When it comes to eyeliner, to line or not to line seems to always be the question. Looking back at earlier GMG images, it’s clear that eyeliner was always the winner. I wore black eyeliner both on top and on bottom – basically all around my eye, thinking that it made my eyes appear bigger and brighter. In truth, the results were completely opposite. What I’ve learned since is that eyeliner worn all around the eyes encloses them, giving the appearance of smaller, often tired-looking eyes. Wearing too much eyeliner that is misapplied can also be aging and enhance dark circles.

So, the question is – do we line or don’t we? For me, the answer is generally no. Most often I go with-out, particularly during the day. And if I do opt to wear eyeliner, the trick is that I use liquid eyeliner to apply a very thin line along the base of my top lashes only, practically in between my lashes, for a really natural look, and I add no liner on the bottom.

If I want to create a cat eye, I subtly elongate the liner past the outside corner of my eye in a curved-up motion, like a smile, but only a bit, and slightly smudge the entire line to prevent it from standing-out too much. You can use a small piece of scotch tape as a stencil to get a perfect line and help with making each side more even. You can also add a bit of matte eye shadow (creme or powder) on your eyelid after you line to cover any imperfections. And, again, I do not add any liner on the bottom.

If your preference is to wear eyeliner on both the top and bottom lashes, try only adding liner to the outside corner of the eye – a small line along the outside half of the top and an even shorter line at the outside corner of the bottom. Make sure to gently smudge the liner just a bit to soften the look.

Do you line or do you skip the liner? Let me know which you prefer and why!