“Fun liner looks are becoming the norm,” says pro makeup artist, Ehlie Luna. “It’s been great to see everyone experiment and take more risks with eyeliner.” That includes everything from cat eyes and winged liner looks to more graphic and colorful ones.
Luna– who has worked with the likes of Fenty Beauty, MAC and more– says she noticed graphic eyeliner trending in 2020, as our eyes were the only visible feature behind face masks. The playful look has continued through recent years, special thanks to the launch of new liners from brands like Gen See, Clinique, and L’Oréal Paris.
With Fall being a time where there are more meetings and events ramping up, especially ahead of the holidays, it’s the perfect time to have fun with your eyeliner throughout the season. To help you create the perfect look, below, Luna shares her top eyeliner tips: from application and easy shapes to draw, to her favorite liners.
Learn your eye shape
Everyone has different facial features. How you apply your makeup is up to you, of course. But, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, this is something to consider. “If you have a crease, [the eyeliner] will live around there,” Luna says. “If you don’t, use the point where your lashes hit — while eyes are open — as a general starting place to figure out where you like yours; It may need to be a little higher,” she says. “For someone figuring out what works, you’re going to have to kiss a few liners frogs,” she says.
Use thin brushes
As a beginner, you may not know how to stabilize your hand. That said, “your best friends for liner will be a liner brush, microblading swabs (the thinnest around), cosmetic q-tips (pointed), and micellar water,” she says. “Load up the brush with liner by running it along your liner, then work in sections.” She continues, “No need to follow the one swipe theatrics of viral videos you’ve seen — this is your time.”
Luna recommends a super thin eyeliner brush or razor thin angled brush, like MAC 263, as the ideal shape for winged eyeliner. You can use the brush shape to line or shape the eyes and distribute color for the graphic liner look. The MAC brush is great for beginners, engineered with firm, synthetic fibers for easy control and precision.
Stick with easy-to-use formulas
Specific formulas are easier to work with than others. For beginners, Luna recommends multi-use pigments or liner you can dip a brush into. Danessa Myricks’ Colorfix is a multi-use product with pigmented fall colors, from foils and mattes, to metallics and creams. These can be applied with a fine-tip brush for graphic shapes.
She also recommends the MAC Fluidline, a pro longwear eyeliner which comes in a pot. With the precision of a liquid liner, the MAC gel liner has silkier, softer, ultra-smooth finish. You can dip a brush into the pot, just like Colorfix, for foolproof application with an easy dip-and-stroke motion. “Be patient with yourself as you learn and before you know it you’ll be flying through it,” she says.
Luna’s fall liner favorites
