How-To Apply Liquid Eyeliner For Beginners

Getting your liquid eyeliner on can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The intimidating product isn’t as difficult to apply as you might think—as long as you know a few tricks to getting a clean wing. With a little bit of patience and practice you can eventually master the skill of drawing on a cat-eye with ease.

Follow our step-by-step guide to applying liquid eyeliner below, and then shop all eight of our highly-pigmented shades to find your new favorite.

1. Create a clean base. Throughly cleanse your eye area with makeup remover to get rid of all previous traces of product.

2. Use primer. Apply an eyeshadow primer or concealer on your eyelids to create an even canvas—this will also help your eyeliner last longer.

3. Get in position. Tilt your head back slightly and look down into your mirror and place your elbow securely on a table or flat surface to keep your hand as steady as possible. If it feels more comfortable, use your other hand to gently pull your eye taut (but avoid tugging!).

4. Connect the dots. Draw a dot in the middle of your lash line as close to your eye as possible—the size of the dot should be equal to the thickness of your desired line. Draw a dot in the inner corner of your eye where you want the line to begin, and a dot at the outermost point where you want the wing to end. Let the angle of your lower lash line act as a guide.

5. Fill it in. While keeping your elbow rested on the flat surface, use small strokes to connect the dots together along your lash line—apply more pressure as you move toward the outer corner so the line gets thicker. To fill in any remaining gaps, dab the liner.

6. Clean up. After repeating the process on your other eye, make sure your two eyes are even. If needed, dip a cotton swab in a gentle makeup remover and gently wipe off the excess for a flawless edge.