s look, it just looks slapdash and if you have taken the time to put on your make-up, you may as well spend the extra 30 seconds getting it right, right? 

Eye pencils and kohl
Pencil and kohl eyeliners are the most popular kinds of eyeliner. I prefer Kohl as they give a dramatic colour and a softer more smudgable line, however, they are most likely to give you panda eyes so for work I tend to use a pencil which lines without the added drama.  My pencil recommendation are the colours in the Boots No. 7 pencil eyeliner range. They go on really softly but still give the required definition. Bourjois also make high-quality and reasonably priced eye make-up and fantastic party eyeliners. The Bourjois Douchrome range of eyeliners come in Noir emeraude and Noir bleute which actually look almost black but reflect shimmery emerald and blue, respectively. I love to wear these colours around the top and bottom of my eye line and with some black mascara to add a touch of je ne sais quoi to my look.

I think people make most mistakes with applying pencil eyeliners. The trick is to use a freshly sharpened pencil and make sure it lines the precise line along your lashes. I know this is terrible for wrinkles and I'm sure I will regret it one day but I usually gently stretch the (delicate) skin around at my eyes to make it easier to apply the liner. I even the lines out with a cotton bud dipped in a tiny bit of eye make-up remover just to finish things off.

When I wear kohl, I like to smudge the line slightly to blend it with any eyeshadow I am wearing. To do so I use MACs 208 eyeliner brush which can build up the line and help give a natural progression from the eyeliner to the eyeshadow.  My kohl pick is MAC's smoulder which only takes a light touch for a dramatic effect.

Liquid eyeliners
Liquid, liquid pen and gel eyeliners can give thinner and more precise lines, but can also be used to build up thicker and very dramatic looking eyeliner shapes and flicks. The problem is they can be quite tricky to use.  If you are a novice then I would suggest using a liquid pen like Ecuriture de Chanel to start with, but if you have the hands of a surgeon then liquid a good pot of liquid eyeliner such as Nars which is brilliant as it doesn't bleed, smudge or fade the whole day.

To apply a liquid eyeliner I would recommend having some cotton buds to hand and eye make-up remover. Take it in steps:

1. As above, start with a foundation or powder with a silicone base.
2. Liquid eyeliner should be applied along the roots of the upper lashes working up and out from the inner corners outwards. If you can’t draw in one smooth motion, try a succession of lines along the lashes and join them up. The line should be thicker at the outer corners of the eyes to make them look bigger.
3. To create a flick at the outer corners of the eye beyond the outer corner of each eye take the eyeliner brush gently upwards - don't worry if the line is not exactly perfect you can always clean it up later.
4. If you make any mistakes put some cleanser on a cotton bud to wipe the make-up away and even out the lines.

I never use a liquid eyeliner on the bottom lash line as it can look too unnatural but, if you are going for a 70s look then it is worth an experiment.

Gel eyeliners
Gel eyeliners are very similar to liquid eyeliners and can generally be applied in the same way. Gel eyeliners are slightly easier to put on as the consistency allows for easy blending and layering whether you want a thin barely visible line or a more dramatic Amy Winehouse look.  Bobbi Brown has an amazing range of gel eyeliners which come in a variety of colours which means that there is something for everyone from demure kittens and rock chicks. The only problem is that the brush provided by Bobbi Brown isn't that great so instead, I use MAC's 266 for a more precise line.

Powder eyeliners
Before even attempting to us a powder eyeliner you need a good liner brush.  MAC's 208 is perfect here as it has a thin and very shaply cut line.  As with other types of eyeliner the powder is meant to run along your lash line and unlike liquid eyeliners create a more natural look so can be used on the bottom lash line as well. My favourite powder eyeliner is MAC Carbon eyeshadow, however, any eyeshadow can be used as an eyeliner so, it is a good make-up choice for those every body as eyeshadow comes in every shade. The only problem with applying a powder eyeliner is that it can leave a dusting of powder on your face and as these powders tend to be darker shades, it can ruin any already applied make-up. To avoid this, I would recommend dipping the brush in the smallest amount of water first just so that it is slightly damp and makes the powder stick to the brush. This should make it easier and less messy to apply the powder along your lash line. With a good brush you can really build up the powder look and attempt some unique shapes.

In terms of ease of use and portability, there is no beating a pencil eyeliner but, what you choose to use is down to your preference and what you feel comfortable with. Regardless you shouldn't be afraid to experiment with colours and styles - even if you start in the privacy of your own home.

I hope you have enjoyed this lesson - come again soon for more tips. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter TygerEyes16 or Facebook for more information, tips and prizes!

Much love
Tyger xoxo