Simple Hack To Prevent Smudging Of Eyeliner – Tutorial With Detailed Steps

We have got you covered if you are wondering how to prevent eyeliner from smudging.

Well-defined eyes can turn your look from drab to fab in no time. All you need is some good tricks under your sleeve to ace your eye makeup. In this article, we share some exclusive tips that can help you prevent smudged-eyeliner situations. Swipe up!

Keep In Mind

• Eye Shape: White eyeliner will give the appearance of bigger and livelier eyes. It does wonders for deep-set or droopy eyes.
• Eye Makeup: Use warm eyeshadows such as brown, yellow, mustard, olive, and gold to balance out the coolness of white eyeliner.
• Lipstick Shades: For a bold look, apply red lipstick, and for an everyday makeup look, you can pair white eyeliner with a nude lip shade.
• Other Uses: You can use white eyeliner to emphasize the eyes by using it as a base for eyeshadow to make it pop or applying it to the inner corner of the eye for a highlighted look.

How To Prevent Eyeliner From Smudging?

Follow these 7 simple tips and stop eyeliner smudging under eyes.

1. Use Good Eyeliner Formula

A good eyeliner formula itself will never budge or smear off your eyes

. Always invest in a good eyeliner for your eye makeup. It will turn out to be your best friend in makeup. You need not buy an expensive eyeliner for it to be good. If you cannot afford high-end brands, it is best to go for affordable eyeliners. The best budget eyeliners include Lakme Absolute Shine Eyeliner, Maybelline Hyper Glossy Liquid Eyeliner and Kryolan Liquid Eyeliner.

Kelly, a blogger, shared her tried and tested eyeliner tricks that have allowed her to slay her looks and avoid ending up looking like a ghoul. She once avoided eyeliners, but her research has brought her acceptance: “But as I was out to find the perfect smudge-proof liner, I discovered the distinction—consistency, glide and resistance all mattered. The only way to know if your eyeliner has all three qualities is if you try it on the back of your hand and notice the following: how well the liner draws, whether it distributes an equal proportion as you line it, how it feels against the skin and how long it stays on when you rub it. (i)”

2. Apply Concealer In The Under Eye Area

Take your favorite concealer and apply it in patting motions on your under eye area. This step will prevent your eyeliner from running. It also prevents its seeping into the fine lines of the under-eye area. Evening out the skin, the creamy formula of the concealer fills in all the lines. It acts as a barrier between the skin and your eyeliner so that the formula lasts longer and stays fresh, without needing many touch-ups. You can use blotting paper or wrapping tissue to absorb excess oil from the skin produced because of the creamy formula of the concealer. If your creamy concealer is oil-free, you can skip this step.

3. Try The Layering Technique

Don’t we all try layering our lipstick to make it vibrant and long-lasting? The technique is simple – apply, blot and reapply again! Well, the same trick applies for your eyeliner too. This simple idea keeps your eyeliner intact for the whole day. Start by applying your eyeliner and then softly smudge it out with a pencil brush or a cotton swab. Then, reapply one more time and your eyeliner will last really long. It will not slip, smear or slide off your eyes!

4. Apply Face Powder

I know you are hearing it for the first time, but it works wonders! Just as setting your cream foundation with powder prevents creasing, powder your eyelids before the application of eyeliner to avoid creasing and slipping off of the eyeliner. This technique helps in setting the eyeliner intact and in place. Ensure that the powder is sweat-proof before using them under your eyeliner to prevent eyeliner disaster.

Quick Tip

If you are using eyeshadow, apply it before applying eyeliner. The eyeshadow will absorb the oil in your skin and act as a dry canvas for your eyeliner.

5. Use Oil Absorbent Sheets

This trick will be of great help for people with oily skin. You might have noticed several times that within an hour of application of makeup, some shine and greasiness appear around your eye and t-zone areas of the face. Use good oil-absorbent sheets and blot on the area to remove any oiliness, which might lead to faster creasing and slipping of your eyeliner.

6. Use Primer

Eye primer helps in setting and intensifying your eyeshadow.

It also helps in preventing your eyeliner from creasing. Start applying an eye primer using a flat eyeshadow brush, fingertips, cotton swab, or Q-tip, and set it with your favorite compact powder, and then apply your eyeliner to make it last long, for the entire day. Your eye primer should be humidity-proof to prevent the creasing or slipping of the eyeliner.

7. Seal It Up

If waterproof eyeliner formulas still run away, try eyeliner sealers that are easily available today. The sealer helps in setting the eyeliner in place for long hours. The Kryolan Eyeliner sealer and Make Up Forever Eyeliner sealers can easily make your eyeliner a winner for you!

A Simple Tutorial On How To Stop Eyeliner From Smudging

Products Used

Here is a list of products that you need, to prevent your favorite eyeliner from running down your eyes:

• Compact or translucent powder
• Shimmery gold eyeshadow from the Elf 144 Ultimate Eyeshadow palette (optional)
• Matte Black Eyeshadow from Oriflame Marcel Eyeshadow and Blush palette.
• Loreal Million Lashes Mascara
• Lakme Absolute Kohl Ultimate Kajal

Stepwise Tutorial

Step 1: Pat The Eye Cream

Before we move on to the actual tutorial, we’ll need to get our eyes ready! Gently pat some eye cream to the under eye area to hydrate and relieve any dryness that is present. Apply and blend it completely with a light hand until it is fully absorbed into the skin. People with pigmented eyelids would have to use an orange or peach colored corrector prior to the layering of the concealer to get a flawless finish.

Take a liquid, gel, or cream concealer and gently pat it on your under eye area. If you have pigmented eyelids then you can apply the concealer over the eye area too. This trick will keep your eyeliner in place and prevent running. The added benefit of wearing a concealer is that it prevents seeping of the kajal into the thin fine lines of your under eye area. The creamy formula of the product fills all the skin lines, creating a flawless base. It also acts like a barrier between your skin and eyeliner.

Step 2: Set The Concealer

Then, set the concealer applied earlier with a translucent or compact powder to prevent smearing of the cream or liquid products. Pick a fluffy powder or eyeshadow brush and load some powder, then pat it on your eyelids as well as under eye area to avoid slipping off of your eyeliner. This makeup technique is loved by makeup artists as it sets the eyeliner intact for long hours!

Step 3: Apply Eyeliner

The next step is learning how to apply eyeliner correctly. Choose a perfect eyeliner formula depending upon your eye area. The formula plays a vital role in preventing running of eyeliners. Long wearing and smudge-proof formulas will last longer and you needn’t worry about them smearing off your eyes. You definitely needn’t invest in expensive eyeliners. If you really can’t afford expensive high-end brands, then the best bet is to choose affordable eyeliners like Lakme Eyeconic kajal, Maybelline Colossal kajal, Loreal Magique kajal. These are the best budget friendly kajals, which are easily available and stay for long hours. Apply the kajal thickly or thinly on your lower lash line as well as line your waterline with it.

Step 4: Set The Kajal

The next step is to set the kajal as we did with the concealer earlier. This is a really great trick to stop the eyeliner from smearing or running. After applying the eyeliner, allow it to dry for 2 to 3 seconds. Then, grab a black eyeshadow and layer it all over your eyeliner. The eyeshadow should be in the same color of your eyeliner. Use a fine thin or pointed eyeliner brush to create a neat and precise finish.

Step 5: Powder The Lower Under Eye Area

The final step is to powder the lower under-eye area once again with a very light hand. This step will remove any fallouts left by the black eyeshadow as well as prevent any further running of the eyeliner.

Quick Tip

In case the eyeliner smudges accidentally, you can fix it by applying concealer to your lids. Use an angled brush or eyeliner brush for application.

Infographic: 4 Ways To Stop Your Eyeliner From Smudging

Sometimes, eyeliner can make or break the entire look. There are many ways to prevent your eyeliner from smearing or running down your face, including powdering the eyelids and using oil-absorbing sheets and concealers. While all hacks discussed in the article are effective, a few ensure infallible results. Scroll down and check out the infographic to learn more.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you apply eyeliner without primer?

Applying eyeliner without a primer will make your eye makeup appear uneven. A primer helps form a smooth base allowing the liner to glide through the skin easily.

Why does my eyeliner keep smudging?

Either your natural oil or the oil from your moisturizer causes your eyeliner to smudge. Wash your face thoroughly and apply primer on the eyelids to avoid smudging. Additionally, learning how to apply liquid eyeliner properly and practicing it regularly can make all the difference.

Why is my waterproof mascara smudging?

Your waterproof mascara can smudge if it is not oil-proof.

Illustration: How To Prevent Eyeliner From Smudging - Top 7 Tips And Tutorial

Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team

Avoid eyeliner smudges from ruining your look. Learn the tips and tricks to keep your eyeliner fresh and bold all day long. Check out this video for more!

Was this article helpful?

Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

R.GuyMakeup Artist

 

R.Guy is a makeup artist with over 16 years of experience in the beauty industry. He has prepared and executed makeup and hair design campaigns for several couture and high-end established fashion productions and movie sets, including the Miss Maroon & White Pageant, Simboya films, L'Oreal USA sponsored fashion events, and Christian Dior beauty events.

Read full bio of R.Guy

Jyotsana RaoBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

 

Jyotsana Rao is an engineering graduate from NIT, Nagpur, who discovered her love for writing during her undergraduate days. She is passionate about writing about everything related to beauty - makeup, fashion, hairstyles, skin care, or hair care and has 4 years of experience on writing in these genres.

Read full bio of Jyotsana Rao

Madhumati ChowdhuryAssociate Editor

Madhumati is an associate editor with seven years of professional experience. She has previously worked as an editor, proofreader, and a writer with various organizations, helping her navigate through the various facets of content creation and refinement with ease.

Read full bio of Madhumati Chowdhury

Bhumika DagaBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Bhumika is a content writer with 2.5 years of expertise in crafting articles across diverse genres. She graduated from the University of Delhi and completed her post-graduation from Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi.

Read full bio of Bhumika Daga