AKI 1 a.m. Beauty eye, eyeliner, gel, makeup, video 5 Comments

Beauty Roundup – Gel Eyeliner

November 29, 2014

A few weeks back a friend of mine suggested the Maybelline Eye Studio gel eyeliner. I had been using the roll on Maybelline Colossal  kajal since years, but thought of trying out a new product. I am still trying to get a good grip of of the gel liner applications, it comes with a lot of practice! So I thought of doing a post with the most helpful videos, and tips I learnt along the way.

Firstly, there are four basic types of eyeliners available, each have their own usage, stay-on power and purpose. They are: the kohl (crayon like consistency like in the Colossal kajal), the pencil eyeliner, the gel eyeliner and the liquid liner (this comes in either a bottle form with applicator or a pen form with felt tips for applying directly). The usage of each type depends on the look you want create and on personal preference. For more detailed differentiation read this article. In this post I will be doing a more detailed discussion on the gel eyeliner.

Secondly, the gel eyeliner does not stay put in the waterline. Thus for people like me who line their waterline regularly a kohl or pencil liner is a must. The gel eyeliner can be used on lash-lines to create various looks, from subtle everyday makeup to the more dramatic ones. I have used liquid liners before, but definitely found the gel eyeliner easier to use. The picture below marks the different areas of the eye, as used in makeup tutorials.

The internet is an oasis of make-up tutorials and articles, I have done my best to come up with a concise list of the most useful tips and tricks on gel eyeliner application. Below is my list of 5 must-see videos.

1. GEL EYELINER BASICS

Adriana shows the different brushes that can be used for a gel eyeliner along with some basic tips. Her tutorial is effective to create an everyday casual look with the gel eyeliner.

2. WINGED EYELINER

Leslee shows us how to do the winged eyeliner along with some helpful tips. I love her eyeliner shape, especially the inner corners where she goes more toward the innerline. You could also check this video by the famed Michelle Phan, there are no words just music and video.

3. PLAY WITH DIFFERENT SHAPES

Julia has demonstrated eight different eyeliner shapes with the gel eyeliner. They are fun! I want to try out the double winged and the flick with colour looks soon.

4. EYELINER SHAPES ACCORDING TO YOUR EYE SHAPE

Makeup artist Wayne talks about the different eye shapes and how to shape your eyeliner accordingly. To know which eye shape you are check this video. Eyes are not symmetrical and to visibly balance them out with eyeliner shapes check this video.

5. MAYBELLINE/ MAC/ INGLOT REVIEW AND COMPARISON

Gel eyeliner products from all three- Maybelline, MAC and Inglot are good. In a lot, if not most of the videos that I came across, the makeup artists/the girls swore by the Maybelline gel eyeliner. There are other brands too like Bobbi Brown, Elizabeth Arden or Revlon. But I would suggest either the Maybelline or Inglot eye liner.

TIPS :

1. Choose your brush wisely. My personal preference is to use an angled brush for tightlining and a fine eyeliner brush for the upperlash line and flick for a casual look. I like to use my flat eyeliner brush (the brush that comes along with the Maybelline product) for a more dramatic thicker eyeline.

2. It is very important to evenly coat the brush with the gel eyeliner. This aids in a smoother application.

3. Apply the eyeliner in short strokes. You could start in the middle and go outwards, then join the inner corners with the middle. Or you could start with dashes from the inner corner and go outwards. This really helps keep the shape in check during application.

4. Clean the brush after each use. You could wipe the brush with a baby wipe after each use and wash it with a mild shampoo at regular intervals. Gel eyeliners have a tendency of drying up fast, so if the brush is not cleaned it hardens up with the residue.

5. Use a q-tip/ cotton bud to make corrections to the eyeliner shape. Dip the cotton bud in vaseline/ moisturiser/makeup remover and use it to make corrections. Remember to squeeze out any excess liquid from the cotton bud before using it.

6. Tightlining and applying mascara really adds on to the overall look. You could tightline with the gel liner or use a kohl liner. These products add the extra oomph and makes the eye makeup look complete.

7. Apply more eyeliner on the outside corner of the eye to give it a more lifted appearance.

8. Apply shadow before the eyeliner. If you do it the other way round the eyeliner will loose it’s colour strength.

9. If you decide to line the bottom lashline be sure the liner meets the eyeliner line of the upper lashline.

10. If you get some liner on your eye-lashes, remove it with a brow comb.

Hope the post was helpful. 🙂

 P.S- I am not a beauty expert or fanatic, but I want to make this blog a wholesome experience for all your style needs. Thus I am making ‘Beauty Roundup‘ a regular feature on this blog, where I will share beauty info from various sources and my personal experiences. Hope you like them and comment below if you want me to cover any particular topic/product range. 😀