The waterline—a beauty term, not a medical term—is the line of skin between the eyelashes and the eye. It's as close to your eye as you can put eyeliner without actually drawing on your cornea.
She explains: "The reasons eye doctors do not recommend wearing eyeliner on the waterline of your eye is because there are specialized glands there that produce and excrete oil. “The oil should be an olive oil texture, but as you can see it looks more like toothpaste.
Tip #1: Use a Q-tip “To remove black eyeliner from the waterline, I simply suggest using a Q-tip dipped in an oil or water-based makeup remover,” says Gene. The idea here is that an oil-based remover can easily break down the eyeliner, making it a cinch to remove without harsh scrubbing.
1. Use Micellar Water. Clark says the best way to remove eyeliner is to dissolve it with either micellar water or oil. For non-waterproof liner, she says using micellar water should do the trick.
Lining the waterline is probably the most under-appreciated makeup trick ever. It's an easy way to brighten up the eyes or get a super-precise look—but that's only if you're strategic with the colors. "I love a dramatic eye, but very often black liner in the waterline can make your eyes look smaller," says Stiles.
Yes, you can even use eyeshadow for lining your waterline; Urban Decay Blackout is one of Sheri's faves. Your favourite pressed black eye shadow should do for setting black eye liner on the waterline.
Lining your waterline with eyeliner helps to brighten up your eyes and make your overall makeup pop even more. Your upper and lower waterline naturally touch the liquid in your eye which can cause your eyeliner to smudge off throughout the day.
You Didn't Set Your Eyeliner
Even if you use a waterproof formula, sometimes your eyeliner can still budge while you're still working — especially when it's applied near your waterline. To prevent your eyeliner from moving, it's important to set your eyeliner in place.
"The reasons eye doctors do not recommend to wear eyeliner on the waterline of your eye is because there are specialized glands there that produce and excrete oil. "The oil should be an olive oil texture, but as you can see here it looks more like toothpaste.
Line your top waterline.
Raise your chin and place your nondominant index finger above the outer corner of your eye, lifting upward. Then, holding the pencil vertically in your other hand, trace back and forth under your lashes.
Black eyeliner can define the shape of your eye as it attracts attention. Since your upper lashes define the upper lash line whether you use an eyeliner or not, kohl on the waterline completes the shape. It closes up your eye to a great extent and makes it appear smaller.
DON'T wear mascara on your lower lashes. Playing up your lower lashes can make your eyes look droopy and draw attention to dark circles. It makes the eyes look older and accentuates the under eye wrinkles.
You know those annoying dots you get on your eyelids and under your eyes? To prevent those, start with your bottom lashes when putting on your mascara. Otherwise your top lashes will smudge when you look down.
Floating eyeliner, or invisible eyeliner, uses negative space to create a flicked look. Bold eyeshadows and eyeliners are applied around the area where the flick would be, creating an outline as opposed to drawing the shape on directly.
A stye is an inflamed oil gland that forms along your upper or lower lash line or sometimes under your eyelid. Some people regularly develop styes while others rarely get them. Styes are a common condition that many people experience throughout their life and can usually be easily treated at home.
The fix: Sometimes it's really hard to get close enough to the base of your lashes. Avoid an awkward gap between your lashes and liner by slightly pulling up on the lower half of your upper eyelid while lining your lashes. This gives you access to any bare spots next to your lashes that still need some liner love.
Use a translucent powder or spritz your eye makeup with a setting spray to set your makeup and keep it in place. You can also set your eyeliner by applying some powder eyeshadow to your eyeliner with an angled brush or eyeliner brush. This works best if the eyeshadow is the same color as your eyeliner.
"The term 'tightline' refers to the placement of a gel or pencil eyeliner just beneath the upper lash line," explains makeup artist Camille Thompson. "The placement of this liner on the inside of the upper lash line gives a subtle, naturally defined effect."
Line the eye just above the lash line on the top lid and just below on the bottom lashes. The key is connecting the liner at the outer corner. A pencil or liquid eyeliner works well as it won't shift from the outer corner where it can get damp from your eyes natural moisture.
Gently pulling your eyelid taught, apply liner in small dashes from the center of the eyelid to the outer corner of the eye staying as close to the lash line as possible. Use the pencil's point for a super thin line or more of the pencil's side for a thicker line.
A little white or nude eyeliner on your bottom lid can work wonders to make you look more awake and refreshed. Gently pull on your under-eye and trace the line between the lower lashes and the inside rim.