What to Wear Wednesday: Eyeliner How-To

My very first question comes from "Tammy F" in Minnesota:

"Okay... my first question... eyeliner.. whats the best way to apply it without making you look like a hooker?"

Hi Tammy!

This question could not be more perfect! I have struggled with eyeliner for years. Make-up people at every counter always want to put it on me and it ends up looking too severe, too raccoon-like. Not really the look you or I want to rock. Lately I've been experimenting a bit and have found a few variables help you stay on the right side of sexy.

Usually one of the first mistakes with eyeliner is color selection. Even applied perfectly, the wrong color is going to be horribly unflattering. Black is incredibly harsh for most people and can actually make your eyes look smaller, not bigger. Knowing you and your coloring, I'd opt for brown or even a deep plum. Dark greens can be pretty, too, as long as they aren't too yellow. I recommend Clinique's True Khaki; it comes with a blending spongey thingy on the other end to help correct mistakes. Perfect for an eyeliner novice! You want the eyeliner to complement your eyeshadow palette, so choose accordingly.

Now for the application: I learned this trick from Carmindy on What Not to Wear and oh sweet Lord, it works! Hold your eyelid taut. Start at the outer corner, and work your way in. BUT! Don't try to draw one, long, straight line. Make little dash marks very close to your lashline as you slowly move toward the inside. (I don't go all the way to the inside corner because my lashes are blonde and sparse there and it looks weird.) Play around a little and see what looks right for you. Start lightly and darken as you feel more confident; it's easier to add more than try to fix a heavy-handed approach. I tend to go for a subtle look that just makes my lashes look a little thicker and darker. If you want a bolder line, I would start small and build up, or get a thicker pencil. Sue Devitt makes great ones (excellent color selection and easy to use) that also come with the blending spongey thingy.

Another cause of Hooker Eyes (Is that even A THING? Yes, I am declaring it IS.) is too much eyeliner on the top AND bottom. You have options here. I tend to skip the bottom, and apply a little mascara instead. However, if you really feel you need a little somethin' somethin', I'd use the same approach , but focus on the outer corners.

If you're not into pencils, you can always pick up an eyeliner brush (the Sonia Kashuk line at Target has nice options) and dip it into an eyeshadow you like. Follow the same application technique as above. This usually has a softer effect and the color options might be more appealing.

Interested in liquid eyeliner? Um, yeah. You will need to consult someone who can handle it. That stuff is varsity level as far as I'm concerned, and always looks hookerish on me. Sorry.

Best of luck and send pictures of your hot look!