If you love a sharp cat eye but can't seem to get it right the first nine tries, then you've come to the right place. Experts have plenty to say on how to get your eyeliner razor sharp without the stress and agitation, and makeup artists have tips and tricks they use to get it perfect every time.
It might sound like simple practice, but if you're anything like me, then applying eyeliner usually ends with a shower. You pick up your favorite liquid tool and think you'll just do a simple flick on the corners of your eyes, and before you know it you have a full blown mess on your hands. Unless you're trying to figure out a way to make inch-thick eyeliner eye as intentional, you usually have to remove it and start all over again — if you have time, that is.
No more of that. From now on, you'll have the deft and capable hands of a makeup artist, achieving a razor-edged eyeliner each and every time. From choosing the products to use to get the cleanest line, to tips on how to correct messy errors, below are five ways to get perfectly sharp eyeliner. Take notes and never be late to work again.
1. Choose The Correct Applicator First
In order to master your eyeliner, you first have to be working with the correct tools. And according to NARS Stylist Sarah Coffin, a makeup artist with nine years of experience, you need to choose your applicator according to your eye size and shape. "The smaller your eye the smaller your liquid liner brush or tip should be, and vice versa," she explains in an email to Bustle.
2. Correct Mistakes With Eyeliner Brushes
If you find yourself stepping away from the mirror and noticing one of your eyeliner lines are uneven, there's an easy fix for that that doesn't involve starting over. "The best way to get that immaculate edge on a bad liner day (God knows we all have them) is to use and angled liner brush soaked in an oil-free makeup remover," Coffin shares. "This will help carve out that perfect cat eye and cut out any imperfections!"
3. There Are Also Eye Creams For Errors
MAC Fast Response Eye Cream, $32, Nordstrom
You can also use a professional product to tidy up mistakes, in case you find the makeup remover too watery. "One of my favorite products to perfect or clean up after creating a nice crisp line would be MAC Fast Response Eye Cream. When you put a little bit on a clean angle brush you can really clean up any blurry lines," says Nadia Salem, a freelance makeup artist in the industry for 10 years and counting. Using the cream to sharpen up wobbly lines will help you achieve that professional-grade look.
4. Try Using An Eyeliner Pen
Rebeleyes Gel Liner, $23, Nordstrom
Instead of using a flimsy eyeliner liquid brush, try using an eyeliner pen instead for more control. "One of my favorite eyeliners to use for creating a razor sharp eyeliner are MAC's Rebeleyes Eyeliner Pen. The waterproof matte black finish really creates that beautiful true black look that lasts," Salem says.
5. Use A Fixing Spray To Create The Shape You Want
MAC Prep + Prim Fix, $23, Nordstrom
Another great tip is to lean into your mistakes. Say you created a thick cat eye that you need to whittle down, and you want it to point more upwards. Use that thick line and shave it down to your desired shape with remover. "When it comes to perfecting a sharp eyeliner I like to spray a bit of MAC Fix Plus on a q-tip and then press on the side of the eye and wipe upwards to create the shape desired," Salem suggests. You can also make this a regular routine: Make a super thick line, then use the fixing solution to wipe it away into the perfect shape.
Keep these tips in mind and your eyeliner will be forever sharp, infinitely precise, and always on fleek.
Images: MAC (3); Sarah Coffin (1)
