I am quite the devoted wearer of winged eyeliner, and as a result, I have had to learn a thing or two about avoiding smudged eyeliner throughout the day. I mean, you work so hard and go through so many emotions to get your eyeliner perfect that you naturally don't want it to smear when you're out and about, right? Luckily, avoiding smeared eyeliner on your face is super simple, as long as you follow a few important steps.
At first, I thought it wasn't a big deal to carry makeup remover wipes with me everywhere and just clean my lower lids every hour, but then I realized that, well, it was a lot of work. There are so many other ways to ensure I don't get smudged makeup all over my face that don't require me to look into a mirror every few minutes.
This is especially important during the winter. With the dry and windy weather in full-effect, I have found that my eyes can get pretty teary. And whether you're wearing a pencil eyeliner or a thick mascara, I'm sure you've found that your eye makeup products tend to smudge or go out of place when your eyes are irritated. But don't let this stop you from rocking your eye makeup all day! Smudge-proof life is on the horizon!
While it might seem impossible, it's totally realistic to have wearable eye makeup that won't smudge. All you have to do follow a few simple rules that will help your cat eye last all day:
Use Waterproof Makeup
Sephora Collection Colorful Waterproof Eyeliner 24 HR Wear, $12, Sephora
This is extremely important in making sure you're makeup doesn't smudge. Using products that are long-lasting and waterproof will make your eyeliner more unlikely to smear all over your waterline and underneath it. This used to be a huge problem for me and I tried to avoid eye makeup smudge with other solutions. But in the end, it was ultimately the wrong type of eyeliner I was using. Now, I really try to invest in buying products that might be a little more expensive but are well worth it.
Make Sure To Use Primer
Benefit Cosmetics Stay Don't Stray 360 Degree Stay Put Eyeshadow Primer, $26, Sephora
Just like applying primer before foundation, it's also super helpful to apply primer on your lids before applying eyeshadow or eyeliner. I've found that it really helps my makeup stay all day and keeps the product locked in. Buying a primer for your lids is extremely necessary if you're an avid eye makeup enthusiast.
Apply Setting Spray
Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray, $30, Sephora
I've also learned that applying setting spray helps a ton in keeping your eye makeup game strong. After fixing your eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara, spray a little bit of setting spray around your makeup to give it a lasting hold all day.
Use Translucent Setting Powder
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder,$38, Sephora
If you don't work well with setting spray, try using translucent powder. It's basically the same thing, but IMO, you have better control over where you want to place the powder and really lock in your eye makeup.
Apply Eyeshadow Over Your Eyeliner
Smashbox Photo Op Eye Shadow Trio, $28, Sephora
If you don't want to buy setting powder, you can totally use your darkest shadow and apply it over your eyeliner to prevent smudging. I've always used this technique in a pinch. It's a great way to improvise and really works. You can also apply setting spray right after, too!
And that's about it. Smudged eyeliner be gone!
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