How to Use Eyeliner as Eyeshadow: A Versatile Beauty Hack

by

A Versatile Beauty Hack: How to Use Eyeliner as Eyeshadow

Have you ever looked at your makeup bag and wished you could get more use out of the products you already own? What if I told you that your eyeliner—that trusty tool you use to define your lash line—is one of the most versatile products in your arsenal? It’s not just for lines and wings; it can be a creamy, blendable, and long-lasting eyeshadow. This guide will show you how to unlock the full potential of your eyeliners, transforming them into stunning eyeshadow looks. Forget about buying new palettes for every trend; this hack will save you money, time, and space. We’ll dive into the specific techniques, product types, and application methods that make this a game-changer for anyone’s beauty routine.

The Basics: Why Eyeliner Works as Eyeshadow

The secret lies in the formula. Many modern eyeliners, especially pencil and gel formulas, are designed to be creamy, pigmented, and easy to blend before they set. This makes them perfect for creating a base, a smoky eye, or a pop of color. Unlike traditional powder eyeshadows, which can have significant fallout, eyeliners provide a rich, concentrated pigment that grips the skin and stays put. This guide will focus on these specific formulas—pencils, gel pots, and even some creamy liquid liners—to ensure you get the best results.

Prepping Your Canvas: The Foundation for Flawless Application

Just like any good painting, the key to a beautiful eye look is a properly prepared canvas. This step is non-negotiable for ensuring your eyeliner-as-eyeshadow stays vibrant, crease-free, and long-lasting. Neglecting this can lead to patchiness and colors fading before the day is over.

1. Clean and Hydrate: Start with clean, dry eyelids. Any oil or residue will cause your product to slip and slide. Use a gentle cleanser or a micellar water on a cotton pad to wipe away any excess oil. Follow up with a lightweight eye cream, allowing it to absorb fully before moving on. A well-hydrated base prevents the eyeliner from tugging on the delicate skin.

2. Prime for Longevity: An eyeshadow primer is your best friend here. A good primer creates a smooth, even surface, enhances the color of your liner, and provides a tacky base for the product to adhere to. It also helps to prevent creasing, which is a common issue with creamy products.

  • Concrete Example: Apply a pea-sized amount of a primer to your ring finger and gently tap it across your entire eyelid, from the lash line up to the brow bone. A popular choice is an opaque primer that can also color-correct any discoloration on the lid.

3. Set the Primer (Optional but Recommended): For oily lids, lightly setting your primer with a translucent powder or a matte, neutral eyeshadow will create an even smoother surface and absorb any residual oil. This step is particularly helpful for blending, as it prevents the creamy liner from grabbing and becoming patchy.

  • Concrete Example: Use a fluffy brush to dust a small amount of translucent setting powder over the primed lid. Tap off the excess powder from the brush before applying.

Choosing Your Tools: Eyeliner Formulas and Brushes

The success of this technique hinges on using the right products and tools. Not all eyeliners are created equal when it comes to being used as eyeshadow, and not every brush will give you the seamless blend you’re looking for.

Eyeliner Formulas to Use:

  • Pencil Liners (The Workhorse): Look for creamy, blendable formulas. These are typically kohl or gel pencils. Avoid hard, waxy pencils that are difficult to smudge. A great test is to swatch it on the back of your hand; if it glides on smoothly and you can easily blend the edges with your finger, you’re good to go.
    • Concrete Example: A black kohl pencil is perfect for a quick smoky eye. A rich brown can create a softer, everyday look. Colored pencils (like teal or purple) are excellent for a vibrant pop of color.
  • Gel Liners in a Pot (The Professional’s Choice): These are often highly pigmented and have a slightly longer “playtime” before they set, giving you more time to blend. They require a brush for application.
    • Concrete Example: Use a black gel liner with an angled brush to create a precise wing, and then use a fluffier brush to blend it out for a diffused effect. A bronze gel liner can be spread across the lid for a beautiful, shimmery base.
  • Creamy Stick/Crayon Eyeshadows: While technically not an “eyeliner,” these are essentially a thicker version of a pencil liner and are designed for this exact purpose. They offer maximum pigment and blendability.
    • Concrete Example: A shimmering rose gold crayon can be swiped directly onto the lid and blended with a finger for an effortless, one-and-done look.

Eyeliner Formulas to AVOID:

  • Liquid Liners (The No-Go Zone): Unless it’s a specific “creamy” liquid formula designed for blending, traditional liquid liners dry down quickly and are not meant to be smudged or blended. They will crack and create a messy, uneven finish.

  • Waxy or Hard Pencils: These tug at the skin, provide poor color payoff, and are nearly impossible to blend seamlessly.

Essential Brushes:

  • Smudge Brush: A small, dense, flat-topped or rounded brush with short bristles. This is essential for smudging eyeliner along the lash line.

  • Small Pencil Brush: A small, tapered brush ideal for precise blending in the crease or on the lower lash line.

  • Blending Brush: A fluffy, dome-shaped brush is crucial for diffusing color in the crease and blending out the edges of your eyeliner-as-eyeshadow.

  • Flat Shader Brush: A firm, flat brush used to pack on color all over the lid.

Technique 1: The Quick and Easy All-Over Lid Color

This is the simplest way to use eyeliner as eyeshadow, perfect for a monochromatic look that takes less than five minutes. It’s ideal for a quick makeup day or when you want to achieve a statement eye without much effort.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Draw and Apply: Take your creamy eyeliner pencil and draw a thick line along your upper lash line. Don’t worry about it being neat. You can also color in your entire lid, but starting with a thick line ensures you get the most pigment right where you need it.
    • Concrete Example: Use a deep plum pencil. Draw a line from the inner corner to the outer corner, about a quarter of an inch thick. Then, draw a few diagonal lines from the crease down to the lash line, as if you were drawing a hashtag. This ensures even product distribution.
  2. Smudge and Blend: Immediately after applying, take a smudge brush or a clean finger and begin to blend the product upward and outward. Work quickly, as many formulas set within a minute or two. Use small, circular motions to blend the edges until there are no harsh lines.
    • Concrete Example: Use your smudge brush to soften the top edge of the plum color, blending it slightly into the crease. For a more diffused look, use a clean blending brush to gently sweep over the edges.
  3. Add Dimension (Optional): For a bit more depth, take a slightly darker shade of the same color family and apply it just to the outer third of your lash line. Blend this out to create a subtle gradient.
    • Concrete Example: With a dark purple pencil, draw a small V-shape on the outer corner of your eye and blend it inward, focusing the darkest color on the lash line.
  4. Finish with Mascara: Complete the look with a coat of your favorite mascara to define your lashes and tie everything together.

Technique 2: The Smoky Eye Made Simple

A smoky eye can seem intimidating, but using an eyeliner as a base makes it foolproof. This method provides a deep, long-lasting, and buildable base that powder eyeshadows can adhere to, creating a truly rich and smoky effect.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Define the Lash Line: Using a black or dark brown creamy eyeliner pencil, draw a thick, smudgy line along your upper and lower lash lines. Don’t worry about being precise; the point is to create a soft, smoky base.
    • Concrete Example: With a black kohl pencil, draw a line from the inner corner to the outer corner of your upper lash line. Smudge it out immediately with a smudge brush. Repeat the process on the lower lash line, connecting the top and bottom lines at the outer corner.
  2. Color in the Lid: Fill in your entire eyelid up to the crease with the same pencil. Again, it doesn’t need to be perfect.
    • Concrete Example: Scribble the black pencil across your eyelid, ensuring you get enough product to create a solid base.
  3. Blend the Edges: Take a clean blending brush and blend the color from the lash line up towards the crease. The goal is to diffuse the harsh lines, creating a soft, gradient effect. Use small, circular motions.
    • Concrete Example: Using a fluffy blending brush, blend the top edge of the black base into the crease. You can use a transition shade of powder eyeshadow (a matte brown or gray) to further soften the edges if desired.
  4. Add Powder Eyeshadow (The Secret to Longevity): The eyeliner now acts as a base. Take a powder eyeshadow in a similar shade (black or a dark gray) and pat it directly over the eyeliner base using a flat shader brush. This sets the creamy product, intensifies the color, and prevents creasing.
    • Concrete Example: Pat a black matte eyeshadow over the black eyeliner base. The eyeliner will grip the powder, making the color incredibly rich and vibrant. Use a soft brown in the crease to blend out the top edge for a seamless transition.
  5. Highlight and Finish: Add a pop of shimmer to the inner corner of your eye and your brow bone. Finish with a generous coat of mascara.
    • Concrete Example: Use a small pencil brush to apply a shimmery silver or champagne eyeshadow to the inner corner of your eye.

Technique 3: The Graphic and Edgy Cut Crease

This technique utilizes the precision of an eyeliner pencil to create a defined crease, a look that is both modern and bold. It’s a fantastic way to make your eyes look bigger and more defined.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Define the Crease: Look straight ahead in the mirror. With a creamy eyeliner pencil in a dark color (like black or brown), draw a line just above your natural crease. This will be your guideline.
    • Concrete Example: Use a dark brown pencil. Look straight ahead, and using a light hand, draw a slightly curved line just above your eye’s natural fold. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect.
  2. Smudge and Blend the Crease Line: Take a small pencil brush and carefully blend the top edge of the line upward, diffusing the color. The bottom edge of the line should remain sharp and defined.
    • Concrete Example: Blend the top edge of the brown line with a small, clean brush. The goal is to create a soft, smoky transition from the crease color to the brow bone area, leaving the bottom edge of the line intact.
  3. Cut the Crease with Concealer: To make the crease pop, you’ll need to “cut” it with a concealer. Use a small, flat concealer brush and a full-coverage concealer to create a clean line under the eyeliner.
    • Concrete Example: Take a small flat brush and your favorite concealer. Carefully paint the area below your defined crease line, extending it to the inner corner of your eye. This will create a clean, sharp separation between the lid and the crease.
  4. Fill the Lid: The cut crease is now ready to be filled. You can use any powder eyeshadow, but this is a great opportunity to use a lighter, contrasting eyeliner as a base for an even more vibrant look.
    • Concrete Example: Use a shimmery white or a bright metallic eyeliner crayon to fill in the space on the lid below the cut crease. Then, pat a matching powder eyeshadow over it to set the color and add dimension.
  5. Lower Lash Line and Finish: Apply some of the dark eyeliner to your lower lash line and smudge it out. Finish with a winged eyeliner on your upper lash line to complete the graphic look, and a coat of mascara.

Advanced Hacks and Pro Tips

Now that you’ve mastered the basics, here are some advanced tips to get the most out of your eyeliner-as-eyeshadow hack.

1. Create Custom Colors: You can layer different eyeliner shades to create unique custom colors.

  • Concrete Example: Apply a rich blue eyeliner all over your lid and then layer a shimmery black over it, focusing on the outer corner. The result will be a beautiful, deep midnight blue that has a lot of dimension.

2. Use as a Base for Shimmer and Glitter: Creamy eyeliners are excellent for making shimmery or glittery powder eyeshadows truly pop. The sticky texture of the liner acts as a great primer for these products, reducing fallout and intensifying their sparkle.

  • Concrete Example: After applying and blending a black eyeliner base for a smoky eye, pat a loose glitter or a metallic pigment directly on top of it. The glitter will adhere beautifully without the need for a separate glitter glue.

3. Tightlining and Waterline: Don’t forget that you can still use your eyeliner for its original purpose. Tightlining (applying liner to the upper waterline) and lining the lower waterline will make your lashes look thicker and your eyes more defined, especially when you’ve created a smoky eyeshadow look.

4. The “Reverse” Eyeliner: Instead of applying eyeliner to the upper lid, focus all the color on the lower lash line and smudge it out. This is a modern, edgy look that makes your eyes look bigger and more open.

  • Concrete Example: Use a vibrant emerald green or a sapphire blue creamy pencil. Line your lower lash line generously and smudge it out with a pencil brush. Keep the upper lid clean or with just a coat of mascara for a striking, minimalist look.

5. How to Clean Up Mistakes: The beauty of using creamy eyeliner is that you have a bit of time to fix mistakes. If you mess up, use a small, flat brush with a little bit of micellar water or a makeup remover to carefully clean up the edges. A small cotton swab dipped in remover also works wonders for precise clean-ups.

Mastering this versatile hack is not just about saving money; it’s about unlocking your creative potential. By understanding the formulas and techniques, you can transform your everyday eyeliner into a powerful tool for creating endless eye looks. This guide has given you the foundational knowledge and the actionable steps to get started. Now, go forth and experiment with your makeup bag—you might be surprised at what you can create. The possibilities are truly limitless.