3 tips that will make applying liquid eyeliner way easier

If liquid eyeliner has been making your life hell on a regular basis for years, we have three tips that you are going to thank us for.

Oh liner, liner, liner. Undeniably the most difficult technique to master in the world of makeup. Do you know what, though? No matter how good you are, everybody has a bad liner day. Even the professionals have days where they want to throw that pot of gel liner through a window. It's got to be the most frustrating thing when your liquid liner, the last step in your makeup, the possible cherry on the cake - gets messed up. It's not just the liquid eyeliner that is messed up, it's your whole eye makeup. It's practically impossible to fix without destroying the work you've already done. It's bye bye beautifully blended eyeshadow, hello black liner mess.

We can't promise you'll never have a bad liner moment again. The good news is we do have some pro tips to help you avoid that liquid eyeliner mess occurring in the first place.

Mixing medium

Okay, first things first. The quality of your liner is really important. You will not, I repeat, will not get a smooth liquid line with a dried out gel pot or similarly with an old dried out liquid liner pen. Mixing medium applies to gel liner pots only. Unfortunately, pens and liquid liner pots have to be replaced. I find gel liners the easiest to use and they are suitable for creating almost any liner look. Have you ever made it to the end of a pot of gel liner without it drying out and having to dump it? I haven't and I use it a lot. The liner needs to be smooth to glide on and give you a sharp finish. Once it becomes slightly dry it will drag on the skin leaving a bumpy edge and you can say goodbye to sharp flicks.

Mixing medium will revive your old dry liner and bring it back to its fluid consistency. You need to add the tiniest drop and mix it in well. Too much mixing medium will water down the colour and make it transfer.

Loading your brush

When I'm teaching makeup, I point this technique out all the time. The way you 'load' the brush is imperative to a sleek liner. 'Loading' the brush is the way your brush picks up the liner from the pot. You need to swipe both sides of your brush, no matter what brush you are using. You use the product to sharpen the tip of your brush so you get the finest line possible. Also, you need to keep re-loading your brush. It's the same theory as before. Once the product on the brush starts to dry you won't get the smooth lines you're looking for. As soon as the liner is struggling to come off the brush, re-load your brush with fresh product.

Flick placement

Contrary to popular belief, your flicks are not an extension of the upper lash line. No, they are technically an extension of the lower lash line. When you think about it, to follow the upper lash line your line would naturally slope down at the outer edge of your eye. If you bring your flicks up from the lower lash line they will be pointing in the right direction, lifting the outer edge of your eyes as opposed to dragging them down.

What's your most common problem when you're applying liquid eyeliner?