Eyeliners – What should I wear?

Eyeliner has been around for centuries; Cleopatra and the Egyptians wore it to not only enhance the eye area but also to protect the eyes from the harsh desert sun. Today, eye liner comes in every size, shape, formulation and colour imaginable. But how do you know which one is right for you?

Pencil Eye Liners

As the name suggests these eye liners look and work very much the same as a drawing pencil. Probably the most widely-offered style on the market, just about every makeup brand will have at least one type of pencil liner available. This style will vary in price, formulation and selection so you’re bound to find one that suits your requirements.

Sub types:

• Waterproof and budge-proof types are offered by some brands and are perfect if you tend to find your liner smudges during the course of wear
• Glitter pencils are also available in some brands
• ‘Chubby’ styles of liners are available in some brands, these often double as a liner and eye shadow base

Pros:

• Easy and quick to apply
• Lots of variety in formulation and shade
• Pencil liners last for a long time and can be easily sanitized with a sharpener

Cons:

• Can lack in precision if not sharpened well
• Can smudge if you don’t choose a budge-proof formulation
• Require a cosmetic pencil sharpener. Sharpening is messy.

Best for: Beginners

Automatic Eye Liners

These are very similar to pencil liners, except for the packaging.  Whereas a traditional pencil liner requires sharpening, the automatic liner is easily ‘sharpened’ with a twisting motion. Sometimes referred to as ‘self-sharpening’ or ‘wind-up’ eye liners, these are increasing in popularity due to their convenience.

Sub types:Waterproof and budge-proof types are offered by some brands and are perfect if you tend to find your liner smudges during the course of wear.

Pros:

• Easy and quick to apply
• Convenient use, as no sharpener is required

Cons:

• Can lack in precision if the lead is thick or blunt
• Can smudge if you don’t choose a budge-proof formulation
• Prone to breakage as the lead if not as protected as with a traditional pencil liner

Best for: Travel or throwing into your handbag

Liquid Eye Liners

A very long-standing makeup item, liquid liner has been around for decades. As the name suggests liquid liner is liquid in formulation and is applied with a brush. Many liquid liners come with a brush applicator included in the packaging; however some brands just offer the liquid in a bottle for use with your own brush.

Sub types: Waterproof and budge-proof options are often available, although most liquid liner tends to have better staying power than other types anyway.

Pros:

• Intense colour
• More precise than other types of liner
• Often liquid liner has better staying power than other types of liner

Cons:

• Difficult to apply, especially for beginners
• Can lack in colour options
• Can leak in travel situations

Best for: the confident makeup enthusiast

Gel Eye Liners

A twist on the liquid liner theme. Gel liners are a solid liner that comes in a pot and is applied with a brush for a similar effect to liquid liner. These have been increasing in popularity and are now offered by many brands.

Sub types: Waterproof and budge-proof options are sometimes available, however gel liners often have good staying power anyway. Many ‘finished’ are available including shimmer, metallic and crème.

Pros:

• Intense colour
• More precise than other types of liner, although perhaps slightly less precise than liquid
• An easier way to get the liquid look, better for beginners

Cons:

• Often these do not come with a brush, so you will need to have your own
• The product can dry out over time as the pots are exposed to air upon each application
• Colour options can be slightly limited, although this is becoming less and less of an issue

Best for: Beginners who want the liquid-look minus the tricky application

Felt-tip Eye Liners

Another twist on the liquid liner theme. Felt liners look like fine markers and provide a precise line much the same as a liquid liner.

Sub types: Waterproof and budge-proof options are sometimes available; however felt liners often have good staying power anyway.  Occasionally, you will also be able to find ‘refillable’ versions where the outer packaging remains and a new cartridge can be purchased.

Pros:

• Intense colour
• More precise than other types of liner, although perhaps slightly less precise than liquid
• An easier way to get the liquid look, better for beginners

Cons:

• The felt tips can dry out, especially if you do not put the cap on properly
• Colour options can be slightly limitedas a limited number of brands offer this style of liner

Best for: Beginners who want the liquid-look minus the tricky application

Powder Eye Liners

Mostly common in mineral makeup lines, powder liners are an intensely pigmented variety of loose powder. These can be applied on their own or with a sealing gel for a more intense, liquid look. This type requires a brush, as they often do not come with an applicator.

Sub types: Mineral and non-mineral, cosmetics ‘pigments’ may also be used in this manner

Pros:

• Intense colour
• You can control how much colour you want and the size of the line by switching up your brush
• An easier to apply than liquid, more precise than some pencils

Cons:

• Any loose powder product is prone to being messy and can cause ‘fall out’ (where powder drops to the area underneath the eye)
• Colour options can be slightly limited as a limited number of brands offer this style of liner
• Availability can be limited, many mineral brands are only available online
• Can require the purchase of a sealing gel, if you want a more liquid look

Best for: Mineral makeup fans

Glitter Eye Liners

Fun in a tube! Glitter liners are a popular choice for the festive season or to add a touch of glam to the Saturday night makeup. Not just for ballroom dancers and gymnasts, glitter is widely used and available in commercial makeup.

Sub types: Mostly these are available in liquid form; however on occasion pencil glitter liners are available.

Pros:

• A fun and easy way to add glitter to your eye makeup (much easier than working with loose glitter particles)
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Can be sheer, some glitter liners are very sparse (best applied over a solid colour gel, liquid or pencil liner)
• Can irritate sensitive eyes, careful application is required here
• Sometimes these are not the most ‘available’ product, only offered by some brands

Best for: The experimental makeup enthusiast