Black Eyeliner served three ways! (Ok, I’ve probably been watching too much Top Chef!) Here is a quick course on the eyeliner techniques that I used on Annalynne McCord, Shenae Grimes and Jessica Stroup for 90210’s photo gallery, shot by Art Streiber. It’s a great example of three different ways you can apply black eyeliner: Kohl Pencil, Wet Shadow or Gel Formula.
Kohl Pencil on Annalynne:
For Annalynne, I used my trusty Shu Uemura Drawing Pencil in ME Black 1. It glides on with ease and I love its metallic concentration. I started in the inner corner of the upper lash line and dragged the pencil tip outward, slightly winging it up at the end. I incrementally made the line a little thicker as I worked my way to the outside of the eyes. I then drew a thin line across the bottom lash line and finished by rimming inside the lash line with the pencil. ** Tip: for a thin line, use the point of the pencil, holding it almost perpendicularly to your eye. For a thicker line, slant the pencil to a 45-degree angle, using more of the side of the tip of the pencil. Don’t be afraid to try holding your pencil at different angles — make-up is temporary and you can wipe it off and try again as many times as it takes for you to get the hang of it! 
Wet Shadow on Shenae:
For a softer look on Shenae, I opted for an eye shadow powder, applied wet. This is one of my favorite techniques in make-up! First, take a slim and angled eye liner brush and wet it with water until it’s fully soaked. I love NARS Angular Eye Shader Brush 04. Next, swirl it around in a single black eye shadow until it is loaded with the color. In this case I used Night Breed by NARS, a deep metallic black that I adore because the silver specks catch the light but don’t affect the concentration of black color. On the back of your hand, draw a couple of lines to make sure you are happy with the consistency of the wet shadow while smoothing out any powder clumps. You might need to re-dip it in the shadow until you have it right. Just like I did for Annalynne with the drawing pencil, sweep the brush across your lash line, starting at the inner corners and increasing the width as approach the outer corners. This brush is especially brilliant for drawing a thin line on the bottom lash line because of the breadth of the brush. For a day look like this, it’s prettier to have a thin line of the bottom. You want to define the eyes in the day time and save the drama for Tuesday nights at 8pm! **Tip: For double the intensity, re-wet your brush, load it with more shadow and go back over the line.
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Gel Formula on Jessica:
For the ultimate definition of the eyes, without the extremity of a liquid liner, use a gel liner pot, like I did here on Jessica. When I first started in make-up years ago, we had to use grease paints for this effect! Now many lines have created gel liners, and one of my favorites that I used for this shoot is Elizabeth Arden’s Color Intrigue Gel Eye Liner in Black. It glides on smoothly with ease and comes with its own liner brush. Use the same method as the wet shadow liner and watch your eyes become piercing with every coat! **Tip: One coat for a more subtle look, 2-3 coats for extra drama!
Whatever your personality, find the method and products that work for you… or do what I do and use a different technique for different moods! Always remember to have fun with it and NEVER be intimidated by make-up. It’s one of your creative times of the day to play!
Photos courtesy of Art Streiber, The CW, Shu Uemura, NARS and Elizabeth Arden. http://www.artstreiber.com/ http://www.thecw.tv/ http://www.shuuemura-usa.com/ http://www.narscosmetics.com/ http://www.elizabetharden.com/
