Here’s How You Can Finally Master The Art Of Winged Eyeliner
One of the hardest makeup techniques to master is winged eyeliner. While so many makeup gurus and influencers film themselves doing it and make it look so easy, applying even winged eyeliner on both eyes takes a lot of practice and patience. Not only does it take a lot of practice, but in some cases, it takes some hacks to get the job done.
Here are some quick tips for perfecting your winged eyeliner technique.
First, the eyeliner itself comes into play. Many people will agree that liquid eyeliner is best for making wings because of its fluidity.
While that is true, if you struggle to create even wings or don’t have much practice, I’d recommend having both a pencil and a liquid liner.
This is so you can start by tracing and drawing your winged eyeliner with the pencil, which is a bit easier to remove as it doesn’t smudge as much, then go over it with liquid liner for a bolder, sharper look.
When you’re in the process of doing your makeup and ready to apply your wings, get nice and comfy in front of a makeup mirror, as it may take a while.
I’d also recommend having micellar water or makeup wipes and some Q-Tips on hand for easy cleanup and adjusting.
I’d recommend keeping your eyes open during the application process. As it may seem easier to close one eye and use the other to watch yourself trace a wing over your closed lid, applying your eyeliner onto an open eye will help you see what it looks like when your eyes are open and you’re interacting with people.
One popular technique is to apply tape to the edges of your eyes to form your wing. However, I’m not a fan of this method for a few reasons.
Liudmila Dutko – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
First, there’s a risk of smudging the eyeliner when you improperly remove the tape. Second, you can ruin your face makeup if the tape pulls it off.
Lastly, it may irritate your skin. Instead, I recommend taking your time crafting your wings for a more precise and comfortable application.
Use a pencil eyeliner first to draw an eyeliner line that starts in the inner corner of your eyes, goes across your lashline, and then fans out into a wing shape. You can try to create one smooth, cohesive line or make one line and build your wing afterward.
When angling your eyeliner wing, align it with the tail end of your eyebrow. This will help you keep things a bit more even.
You should also remember to keep your wings more turned upward versus downward. Avoid widening your eyes or raising your eyebrows as you sketch out your wing, as you want to keep your face as relaxed as possible.
Once you’ve used your pencil eyeliner to trace out wings you’re fairly satisfied with, you can sharpen their edges using a Q-Tip dipped in micellar water to eliminate any excess liner and or even use concealer to sharpen things up and make the wings look more precise.
Then, take a liquid eyeliner and gently use it to trace over your pencil liner. The liquid liner looks bolder and more defined.
You can absolutely start with liquid liner and try to get decent wings on your first or second try, but be warned that if you try to wipe and clean it up, it will leave some intense smudging behind. That’s why it’s best to use only a liquid liner at the end if you’re a beginner.
Let your liquid liner dry briefly before touching or moving your eyes. When you’re done with all your makeup, apply some setting spray to keep your wings in place!
Again, drawing out winged eyeliner can get frustrating and requires practice. But the more you do it, the more used you’ll be to it, and the better your eyeliner will look. Good luck!
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