20 Best Eyeliner Styles

Eyeliner – when it’s done right it can make your eyes pop and look absolutely stunning, readying you for a big day or and even bigger night ahead. Done wrong and, well, to put it bluntly it looks a mess and can ruin your whole look, no matter if your outfit, lipgloss and blush are perfect. That’s why it’s so important that you put that little bit of extra effort in when doing your eyeliner. Don’t worry if you’re not all that good at it or don’t have a steady hand, like everything eyeliner is all about practice. To get you started, here’s the twenty best fabulous eyeliner styles and some pro tips too.

 

1. Make It Thick

 There are few things I love more than seeing perfectly done thick eyeliner on a woman. No matter what style of line you’re applying, try thickening it up. I suggest just thickening it slightly at first and then gradually making it bigger, that way you can see what suits you best. This trick really does make your eyes stand out while allowing them to be mysterious too. It also really accentuates your mascara so your lashes look lovely and long. I love this!

 

2. Smudge It

If you don’t have much time to do a fancy eyeliner style, simply apply your usual coat of eyeliner and smudge it around the edges. It creates a daring and bold look which is completely effortless but looks fabulous all the same. Using black eyeliner will really make this look stand out but I’ve known myself to use greens, yellows and even purples and still do this effect. It really is a timeless look.

 

3. Make It Thin

This is probably the eyeliner style that I wear most often but that’s because it looks so damn good. Applying just a really thin layer of eyeliner really enhances your eyes without taking too much away from the rest of your look. You need to have a steady hand to pull it off (or, like me, you could cheat and wipe any excess away with a makeup wipe!) but it’s worth it. It’s a great look for the office, formal occasions, date nights, anything at all!

 

4. Winged Eyes

In some ways winged eyeliner looks similar to the cat eyeliner (which I’ll cover later) but in other ways it’s completely different. While you focus heavily on the top of your eyes, creating a beautiful sweeping stroke, you also line your bottom lids too. This makes for a more rounded look and really defines your eyes.

 

5. Colour Me Crazy

So tell me, who said eyeliner had to be either black or brown? And also, who else still believes it? Eyeliner can be any colour you want – my own makeup bag is bursting with vibrant blues, heated pinks and daring yellows. There’s even a few glittery ones in there too. You wouldn’t believe all the colours eyeliner comes in now, there are countless ones to choose from. And so I ask you, why on Earth are you still wearing that boring black? When choosing what colour eyeliner to wear, try making it a darker shade of your eyeshadow or a shade that matches. You can even match it to your clothes or an accessory you’re wearing. Seriously, ladies, it’s time to start experimenting. One warning though, once you’ve started it can be difficult to stop! These crazy colours can be addictive!

 

6. Open Wings

Open winged eyeliner is where you draw on two lines of eyeliner (one on the top and the bottom) and create a small opening between the lines, making it look like the two wings aren’t connected. It’s not the easiest of looks to create and you’ll need a steady hand (it may take a few attempts to get right – it always does for me!) but it’s completely worth the extra effort. It draws people’s attention to your eyes and really shows them off. Plus, it’s not your usual style and I love how different it makes you look. You can also do variations of this look by adding an extra line to the top of your eyes and again not connecting it, giving you a feathered look.

 

7. Egyptian Style

Why not take a lesson from the ancient Egyptians and copy their eyeliner? It’s fun, it’s funky and it really does stand out. Not convinced? Why not take a look at Lady Gaga in her Judas video – she’s totally rocking the style! Of course, this is a style you can play up or play down as much as you like depending on what suits you. It can be quite a bold style so perhaps you could switch the traditional, daring black for a softer colour. The style is the same but the look will be wonderfully different.

 

8. White Eyeliner

We talked before about coloured eyeliner but now I’m going to go into specifics and suggest you buy yourself a white eyeliner. This is a great addition to your makeup bag that’s worth every penny. Adding white eyeliner to your eyes makes them appear wider, brighter and more awake. It’s a great way to get a fresh look and make yourself look wide awake even if you did only get a few hours sleep. You can also use it alongside your usual colour by either blending it in or just adding a touch of it to the corners of your eyes to create the same illusion of bright, wide eyes.

 

9. Lock It In Place

There are few things worse than when your eyeliner runs and you wind up looking like a panda or a raccoon come the end of the day. To stop this happening all you need to do is get a skin or matching colour eyeshadow and lightly dab it across the top of your neatly done liner. This will hold it in place and stop it from smudging or running, saving you the annoyance of having to touch it up every few hours or worry about it all day long.

 

10. Creative Wings

We’re back to those beautiful wings again but this time we’re getting creative. You can adapt this style in so many ways to suit you meaning it could be different every day of the week or for formal or social occasions. Try stopping the line half way along your lid, thickening it up, trailing it into the crease of your eye or even changing colours half way along the wing. This style is so versatile which is one of the reasons I love it so much. Experiment away, the worst that can happen is you have to start over, after all.