Q&A for How to Apply Pencil Eyeliner

Apply it only to the outside two-thirds of the top lid, not to the bottom lid. You can also use white liner on the waterline.

Pencil is the easiest because it can be smudged and blended. Liquid liner shows every imperfection and is very unforgiving.

To create a winged effect, draw along the lash line and the at the corner of the eye, draw up, creating a line that points toward the outside corner of the eyebrow. You can fill in the wing by drawing a line from the tip of the liner to the center of the eye and filling it in.

There are a few different ways you can apply eyeliner but the most common is along the lash line of the top lid. Apply it as close to the lashes as possible, and only line the outer two-thirds of the eye to make the eye look bigger.

I recommend Annabelle or Revlon pencil eyeliners as they are moist enough to smear easily along my lash lines and are nicely pigmented. For a liquid eyeliner, I absolutely love Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Serum and Eyeliner. For drugstore gel liners, my favorite is the Loreal Infallible Lacquer 24 hour liner.

Try to use the liner below your lashes for your lower lash and a little higher for your upper lashes.

It depends on the look. If you'd like a thinner line, you'll need a sharper pencil, and blunt pencils might give more pigment and a wider line. A more blunt pencil, but still thin, is the easiest to apply.

You need to make sure that your pencil is sharpened, and make sure that it is not too soft. Make sure that your hand is steady, and don't press down too hard with the eyeliner.

Don't do a winged look. Get a thin, felt-tipped liner and apply in the areas needed; make sure it isn't thick.

I fill mine in just like coloring a picture, as it ensures solid coloring throughout. Although with the issue you describe, it sounds like your eyeliner might be old or poor quality. I would recommend doing some searching online to find a reputable brand.

You just have to do it! Eyeliner is hard to master whether it's pencil, liquid or gel. No one is perfect the first time they do it, so just practice until you've gotten the hang of it and are no longer afraid.

It depends on the color you use. Black eyeliner will show up well on fair skin, but you may need to chose a color specially made for dark skin if you have it.

Absolutely! But make sure that the eyeliner you use is the right choice for you. There are many different brands and types, so keep practicing and trying different ones to find the one that works best for you.

You should try to hold your eyelid tightly with your finger, or try to draw on the eyeliner a little lighter.

It depends on the effect you're going for. If you want almost cartoony-Disney-princess sort of eyes, use a matte white liner pencil. If you want a more natural doe-eyed look, use a matte cream liner pencil. If you want to make your eyes pop (not make them bigger), use a medium-brown pencil liner. Avoid black, because that's what makes your eyes look smaller. To apply, gently pull down the skin under your eye and run a cotton bud on your lower waterline to remove any moisture. Take your liner pencil and run it over your waterline until you get the opacity you want.

Replace your liquid liners every three months to ensure it doesn't expire. Sharpening your pencil liners takes off the top layer that has touched your skin, removing some bacteria. Keeping a lid on your pencil liner, and replacing it every six to eight months also helps. Also, never let others use your eye makeup; if they had pink eye or some other contagious eye infection, that bacteria will be on your brushes, eyeliners and mascara wand, and could very easily be passed on to you.

Instead of using pencil eyeliner, I would suggest using a thin eyebrow brush and some dark eyeshadow. Pick up a generous amount of eyeshadow on the brush and apply it over and under the eye. Make sure to keep the eyeliner thin, otherwise it could smudge out and look very emo.

It depends on what pencil liner you use. I use Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and ColourPop liner pencils, and they don't need to be set with shadow. If you have translucent powder, you can use that to set your liner, too.

Take your time and slowly drag it along the eyelid from one end to the other.

Yes, as long as you don't poke yourself in the eye. Also, be sure the pencil eyeliner is sharp.

Apply a thicker line overall and make an obvious cat eye with the wings going towards the outer corner of the eyebrows.

Apply the liner around your eye on the top and bottom, as well as on both waterlines, and then smudge the edges with the eraser end of a pencil or an actual liner smudger.

You can use clear tape above and below your eye at a slight curve to make sure it doesn't go higher or lower than you want. This also helps with making it a cleaner, smoother edge.

This happens to many people who use pencil or liquid eyeliner. To get color into that space, use a thin brush and just fill the space in with eyeshadow of the same color.

If your eyeliner slides up after applying, consider using an eyeshadow primer. Your eyelids may be slightly oily, so the pigment in the eyeliner may not be able to stick well. Using a primer can create a less oily surface, and your eyeliner should stay on fine.

When you're doing the top lid, close your eye and watch with your opposite eye in the mirror. This will prevent you from getting any eyeliner into your eye. When you're doing the bottom lid, pull the skin away from your eye with a finger to get a better angle. You can further reduce your likelihood of getting eyeliner into your eye by lining the lid(s) with some clear tape.

The brand doesn't really matter, just don't use it on your inner rims.

You can use eye shadow. If you don't want color, use a transparent baking/setting powder and setting spray.

Don't worry! Eyeliner pencils are way softer than regular pencils. If you are really nervous, though, have someone else do it for you until you get the "feel" for doing it correctly.