Waterlining is the technique of applying eyeliner to the waterline (or inner rim) of the eyes, this is the area of the eye that is lightly wet and right near the lashes.

“How do I make eyeliner last on my waterline?” is one of the most frequent questions I get asked. The cold hard truth is: no eyeliner will last for hours on end when it comes to the waterline because the area is constantly filled with moisture.

For the waterline I recommend pencil eyeliners (although some people prefer to use gel) kohl pencil eyeliners are much softer on the eyes and grip best, but some waterproof pencils are great as well. Eyeliners I recommend for waterlining are: Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Pencil, Rimmel Soft Kohl Pencil and Too Faced Perfect Eyes Eyeliner.

I recommend using brown, grey or a dark navy blue instead of jet black which can often look harsh (although I did for the purpose of this tutorial) Bright, bold coloured eyeliners are great for adding a burst of colour to your eye makeup look whilst nude/white shades are great for making the eyes appear larger.

NOTE: I would not recommend this technique for a day to day basis and would not recommend it for anyone with very sensitive eyes or contact lens wearers. To prevent eye infection I would recommend sharpening the pencil after each use and replacing it every year.

How to line your lower waterline

Step 1: Gently pull down the skin underneath your eye so your waterline is exposed and gently take a cotton tip onto your waterline to remove any moisture. No eyeliner (especially waterproof eyeliner) will grip to a wet area.

Step 2: Gently pull down the skin again so your waterline is exposed.

Step 3: Take your eyeliner and gently run it along your lower waterline, you may need to repeat this a few times to get full colour intensity. It is best to use a pencil that is slightly dull, a pencil that is too sharp will hurt your eyes. Also try not get too much product on the tear duct

Step 4: Done! Don’t worry about any mess, you can clean it up with a cotton tip and a little eye makeup remover.

How to line your upper waterline

Step 1: Gently lift up the skin from underneath the brow so your upper waterline is exposed and gently take a cotton tip along the upper waterline to remove any moisture.

Step 2: Lift up the skin under your eyebrow again so your waterline is exposed.

Step 3: Gently run the pencil along your upper waterline. If you want to tightline as well, then wiggle the pencil in between your lashes.

Step 4: Clean up any mistakes or mess with a cotton tip soaked in eye makeup remover.

The finished result of eyeliner applied to both waterlines & cleaned up.

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