I’m currently obsessed with the makeup technique known as “tightlining”, which is just applying liner to the lash line of your upper lashes–right at the waterline. It’s a great way to apply eye makeup when you want to look a bit polished without wearing much makeup. All you need is a flat eyeliner brush, like Laura Mercier’s Flat Eyeliner Brush and a waterproof gel liner, like MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack or Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner. (Plus, it’s a good idea to have some eye makeup remover and Q-tips on hand to fix mistakes. There’s definitely a learning curve!)
For tips on how to tightline your eyes correctly, check out this great tutorial from Raquel13 and this video from makeup artist Beau Nelson. (I also like what he has to say about applying mascara!) And then let me know in the comments what your experiences are with tightlining…
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Lately I’ve been doing the same thing but with dark brown eyeshadow and a little bit of water on my brush. I never use gel liners often enough so I stopped buying them. Bobbi Brown is my favorite, though.
Amy: Doesn’t shadow get into your eyes right there? My eyes are so annoyingly sensitive that even when I use shadow liner above the lashline my eyes get red & watery a lot of the time…
This is very interesting. I tend to put on my top eyeliner too thick because I can never get a good even line. I am definitely going to try this- I really like the way it came out in your video!
Steph: Please try it & let me know how it works for you! The key is to use a stiff/flat eyeliner brush and a gel liner… Makes it a million times easier to do. I am not very good at getting an even eyeliner liner either but I can do this correctly.
That’s the eyeliner I use! Love it….stays on really well.
Hi Kristen! 🙂 Glad you like this too.
This is definitely something I need to try ASAP. I’ve worn a thick line of black liquid liner every day of my adult life because I’ve never mastered the eye pencil, and I can’t go with naked eyes. Thanks for this!
I actually tried this the other day when I stumbled upon it by accident. I was putting on my mascara and it clumped up at the base. I noticed how nice it looked so I took a brush and smudged it at the base, then applied more. I had no idea this was an actual technique! I know how to properly apply it now..I love this look!
Thank you so much for the tutorial! I had this technique done on me at a counter and loved it, but had no idea how to recreate it. Can’t wait to give it a try! Wish me luck! Thanks so much!
Joanna: Let me know how it goes for you.
THanks for the video!! I use “tightlining” a lot, didn’t know it had a name though!
Meghan: I didn’t know it had a name either. But I also didn’t know how to do it until recently. I’m always learning new makeup things!
LOVE the MAC Fluidline. I was the worst when it came to applying eyeliner – but this method totally works for me. I’ll have to try the Bobbi Brown kind when my MAC is out, is it comparable in price?
Carmen: Bobbi Brown is $22 and MAC is $15 so not too different…
I’ve been looking for an excuse to go to Sephora – thanks!
Amy: you never need an “excuse” to go to Sephora.
So I tried this this morning. I didn’t have a gel eyeliner so I used the MUFE black cream liner with a liner brush. It looked pretty awesome but it’s going to take some practice, since I accidentally blinked and it took me like half an hour to recover my eyesight.. kinda’ worth it though.
Alyssa: totally worth it. plus, blind is the new black.
This is an awesome idea! I always put my mascara above the lashes, and it just comes out being too much. This is much more natural and flattering. Thanks for sharing this awesome tip!
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Thanks for this post. I’ve become recently obsessed with tightlining myself but always ended up with less than desirable results. I should invest in a proper brush and gel liner….;-)
Astrotrainfall: I could never figure out how to do it correctly until I watched that video and went to the tutorial from Raquel13. They really helped. And yes, the right tools/makeup helps a lot too! I still end up getting gel liner at the very corners of my eye, which I have to clean up with a q-tip and some makeup remover, but I have much improved at the technique. I have been doing this almost daily! Love it.
[…] my seclusion today, I thought I’d try the technique of tightlining that I just learned about here. Basically, it’s a very slim, tight line of cream eyeliner (which I always use and absolutely […]