Hi guys! Today’s post is going to be about how to cheat at creating that super sharp winged eyeliner that is so popular right now. Now, if you’re like me, I struggled to do a winged eyeliner using liquid eyeliner, and using a pencil just doesn’t create that sharp ‘cut-a-bitch’ wing that we all aim for. Most of my problem is that I have super shakey hands, always have. So I actually struggle to do any top liner at all, wing or no wing. That is until I found this amazing trick: using eyeshadow instead of liner! Using eyeshadow provides so much more control because it doesn’t have that slip to it that liquid liners have. Also, you have a lot more room for error because it is easier to correct mistakes since it is a powder. Literally, this changed my makeup game and it works so well!
(Don’t mind the fact that my shirt and hair are a hot mess!)
To do this, you will need a eyeliner brush, a pigmented eyeshadow, regular tape, and a setting spray. You can use either a flat eyeliner brush or a pointed one, personally I like to use a pointed one like the Sigma E05. Since we are using tape, you will probably want to do your eye makeup before your foundation to avoid lifting the foundation off. First, make sure you stick the tape to the back of your hand and peel it up a few times to reduce the stickiness to avoid damaging the delicate skin around your eyes. Then, take your piece of tape and line it up along the edge of your eye in a straight line from your bottom lashline to the end of your eyebrow. This will give your wing the most natural angle for your face.
Kind of hard to see, but this is about how your tape placement should look.
You will then want to dampen your eyeliner brush with your setting spray, I like to use M.A.C Fix Plus. Make sure you blot your brush to make sure it isn’t too wet. Using a setting spray will make it easier to glide the eyeshadow on and also make the pigment more intense so that your liner is as opaque as it can be. Then, coat your brush in your shadow color and tap off any excess to avoid crazy fallout. From there, simply draw along the top of your eyelid as close to the lashline as you can. I like to start with a thin line and build it from there, depending on how thick I want the line to be. There are two steps to forming your wing. Step 1 is to draw a line right along the inside edge of your tape, meeting the very outside corner of your eye. Don’t worry about getting eyeshadow all over the tape because that is your safety net. How long you draw your line upwards will depend on how dramatic you want your wing. I usually start shorter, because you can always build up if desired. Step 2 is to connect that line to your lashline, forming a triangle shape. How wide your triangle is will make the wing more or less dramatic as well.
Bright red is Step 1, and dark red is Step 2.
Simply fill in the triangle and there you have your wing! You can then go back in and go over your lines to sharpen and straighten your edges, as well as building up the thickness and opacity for your desired look. When you are satisfied, gently peel off the tape to reveal your perfect wing!
This sounds like a lot, but honestly it is so simple! Trust me when I say, if I can do it, anyone can do it. I had almost given up on being able to do top liner, let alone winged liner, until I found this trick. And honestly, you can’t even tell that you used eyeshadow instead of liquid liner. I’d say it lasts about the same as a regular liquid liner as well. Also, your color range is almost endless! The only downside to this is that it obviously isn’t going to be able to be waterproof. If you do need or want a more waterproof eyeliner, then a good substitute to using eyeshadow is using a potted gel liner. A gel liner will give you more control than a liquid liner, making it easier to create smooth lines. Also, you can still use an eyeliner brush of your choosing, which can give you more control as well. Let me know if any of you use this trick as well, or if you try it for the first time, what you think of it!