GET FREE SAMPLES

sign up for our newsletter to get free sample alerts

9 Cool-Girl Graphic Eyeliner Looks You Can Actually Wear

Try these next time you're going for a sexy, statement eye
Photo 2/10
Emerald Green Eyeliner
Create this open-ended shape starting at the inner corner of your lash line, working outward. Once you hit the outer corner, extend the line up on a diagonal, then work your way back towards the inner corner of the eye, stopping just before you reach it. "The trickiest part here is connecting the lines smoothly, so be light-handed in your application. You can always add more," Hughes points out.

A pencil, like the Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencil Waterproof Eyeliner in I-34, $21, makes this kind of application easiest.

Image via Instagram

Photo 3/10
Graphic Yellow Pop
Black, brown, charcoal ... or, consider adding yellow to your liner line-up. The unexpected hue is especially flattering on darker skin tones, as seen here.

To create this graphic shape, look straight in the mirror and keep your eyes open. Using a skinny brush and a cream liner, draw a rounded line that sits just above your crease, working from the inside edge of your eye, out. Hughes used Tarte Clay Pot Waterproof Liner in Goldilocks, $21, for this look. Once you reach the outer corner of your eye, wrap the line down and back one-quarter of the way along the top lash line.

Image via Instagram

Photo 4/10
Subtle Dots
It may be called liner but that doesn't mean you can't use it to create dots for a statement-making yet subtle effect. All you have to do is draw a small dot just under your lower lashline, in-line with the center of your pupil, says Hughes.

A liquid option, like Mehron Paradise Makeup AQ Detailz, $8.95, works well for this, though you can also use a powder eye shadow if you want the dot to be even more subtle, she adds. Loads of black mascara is a must; we're big fans of Wander Beauty Unlashed Volume & Curl Mascara, $24. You can also do like Hughes did here and add a small triangle at the outer corner of each eye, if you want to go even more graphic, a la graphic-liner queen Zoe Kravitz.

Image via Instagram

Photo 5/10
Open Ended Liner
Playing with the width of the lines makes this graphic eyeliner look simple yet sophisticated. Using a felt-tip pen, like Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, $22, line your top lashline, making the line fairly thick. Wing it out -- keeping this line thinner -- then draw it back up, above your crease, stopping at the mid-point of your eye. The key is to take your time: "Etch the color on slowly, rather than trying to draw this entire shape in one fell swoop," advises Hughes.

Image via Fashionmagazine.com

Photo 6/10
Wide Wings
Simply bulking up a winged eye can transform the look from standard to special. Start by dipping a thin liner brush into a powder shadow; Hughes used Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Quad in Sage, $22, though any color works. "Using a dry shadow creates the diffuse edge, which contrasts nicely with the more defined overall shape," she says. Apply the shadow starting at the inner corner of your eye, following your lashline, then create the wing, aiming up towards the tail of your brow. Finish by adding more shadow to the wing to make it as thick as you want.

Image via Instagram

BY MELANIE RUD CHADWICK | JUN 13, 2017 | SHARES
VIEW COMMENTS
Full Site | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
TotalBeauty is a property of Evolve Media Holdings, LLC. © 2024 All Rights Reserved. | Affiliate Disclosure: Evolve Media Holdings, LLC, and its owned and operated subsidiaries may receive a small commission from the proceeds of any product(s) sold through affiliate and direct partner links.