Makeup look: Winged eyeliner

Versatile, clean and a certain allure; winged eyeliner is a go-to of mine. I want to share some of my tips for applying eyeliner and what products I recommend.

Prep your lid

If you have read any of my other makeup posts, you might know how much I love foundation and powder across the eyelids. More than ever, this is important as eyeliner needs to stay in place.

Choose your base shadow

Sometimes I like eyeliner without a base shadow so I may skip this step. With applying, you always want to press the product on first and then blend around the edges.

Black shadow

I can apply eyeliner without shadow first; it does come out cleaner in my opinion, when you do a rough guide first. I take a fine brush with black eyeshadow (make sure you tap off the excess), close one eye, lift it up and start pressing in a line. What’s key here is that you lift the eye up. Not only does this ensure you go to the route of your lashes, it also gives you leeway to make some mistakes.

Eyeliner

Once you have your shadow set – it does not have to be an exact guide , just a good enough outline, take your eyeliner and trace over. I have always adored gel eyeliner. To me, it’s easier to work with, it stays put and it has a nice finish. Bobbi Brown probably does the most famous one which costs £19.00. I also like Mac and lately I have been using No7 which costs £8.50. These lasts so much longer than regular eyeliners. For the brush, look for a fine angled brush.

Crease

After the eyeliner is applied, it is easier to see how much definition you want in your crease. If you are worried about applying eyeshadow after and potentially affecting your eyeliner, take a blending brush, apply a crease colour lightly and then once the liner is applied, go back and make it stronger if desired.

TIPS

• Try and create the flick looking straight on in a mirror. For beginners-keep checking as you go along. It’s easier to practice with pencil or eyeshadow before using liquid or gel.
• If you make any eyeliner mistakes, take a cotton bud and dip it into moisturiser to help erase.
• Apply your under eye concealer after you have finished with the eyeliner. Pigment from the shadow or liner can be under your eye that you may not notice. Using the trick above with the cotton bud and moisturiser is a good way to check.
• If you do decide to go with gel, tip the product upside down to avoid any air getting inside.
• After lifting your eye to  draw your line, stretch your eye to the side to then go back in and create the shape.
• If you are struggling to create the flick, look at your brush. Be sure it’s in good condition-wipe with a tissue after use.