Eyeliner, love it or leave we all have used it in one way or
another. Problem is some of us haven’t been using it
correctly or even know how. Then we got choices, there is gel
eyeliners, liquid eyeliners, cake eyeliners, pencil eyeliners
and you can even use mineral eye shadows as an eyeliner.
Wow talk about choices!!

I was posed this question the other day by a young lady about types
of eyeliners. Her question was, which type of eyeliner is
better? Which the choices I offer she wanted to be sure
she was buying the correct type of eyeliner for herself. Well I only
offercake eyeliners, mineral based pencil eyeliners andmineral eye shadows as
eyelinerbut I wanted to give her the best answer I could find.
We have all seen it, beautiful ladies with smoky cats eye’s done using
liquid eyeliner, or smoky eyes lined with black pencil eyeliner.
When done correctly its looks totally sex kitty, when done
incorrectly its looks like two black eyes. Not pretty at all!!

I am not a makeup artist, nor I have not been trained as
one. I am just someone who loves makeup, uses makeup,
plays with makeup, writes beauty articles and offers
makeup on Overallbeauty.com. I felt to answer the question
the best way possible I went to my favorite site (Linkedin.com)
I am a member of and posed my question there.
When it comes to questions like this, I like to leave
the best answers to the pros. I got super lucky that these ladies
were kind enough to answer my question for me.
Thanks Ladies!!

Question: Eyeliner, which is better ~ Cake, Liquid, Pencil,
Gel or Mineral Eyeshadow as Eyeliner?

Answers:

For your average DIY makeup wearer, I would go a with pencil liner. It is
the easiest one to control and if you mess up you can just—blend,
blend, blend! Liquid eyeliners are require a little more precision and
a steady hand. Unless you get it perfect the first
time you won’t have an easy time fixing it and it can burn if you get
it in your eye. One more idea is to line first in pencil- a lighter shade
(like brown) and then go over with a liquid or another pencil, in
“blackest black”, right along the lash line. It will add
twice the depth and is great for getting that smoky eye
look.
Also I used to use this really high-impact black Versace eye shadow cake
as a liner. Just dip an angled brush in water and run
into cake until shadow becomes think and creamy in texture.
The bold line can look amazing but it your eyes are
sensitive or tend to water, the makeshift liner can end up
dripping and collecting in the corners of the eye. It is best used for
situations like dinner; when you won’t be out all night and you can
have the impact without the risk of it ending up all over.

I’ve realized that it is substantially better to use high-quality products as
they are intended. Scientists spend time in the lap to make sure
products are safe (for the eye area) and the higher quality means
more research and technology. Eyeliner is definitely something you
don’t want to skimp on. Cheap eyeliner can lead to
red, irritated eyes. If a product leaves you looking
worse than before… why wear it at all? So invest and enjoy what
good quality makeup can do for a face!

Benthany Brill Makeup Artist http://www.bbrillmua.blogspot.com/

(Which means there are some products specially those you would use
around your eyes that going cheap isn't always the answer. Think
about that the next time you go to use a $1.00 eyeliner around your eyes.)

2~ The answer depends on the effect you are
going for, who you are applying the product to etc. Here is my
advice in general: liquid is best for the top lash line when you want a
very clean defined line.it can be used with false eyelashes for a
glamourous look, or not. I don’t recommend using liquid under the eye.
Pencil is used on both upper and lower lash lines to softly or dramatically
define the eye, depending on shade and application
depth. I usually apply liners after shadow, but before mascara. For
more drama, you can line over shadow, then apply more shadow
over the liner that might be a way to use the mineral powders. Cake
liner is the same as liquid, except you put water on the brush and
use the cake like a paint. A little more challenging. Hope it
helps.

Patty Gibbons ~ Makeup Artist

3~ Hello - I like Patty’s description. The only thing
I might add would be the following;
- For a defined lash line without taking up space above the lashes use a
creamy (safe for the waterline) pencil to shade in the upper
waterline and in between the lashes - this a celebrity favorite for that
naturally defined beauty look!
- Also, when it comes to shadow (particularly mineralized) you can often
wet the brush when you apply it for more definition. Note: you
can wet the brush before, if it is a loose shadow - otherwise, you
would want to apply the shadow first to the brush and then gently
spritz to moisten.
The options with liner are endless - I hope that helps!

Jessica Menchini Makeup Artist ~ MAC Resident Trainer

4~Hi Kim,
For evening I like to use a liquid black eyeliner over the eyeshadow on
the top lash-line for a dramatic “cat eye ” look. For a smoky look I
use an eyeliner pencil, waterproof is best, and I do love the Dior
pencil with the rubber end for smudging. Sometimes a forest green
shade can look softer than black, but will make the white of
the eye whiter so the eye color will pop!

Freelance Makeup Artist at Jan Simone

5~Hello Kim,
While the options of eyeliner in today’s market are endless, eyeliner
choices depend on the needs of the individual client. For instance, a
drier eyelid may prefer a gel, creme, or liquid liner, while an oily lid
may be more comfortable with powder(wet or dry) or even powder
layered over pencil. Which brings me to layering. Layering different
textures of liner or liner with shadow can help achieve the desired
effect, as well as increase the wear of the product through out the
day. Clients often struggle not only with achieving a look, but
maintaining it. An eye primer also helps in application and wear.
Factors such as lifestyle, climate, skin type, contact lenses, allergies,
etc. often influence product choices. Also brushes, a sharpener, and
technique are key.
Hope this helps.

Lyudmila deChante-Tate Make-up Artist, Educator, Creative Director

As you can see its not the easiest question to answer but I feel these
ladies gave all us ideas and tips on which eyeliner might be best for
the look we are looking for!

Copyright 2009 Kim Snyder Overallbeauty.com