A fun take on a classic look.
Colder weather usually means dull skies and sleepy gazes. However, feeling empowered in negative temperatures isn’t hard when you have a coloured eyeliner handy. An intense colour pop accenting each blink is quite possibly the key to kicking your desire to hibernate to the curb. In fact, according to Pinterest, searches for coloured wing eyeliner are up 143 per cent this month.
Now, we know that a winged eyeliner is not for the faint of heart. Makeup artist Sabrina Rinaldi says it takes a steady hand to achieve the most revered wing, but if that doesn’t describe you, Rinaldi has a few tricks up her sleeve to help you still get the look you want. “Some people use tape on the outer eye, or a business card to get those sharp lines and angles. I prefer to create the line and then, with pointed Q-tips, go in and refine the line. Either way will get you there.”
She says that because liquid liner creates such sharp lines, it also demands the perfect drawing of one. “Liquid liner requires a lot more precision than pencil or kohl, so if you are a novice, using a pencil will give you more control.” Another way to go about this look is pretending you are in primary school. “Create your winged shape as a hollow outline, and then fill it in, colouring-book style,” says Rinaldi. However, she’s realistic that there’s still a large margin-of-error when creating the perfect winged liner. If you find yourself making a mistake, Rinaldi recommends using pointed Q-tips dipped in eye makeup remover to smooth any bumps and ridges. A makeup wipe wrapped around your nail will also do the trick—just use the edge of your nail to wipe and create a crisp line.
According to Rinaldi, the best colours to use for this trend are bold jewel tones like burgundy, sapphire and emerald. They look best and read well on most skin types, whereas pale colours can look washed out, she says. Here is some inspiration to take with you to the makeup counter:
If you want to get the look yourself, we’ve rounded up some coloured eyeliner options for you to try out.