Eyelining

I have a love-hate relationship with gel eyeliners. I love the way they give a clean, precise line but they can be tricky and fiddly to apply. I sometimes switch back to using pencils but I find they are no good for winging out my eyeliner as it looks messy and clumsy.

In a flash of inspiration the other day I came up with a way to get the look I want from my eyeliner pencils. This will work with any soft, smudgy pencil; here I used Clinique Cream Shaper for eyes (Chocolate Lustre) but my MAC Eye Kohls work just as well. I also used my MAC 208 slanted brush.

The 208 is much softer and finer than the 266 slanted brush which I absolutely hate. I really don't think the 266 would give the same result.

Before I start, here is the finished look. I'm really pleased with the soft yet defined line.

See how the 208 transforms a short smudgy line into a longer and much more defined one.

So heres how I did it. I just lined my lashline with the pencil, not going past the outermost lash;

And then went in with the 208 and extended the line outwards just a little.

It's so simple but gives me an effect I can never achieve with other liners. For a more dramatic look apply more kohl and draw out the line as far as you dare!