City Geisha

…as it is one of the most indispensable and most effective makeup tools you could have that will effortlessly change the shape of your eyes dramatically. From the subtle thin line across the top lid to the thick one that wings out at the corner, many variations lie in between. My personal everyday look is one that starts thin at the inner corner and gradually gets thicker towards the outer eye, finishing it off with a slight flick at the end. I have been rocking this look for the past 10 years now that it has become my signature look.

My signature eyeliner look

I love this look so much that I even decided to have eyeliner permanently tattooed onto my eyes about two years ago. In total, I had two visits at the beautician who tried her best to recreate this look permanently on my eyes but I was told that in order to achieve the required thickness, I would have to return for a further two visits. In the end, I decided not to as I imagined myself in the future at the age of 65 with thick, permanent eyeliner  on saggy, droppy, wrinkly eyes and the thought of it was enough to stop me. So at present, if you were to see me without any eyemakeup on, you would see a thin black line on the top and bottom lashline. So the ultimate thick line was not achieved but I am more than happy with this as I can always add on should I choose to.  My other half constantly tells me that I don’t need any further eye makeup but I always like to add a bit more in the morning, making the line thicker and more defined =)

No eye makeup on, just my permanent eyeliner tattooed on

The above photo was taken soon after I had the procedure done. I had to keep the area well hydrated with petroleum jelly to prevent the area from drying out which would explain the sheen on my eyes. It also looks as though I have mascara on, but I had only curled my eyelashes and the jelly got onto them as well, giving it that clumpy look…

Anyway, enough about me! And let’s revert to the subject title at hand, eyeliner! And not just any eyeliner, but BLACK eyeliner. Nothing screams sultry, sexy and smoky louder than black eyeliner, ladies. And with our almond shaped eyes, we ought to  further draw attention to our beautiful eyes by lining them on the inside as well as outside rims.

If you haven’t mastered this beauty basic, now’s the time to try this ideal summer-into-fall look. Plus, once you get the liner-application down, it takes just seconds to do.  Start by finding a black pencil like my personal favourite, Estee Lauder Double Wear in Onyx, which is soft enough to glide across your eyelid with ease but also solid enough so that it stays where it should.

Apply the liner on the upper eyelid first, moving from the inside corner to the outer corner in one smooth stroke. Repeat the process on the bottom. Use your pencil-free hand to pull your eyelid taunt, so you have a straight line to draw on. Finish by gently pulling on your bottom lid to expose the water line and gently rim that with black too. The double layers of liner on the bottom add depth and intensity and will make your eyes really pop.

And here’s another cool trick that will create the illusion of thicker eyelashes.   Tightlining is a technique whereby you gently place a finger right above your lashes and push back on your eye to expose the white of your eye, a pink line and then your lashes (similar to how you push-open your eyes when inserting contact lenses).  With your eyeliner, you want to be applying it right where the pink line and your lashline meet by gently pushing your liner into your lashes.  This emphasizes your lash line, giving the illusion of a thicker lash base. Finish off by lining the inside upper rim as well.

Tightlining My Eye

Always make sure the pencil is sharpened and that none of the sharp bark is going to touch any parts of your eyes.

Once you have done all these tricks with your black eyeliner, you won’t even need to do much else with your eyes apart from curling your lashes and applying a few coats of mascara. Add a hint of blush to them cheek apples and smile on some lipstick or gloss and you’re good to go!

xoxo