The Eyes Have It: Don't Be Out of Line!

Some may not think so, but eyeliner is just as necessary as eye shadow in completing a full face of makeup and can even be worn without shadow. Eyeliner frames the eyes and is one of the few finishing touches in makeup.  It can make or break a look you want to achieve (e.g. bright eyes), or mood you want to convey (e.g. youthful, bright, vixen, etc.) - the key is precision. Well, precision and knowing what looks are most appropriate at any given time. Let's take an informed and strategic look at eyeliner application, considering desired outcomes, colors, liner types and application techniques. First, we'll review application based on eye shape and the goal of your look. Then, we'll cover the different types of liners and application techniques.

The Eyes Have It: Eye Shapes, Placement and Dimension

This entry features similar charts to what may be used in formal instruction; no harm in sharing this information with you though, right? First things first: take a look at the charts and discover your type.

Eye Shapes

Average/Standard - For those of us who already have average/standard (sometimes referred to as "almond") shaped eyes, you have the most freedom when going for the basic application. Stick with the 3-dimension makeup application for the eyes (i.e., shade, crease color, highlight), or go crazy with color!

For the rest of us, the goal is to give the perception that we have an almond (sometimes referred to as "standard") eye shape. Yes, "perception."

The Eyes Have It!

Whether you believe that they are the mirror to the soul, or subcribe to accessorizing them with the hottest diva shades; we can't deny that when it comes to makeup: the eyes have it! Let me first say that there are NO RULES with makeup (well, besides making sure your foundation is the correct match and other fundamental guides)! Yep, I said it - and I know someone will remind me of that later on. 'No rules' allows for your creative liberties to be fully expressed. Besides, who am I to hinder your creative freedom?! No, seriously, there are best practices and guidelines that I think are helpful when attempting to achieve a certain look. The eyes only take up a fraction of our face, but require a considerable amount of thought and preparation for certain looks (i.e., smokey eye, everyday, evening, etc.).

Color basics
To shorten the explanation (or an entire chapter of some text books), darker shades deepen the visual perspective, as these shades absorb light. This is why we apply darker shades under the cheekbone (in the hollow of the jaw)