Eyeliners, like many other make-up products, come in different shapes and forms, from different brands and for different purposes. In general, eyeliners are used to define or shape your eyes – but it can be daunting to have to choose between everything that’s on offer! Are we right? If you answered yes, this guide may help make it that bit easier!
Generally speaking, there are four common types of eyeliners – liquid, pencil, cake/powder or gel. Let’s run through the basics!
- Liquids generally come in felt tips or brush tips, and are great for the top eyelid and for detailed work. With the development of technology, new formulas are starting to be smudge-proof and fast-drying, so it’s quite easy for beginners (but only for those who like a clear, defined line), especially because you don’t have to worry about buying an extra brush! Because of the formula, it’s generally not very good for tight-lining or water-lining (lining the slippery bit of skin at the root of your lashes), so if you have this type of eyeliner, it may be best to invest in one of the rest! One of the most popular in the blogging world, is the L’Oreal Super Liner Carbon Gloss liquid eyeliner.
- Pencil eyeliners make a good ‘other half’ with liquid eyeliners, as they commonly do what the liquid eyeliners can’t do. Not only are they ideal for water-lining, they are also quite smudge-able and work well for the smokey eye look, or a less defined top eyeliner – especially those that come with a sponge smudger at the end. They can also double-up as a eyeshadow base, depending on the shade you have. That being said, it can lead to ‘panda-eyes’ if you’re not careful with topping up – to avoid this, try the Milani Liquif’eye Metallic Eyeliner, or a common favourite, the MAC Smolder Eye Kohl. Some pencil eyeliners come as typical wooden pencils, and some come as plastic, winding pencils – this is often a matter of preference or what colours are available!
- Cake eyeliners are relatively new to the beauty scene, and come from brands like Illamasqua and Laura Mercier. They are renowed for being incredibly long-lasting and extremely pigmented, more so than gel eyeliners. They are useable both on the waterline and the upper eyelid – albeit a bit scary for the newcomer, as it involves some mixing some water with the formula and the purchasing/use of a brush. However, many claim that the results are very much worth it, and appreciate that the formula doesn’t dry out as easily as gel eyeliners!
- Aside from having the downer of drying out, gel eyeliners have been all the rage for the past few years. They generally come in little pots and brushes, and are softer than pencil eyeliners, and thicker than liquid. These are very similar to the cake eyeliners in function – long-lasting, pigmented and appropriate for the waterline and the upper-lid – but are more user friendly because you use it straight out of the pot – no mixing involved! They’re also generally more affordable – brands like Maybelline have become a cult favourite for gel eyeliners!
As make-up changes and technology develops, there are new formulas and new types of products popping up everywhere! Amidst rows and rows of products designed to fall under the ‘eyeliner’ category, it can be quite confusing and understandably easy to get lost in the mess.
At the same time, eyeliner is an essential for many girls, and very much up to personal taste so it’s important to get it straight! Hopefully this guide has helped to clarify what each of these offer – while some may be more popular or more traditional than others, and some may be similar, they each offer something different!
Now off you go – choose one that suits you, and don’t get lost in the make-up aisles!