How to Apply Eyeliner Pencil in 4 Steps

An eyeliner pencil is a makeup product designed to line the eye. Eyeliner pencils resemble color pencils. You can find many types of eyeliner pencils, including retractable eyeliner pencils or wood or plastic pencils you sharpen. Pencil eyeliners are typically easier to apply than other kinds of eyeliners, so they are the best eyeliner for beginners.

You can use eyeliner on your lower or upper lash line, or both. While black and brown eyeliners are among the most common colored eyeliners, the beauty product is also available in blue, pink, white, and other hues. Unlike most liquid eyeliners and gel liners, an eye pencil typically has a matte finish.

Follow this makeup tutorial to learn how to put on eyeliner pencil:

1. 1. Prep your eyes. Putting makeup primer on your eyelids before applying pencil liner will make the liner last longer.
2. 2. Apply eyeliner to the upper lid. Pull your upper eyelid taut to the side. Keeping the tip of the eyeliner pencil as close to your lash line as possible, draw a thin line going from the outer corner of the eye to the inner corner of your eye. Repeat this process multiple times if you want a thick line.
3. 3. Apply eyeliner to the lower lid. Keeping the tip of the eyeliner pencil as close to the lash line as possible, draw a thin line from the outer corner of the eye toward the inner corner of your eye. The straight line should extend just two-thirds of your lower lids to make your eyes look bigger—completely lining your lower lids can make your eyes appear smaller.
4. 4. Connect the lines. Connect the lines of the eyeliner at the outer corner of the eye.
5. 5. Create a winged eyeliner. To draw a winged liner, or a cat-eye, draw a line with an upward angle from the outer corner of your eye, using your lower lash line as a guide. Fill in the line more heavily to create a triangle shape, creating a cat eye.
6. 6. Seal your eyeliner. To make a more long-wear eyeliner, use an eyeliner brush or eyeshadow brush to apply eyeshadow that’s the same color as your eyeliner.

When using an eyeliner pencil, consider the following eyeliner tips:

1. 1. Apply eye makeup in the correct order. Apply pencil eyeliner after you apply eyeshadow, and apply mascara to your eyes after eyeliner. This order will help prevent smudging.
2. 2. Draw dots and dashes along the lashlines. Instead of drawing thick lines, you can apply eyeliner pencil by drawing dots or dashes along your lash lines. Connect the dots to create a continuous line.
3. 3. Smudge your eyeliner. You can smudge the eyeliner with a cotton swab or a round smudging brush to make the lines less harsh and give your eyes a more subtle eyeliner look. Smudging can also create a quick smokey eye look if you use a high-pigment black eyeliner, such as a soft kohl pencil.
4. 4. Tightline your eyes. Applying some white eyeliner to your waterline, the skin between your lashes and your eye, will make your eyes look bigger. This process, known as tightlining, is a great hack for people with small eyes.
5. 5. Sharpen your eyeliner pencil. To keep your eye pencil in good shape, regularly sharpen it using an eyeliner sharpener. Sharpening will keep your pencil eyeliner pointy and will refresh your eyeliner by removing old product and bacteria.
6. 6. Use a cotton swab to fix mistakes. To fix mistakes or smears, wet a cotton swab with makeup remover to remove the liner. You can use concealer to cover any smudges.

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