The Best Black Liners

I love winged liner! The cat eye, the flick - it can be thin, thick, sexy, smokey, edgy, chic, timeless, classic, and everything in between.

That gorgeous elongated shape it creates is flattering on everyone. Here are some of my favourite deep black liners to use when rocking one of my favourite looks!

Cream
Laura Mercier Creme Eyeliner in Noir

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black

Liquid
Physicians Formula Eye Booster Pen in Ultra Black

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner Pen in Trooper

NYX Liquid Black Liner

Pencil

Nars Larger Than Life Eyeliner Pencil in Via Venito

Stila Smudgestick Pencil in Stingray

Get Perfect Eyeliner... Every Time!

I know that eyeliner can be very difficult for some people, so here are a few of my best tips and tricks for you to start scoring the perfect sharp eyeliner look!
Celebrities really love this look and you'll see it on a lot of ladies like Angelina Jolie, Lauren Conrad, and Nicole Ricci!

1 Practice: My first and best tip is practice practice practice! I've done eyeliner on myself and others hundreds of times over many years so I've had tons of practice, so liner comes much easier to me now... but when I first started playing with it I had a hard time!

2 Choose Appropriate Products: Are you going to be using a liquid, gel or pencil liner? Pencils will give a softer look and are great for smokey eyes. Liquid and creams (gels) will give a much more precise and sharp line and are great for flicks and winged liner looks. If you are going to line the water line (inside of the eye) use pencils or creams... make sure you NEVER use a liquid liner on the waterline! Experiment with brushes. For me... super thin pointed brushes work best. You may find that an angled brush is easier for you. I highly recommend cream liners for beginners because they are much easier to work with. (My favourite ones are by Clinique and Bobbi Brown)!

3 Steady and Set Up: Before getting started you want to make sure you have a steady surface. Resting your elbows on a table will help steady your hands and prevent your hands from shaking when coming toward the eye. Resting your pinky or ring finger on the cheek while lining your eye will also prevent a shaky hand.

4 Focus on the lashes: Try to imagine that you're lining the root of your lashes as apposed to lining your lid. This will ensure that you get nice and tight to the lashes, and will help you get a very thin line. Most people tend to start tight to the lashes and then naturally slowly raise the liner coming up to high. If you think that you're drawing it on the lashes and not the lid, it will help you stay close and thin to the lashline. Always start thin and slowly build your thickness as needed. Generally you want a very skinny, barely there line at the inner corner of the eye that gradually gets thicker toward the outer corner.

5 Map It Out: When it comes to adding in the popular eyeliner flick my best trick is to use an angled brush and a powder eyeshadow close to your skin tone to mark out guidelines of where you want your flicks to be. Because the shadow is light and temporary it is easy to remove and redraw as needed. This is going to get you perfectly symmetrical angles. Theres nothing worse than uneven eyeliner! Unsure of where to place those flicks? Imagine your lower lashline extended out past your eye... this is where the flick should be.. it will be unique to each individuals eye shape. Avoid a flick that is too low (it will make your eyes look droopy and downturned) and avoid a flick that is too high (it will look awkward and cartoonish).

6 Keep your eye open: Do what is easier for you, but I find it is best to apply your eyeliner with the eye open looking down into a mirror. If you close and stretch your eye when you open and let go the line wont be anything like you thought it would! Keeping the eye open ensures you're placing product exactly where you want it... plus, stretching and pulling on the delicate eye area isn't ideal! Start from the centre of the eye and move back along the lashline in small short strokes. You can extend the line toward the inner corner afterward.


7 Take your time: Work slowly. Eyeliner looks quick, easy, and effortless but taking your time and slowly building a perfect sharp line is what it's all about!

I love having fun with my eyeliner... here's a fun liner look I did last year!

Leave a comment and let me know if you found this post helpful!

xo candice

www.candicegroen.com

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Dramatic Smokey Eye

Here's a sexy look for a night on the town! A perfect combo with that little black dress. (Feel free to tone down the makeup and adjust it to suit your own style).

1 After applying foundation all over, and concealer in area's you need it (under the eyes, around the nose, on any blemishes), lightly dust on your setting powder to mattify and ensure a long lasting makeup.

2 Lightly sweep your bronzer across the back of the cheeks, temples, and hairline. Focus on the hollows of your cheeks to further sculpt your cheekbones.

3 Apply your blush lightly to the apples of the cheeks. When doing such a dramatic eye, it's important to keep the rest of the makeup neutral, so choose a natural blush tone.

4 After applying your eyeshadow primer, sweep your pink champaign colour from lashline to crease, and in the inner corner of the eye.

5 Apply your black eyeshadow directly into the crease of the eye. Start blending the outside edge all around the black shadow up and out, pulling the shadow gently into a more cat like shape. Blending is always easer with a clean brush, so if you can, have several  blending brushes on hand (especially for dramatic looks).

6 Next, blend your highlight colour directly under the brow. Not only will this highlight your brow bone, it will help blend the edge of the black shadow even more.

7 With an eyeliner brush, trace a thin line of gel liner all the way along your upper lashline, going slightly thicker towards the outer corner.

8 Apply a pencil eyeliner all along the inside of the eye and lightly drag it under the lower lashes. Remember to line the top and bottom of the waterline! Lining the inside of your upper lashes is called tightlining... this is especially important when doing such a dark look because you don't want any light areas showing. I always use a waterproof eyeliner pencil to ensure it stays on as long as possible. If you don't have sensitive eyes, try gently pressing a black eyeshadow ontop of the liner on your waterline. It will really lock in the colour.

9 Smudge the liner on the lower lashline and blend black eyeshadow over top of it.

10 Apply mascara lightly on the top lashes, and liberally on the bottom lashes.

11 Apply glue to your false lashes and wait 30 seconds before applying the lash to let the glue get tacky. I use tweezers to apply my false lashes and I find it makes the application a lot easier! Falsies are key with this look because your real lashes tend to get lost behind all the dark shadow.

12 And FINALLY, keep it simple with a light, neutral pink gloss and voila! A sexy smokey cat eye your guaranteed to get loads of compliments on!

Dark eyeshadows tend to have a alot of fall out and can be really hard to clean up after your look is done. To avoid this problem, you may want to do your eyes first and leave your foundation for last!

The key to being successful with this look is to take your time. It's an intense look that really needs soft blended edges, and sometimes blending can be frustrating and tedious. It's also a makeup that may not look very nice in the beginning stages... stick with it and really take your time!

Products used:

Clarins Daily Energizer Cream

Makeup Forever HD foundation '117'

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer 'SC-1'

Laura Mercier Translucent setting powder

Anastasia brow powder 'Brunette'

Nars 'Laguna' bronzer
Two Faced blush 'Mocha Mi Amore'

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay 'Virgin' eyeshadow (highlight)

Urban Decay 'Sin' eyeshadow (pink champaign)

Urban Decay 'Creep' eyeshadow (shimmery black)

Clinique gel eyeliner

Laura Mercier Lengthening mascara

Buxom Smokey Eye Stick 'smokin' pistol' (black)

Makeup Forever lashes '157 Lori'

Duo lash glue clear

Laura Mercier lip glace 'Baby Doll'

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know if you have any questions! What do you think of this look?

xo candice

www.candicegroen.com
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