I’ve used MAC Graphblack technakohl (twist-up pencil liner), but now I’d use UD Perversion – I just don’t tightline often.
Thanks to Lisa for today’s topic!
— Christine
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NARS Eye Paint in Black Valley or a black eyeshadow like Makeup Geek Corrupt or Saucebox Black Widow. Or I’ll layer the eyeshadow on top of the eye paint.
For quite a few years, I used Nyx Slide-On Waterproof pencil in Jet Black, but it would always eventually give me some transfer to my inner corners. Ugly! So this month I bought the Sephora Contour Matte pencil in All Black Everything to try out for tightlining my upper lashline, and ZERO transference!!! However, this is nowhere near as gel like and creamy as the Nyx one, it tugs somewhat and it’s not as quick to apply as it either, so Idk. I’ll be looking at others comments for ideas!
Have you tried warming up the eyeliner by rubbing it in your palm for a minute until it’s soft? It’ll probably go on a lot easier if you warm it up a little bit 🙂
Rachel, I was actually thinking of doing the old school flame trick! Haha!
I’m thinking of putting it in a sunny window for maybe 5-10 minutes prior to using? Not sure my hands are warm enough, though.
The best is a gel liner.For a night out or special occasion, I go for a gel like Inglot. But mostly, I use a pencil because it’s quicker. I think my best find is Marc Jacobs Blacquer.
Hourglass 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Liner. I only use this product for tightlining and therefore the pencils last forever and are super duper easy to apply. I’m just now on my second pack of three and I bought my first right around when the product was released. For some reason, this formula really holds on me. I love it!
I think I’ll pick one of these up and give it a try. I have a hypersensitive upper waterline and the sensation of running a liner across it makes it very difficult to use a liner that’s too thick or too firm. I blink and flinch like crazy 90% of the time! That’s why I apply it before doing the rest of my eye makeup — so I can remove the lines unintentionally drawn upward on my lids before using shadow primer. :-/
Yes!!! The best and sooooo black! Wish it came it a larger size!
Tightlining kind of freaks me out and I blink too much when I try to poke that area but I’d probably also use the UD Perversion liner as that’s the black one I have on hand.
My can’t tightline my upper waterline. It’s easy for me to access my upper waterlines, but my eyes water like crazy no matter what product I try, and they don’t stop till I remove the product. I can tolerate products in between my lashes fine. Usually, I use two coats of mascara. I make sure I get the brush all the way to the bottom of my lashes, and this mimics tightlining. I’ve also used a push liner brush to work eyeshadow right into the lashline. Because my lashes are black, I use UD Blackout, MUFE Onyx, or Tarte Fashionista.
Try Wayne Goss #8; you’ll love it! (The tiny one) It’s great for powder interlining, gels. You can even put pencil on it.
Thanks for the recommendation. It looks like a good one.
I’m a novice at tightlining and after trying too many kohl liners that smudged on my oily eyelids, Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof eyeliner in 88 Noir Intense works incredibly well for me. Placement is smooth, the twist up liner is thin for easy lining, no smudging and it comes with a sharpener. It gives the illusion of lined eyes. Love it.
Marc Jacobs high liner pencil is awesome. I’ve used the Hourglass mechanical and it is good but does smear to my bottom line a bit. Believe it or not my all time favorite tight liner is Rimmels Scandel eyes gel (in the little pot) This stays in place all day and only a fraction of the cost than Marc Jacobs or Hour glass!
I haven’t been tightlighing much so I’ll take your recommendations!
For me it’s eyeshadow applied with a thin liner brush. Most of the time I use Bobbi Brown Espresso eyeshadow, applied with e.l.f. square eyeliner brush. It looks intense, it doesn’t smudge and it lasts longer than any pencil I’ve ever tried.
Inglot Kohl Pencil 01 works best for me and I’ve tried nearly every method mentioned on this site. Lasts 10+ hours but there is some transference to my waterline (I now have 92 pencils/pens/pots/liquids including Laura Mercier tight lining powder). My old, wrinkly lids look worse w/eyeliner and eyeliner makes my now hooded eyes seem smaller so I am still searching for tight liner perfection and appreciate today’s question and comments.
I totally agree! The Ingot is awesome! Is very black and loooong lasting. I use the MAC Fluidline in black too if I have more time to do my make up (like weekends etc) .
But the pencil of Inglot really surprise me. Is the best I have tried, and I have a LOT of pencils, gel liners etc..
UD Perversion for upper lash line and UD Whiskey for water line. Most days I use only mascara and skip lining the upper lash line.
Eye of Horus Goddess Pencil is the only one I can use exclusively on the top waterline without eyeliner transfer on lower
The Cargo Texasliner is great for tightlining without going into the eye. The ink somehow leaks between lashes but at the same time the upper line stays smooth.
But for regular tightlining i use gel formula pencils. They stay all day.
I either tightline with eye pencil or eyeliner gel. UD Perversion is one of my favorites too. And the MAC Blacktrack Fluidline.
I don’t have a lot of when I tight line myself however I recently tried Milani kajal liner and it is fabulous, cheap, and very long wearing.
I use Lancome’s Liner Design Calligraphy Gel in Brown with a bent eyeliner brush. That’s the most natural-looking way I can do it. When I’m going out, sometimes I want a stronger black look, then I use the Marc Jacobs Highliner in Blacquer.
Whenever I don’t do that, I usually just do my liquid liner as usual and cover up the gap with some dark powder eyeshadow (UD Blackout or something). It’s my quick and lazy solution most of the time, tbh.
I used to use the Too Faced 3-Way Liner Tool but it was too time consuming (and really gimmicky).
My favorite is Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel (in a pot) applied with a short-handled, soft but firm angled eyeliner brush (I use one from MUFE’s 2014 holiday brush set, it’s a short-handled version of #172, which is marketed as a “precision corrector brush”, but it’s shaped like an angled eyeliner brush). I personally find this much easier than using a pencil, although MUFE’s Artist Liner glides on pretty easily and stays on well. The Inglot colors are beautiful (I use a gray, a brown, and a violet), and they last all day. NARS Eye Paint lasts well, too, but is harder to get on.
Tightlining is one of the few things I do EVERY day without fail! I have white-blond lashes and fair skin so it makes a big difference for me. I’ve tried lots of different products for it over the years but always come back to MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, pushed into the lash line with a thick angled brush (like the kind you might use for brows but softer than most of those are – along the lines of the BE Soft Focus Liner brush). I’ve used up several Blacktracks now, which is a feat for any product in a collection the size of mine! 🙂
I tend to just reach for whatever pencil eyeliner I have on hand. Everything smudges the same anyhow..
Shu uemura black drawing pencil! I tight lined at 7 AM and it’s still in my upper waterline and lash line at 6 pm. No transfer or anything if you apply it right.
The golden combination for me is Bobbi Brown gel eye liner in Espresso with the ultra fine liner brush. I tightline every day, because of my blonde lashes and hooded eyes.