When you’re doing a very strong, graphic liner like the one I’m wearing here, pair it with equally strong, but neat, bold brows.
That way, your brows go with, or echo, the thematic “oomph” of your graphic liner, which gives your overall makeup look a sense of balance.
I’ve definitely noticed that when I do a bold or graphic liner and keep my brows mellow or messy, there’s something about the whole look that seems off, unbalanced and almost bottom heavy, like there’s something missing above the liner.
I mean, if there’s ever a perfect time to do a full-on dramatic brow, that time is when you’re doing graphic liner.
What do I mean by “bold brows”?
Well, I don’t think it necessarily has to mean Instagram brows. It just depends on what you like, but for me, bold brows mean filling in the sparse spots in the tail end a little bit heavier than I normally would, then using a brow gel to push all of the little brow hairs exactly where I want them.
And when I do a strong brow, I layer different products, like a brow pencil, an eyeshadow and a brow gel. I do a combo.
The shadow deepens and intensifies the color beyond what I’d be able to get with a brow pencil alone, while the brow pencil helps me draw in all the individual brow hairs, helping my brows to look extra full and lush. Then, I guide my existing brow hairs with the brow gels to get them where they need to go. 🙂
The brow pencil I’m using now, MAC Brow Sculpt, has an angled tip, which I like. I also like Urban Decay Brow Beater, which has a thin, fine tip that’s fantastic for defining individual hairs.
As for brow powders, I’m a MAC eyeshadow girl. I’ve been using Brun for years with my brown hair, and Benefit’s clear brow gel is my ride-or-die brow gel.
Graphic liner + strong brows = balance! And good balance is great.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Love the liner and lip shades! I could swim in those colors.
Thank you! Happy holidays.
Karen, I *love, love* the look you’re wearing here! Yesterday I wore MAC pigments in Silver and Silver Fog on my lids, and lined under my eyes with Silver Fog, so maybe we were having a similar makeup brain wave!
Sadly, winged liner doesn’t do much for me. I swear, my eyelids look more like Charlotte Rampling’s by the day, only with more brow overhang. Now if only I could get the rest of me to look like her, instead of just my saggy eyelids…
My favorite for fast brows lately is Chosungah 22 Dong Gong Minn Brow Maker in Grey Brown. I’ve got some bright, white hairs in my brows that need coloring, and are resistant to lots of pencils and some other brow gels. But when I want to take my time and do more precise brows, whether subtle or bold, my go-to is Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow (I use #25 Ash) with their double-ended eyebrow brush #274. I can fill in with the slanted brush end and color the hairs with the spoolie end. Some people pluck those bright white hairs, but then you end up with bald spots in your brows, and it’s so easy to color them with gel.
Hi Fran,
OK, I think you can do winged liner. Hear me out. Have you ever tried tightlining your upper lash line, and then building out the wing from the outer edge? It’s a modified version of a winged liner for hooded/mature eyes, and it works!
Need to get my hands on that Chosungah Brow Maker ASAP!
Karen, I tried it again, and it still looks kind of strange to me. Here’s why: I’ve got skin folds that extend at least 3/8″ past the end of my eye. If I place the wing to follow them, it goes way down and out to the side and just looks totally weird. Which I am, but… no need to emphasize the fact. If I place the wing by lining my lower lid and flowing upward from there, I have to make it nearly an inch long in order to be seen when my face is relaxed, because most of it disappears in the skin folds. Then, when I close my eyes or raise my eyebrows, suddenly the whole line appears (and it takes a really great eyeliner not to smear or flake, with all that wrinkling and un-wrinkling going on), which looks kind of strangely long. If I extend outward and upward from the tightline, which is just a couple of millimeters outside the lower-lashline-extended-line, it works basically the same way. Even before my eyes got “mature”, winged liner wasn’t a great look for my eye/eyelid shape. What I do instead is kind of an “outer-corner-lifted” look with eyeshadow on my hood, to bring some lift to the outer corner of my eyes, which almost turn down. But, it might be worth trying again with a shimmery mid-tone color, instead of a dark color, and filling my lids in with a similar but lighter color. Then the long wings wouldn’t so much suddenly appear out of nowhere. I think I’ll dig through my stash and give that a try!
As a hooded-eye person I can attest to the fact that if you use shadow for a winged looked it is less harsh or dramatic or whatever. Something that looks too long or weird with regular liner is something you may get away with if you use shadow. It’s worth a try. I personally love the look of smoked out wing liner done with shadow , it’s pretty and if I do the angle right it gives my eyes a lift.
If you haven’t experimented with your shadows yet, go for it!
I’ve been doing a similar look when I go out to eat, a more nude lip with a graphic liner and brows. It seems more appropriate since I’m single but taken at the moment with the husband still away. Smoky eyes seems to be only for events and dates for me these days!
I love a nude lip with graphic liner!
This totally works!
It does!
What are you wearing for liner in this? I love it!
Hi Lorraine!
I’m wearing Urban Decay Razor Sharp Liquid Liner in Deep End topped with two of the Urban Decay Moondust shades from the new Moondust Eyeshadow Palette on top (Lightyear and Galaxy).