Line Up

I have had a few emails asking for tips on how to use liquid liner to achieve the classic eye line that flicks out at the end, giving a feline, sexy look to the eyes. So here goes...

• Firstly, you must know that this takes practice. But each time you do it, you will be better at it. I promise!
• Secondly, get your product and brush sorted. I actually like to use a gel liner like Blacktrack by MAC or the gel liners by Bobbi Brown are great too. Gels are a little easier to move across the skin as sometimes liquid liners can bump and clump. I do think that the liquid liner from Rimmel is very good though and the brush that comes with it is easy to use. For the gels, you will need a thin, pointy brush with short bristles; too long and the line will become too fat. The 210 precise lining brush by MAC is perfect.
• The goal is to draw a skinny line from the first lashes at the tear duct that becomes fatter as you cross the pupil and go out towards the outer corner of the eye, flicking out and up at the end.
• Start by loading up your brush with the colour and taking a bit off on the back of your hand, this ensures that you are not putting too much on. It is easier to build up your liner than to fix it if it goes wrong.
• Now, dot the brush all the way along the lashline; imagine that you are putting a dot at the root of each hair.
• Next, join the dots, making a complete line. Keep it as skinny as you can for now.
• Once you have a full line, you can build it slightly higher using the lashline as a guide. Remember that is should be graduated , thin at the inside, thicker at the end.
• Keep your strokes small until you get used to it, eventually you will be able to do it in a couple of moves.
• To get the correct angle for the flick you have to look at the lower lashline as your guide; look at how it rises from the widest point of your eye under the pupil to the end of it. Imagine that the lower lash line continued upwards towards the end of your eyebrow. That is the line you must cover with liner. You can mark it out with dots first as a guide if you wish.
• Finally, connect the top line of the liner on the top lid to the end of the flick, filling in the little hollow area that you will have created at the edge of the eye.

This look is all about the liner, so keep it simple; use no shadow or just a neutral flesh tone to keep it modern. A good nude lip colour like Blankety by MAC or a great red and a soft blush will finish this look off nicely.