Eyeliner is an essential item in any woman’s make-up bag as it complements mascara to give eyes a fuller and wider look. Pencil eyeliner is easier to apply, but doesn’t spread as smoothly and thickly as liquid or gel liners. Life would be a lot simpler if one make-up style worked for everyone, however, what looks fantastic on big-eyed models may not be suitable for those with narrow or small eyes. That is why it is important to find the right eyeliner style that will suit the unique shape and size of your eyes. Below are some eyeliner ideas for different shaped eyes.
Round Eyes
The whites of the eye are visible above and below the iris in round eyes and they are usually quite large and wide. Lining the outer edges of the lash line will make round eyes appear longer. The long winged look is particularly suitable for round eyes. The line should start from where the iris starts and continue in an upward arch, extending past the outer corner to form a ‘wing’. Liquid eyeliner is best for this look as it glides on smoothly and forms a fine outer line the can be filled in.
Almond Eyes
Almond eyes have the shape of an almond and part of the top and bottom of the iris is covered by the eyelids. Follow the natural curves of the eyes with eyeliner pencil from the inner corners and flick it up into an exaggerated wing at the outer corners. For small eyes draw a thin line, and for larger eyes use a thicker line. Glimmer stick eyeliners work wonders to accentuate the wonderful curves of almond eyes for night-time glamour.
Small Eyes
When the eyes are small in comparison to the nose and mouth and the distance between the top lashes and the eyebrows is quite short, they are considered to be small. Eyeliner should never be applied to the bottom of small eyes as they will appear even smaller. Draw a thin line on the upper lash line and join it with a short line just at the outer corner of the bottom line to frame small eyes. For extra definition apply eyeliner in between the roots of the lashes and extend the line at the corners of the eyes for a more dramatic look.
Big Eyes
If the eyes appear bigger than the rest of the facial features, you have big eyes. There are many eyeliner ideas that can be used in many different ways on big eyes to achieve any look. With big eyes both the bottom and the top lash lines can be accentuated with dark eyeliner without the risk of making them look smaller. Women with big eyes can experiment with pencil eyeliner for a smoky, smudged look, liquid eyeliner for dramatic cat’s eyes, and glittering gel eyeliner for a fun look.
Close-Set Eyes
With close-set eyes the gap between the inner corners of the eyes across the bridge of the nose is smaller than the length of the eyes. With close-set eyes the outer corners need to be accentuated. Starting with a very thin line at the inner corners, gradually thicken the line towards the outer corners and extend it beyond the upper lash line. Avoid the inner corners where the tear ducts are as this will make the eyes look smaller and closer. Accentuating the outer corner of the bottom lash line will create the illusion of drawing the eyes outward.
Wide-Set Eyes
The opposite effect is needed for wide-set eyes. Accentuate the inner corners of the eyes more to make them seem closer together and avoid extending the line beyond the corners of the upper lash line. Apply a short line at the outer corner of the bottom lash line, but avoid lining the entire bottom water line.
For the perfect look always accentuate the lashes with mascara following the style of the eyeliner that is suitable for the particular shape of the eyes.