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Do you line your waterline?

Do you line your waterline? If so, how/with what?

More inadvertently than intentionally! I don’t find many liners last *that* long on the waterline, so I tend to focus on the lower lash line, but inevitably, some liner gets on my water line at times.

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106 Comments

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Miss Silver Avatar

Yes! With a black kohl pencil. I agree that it doesn’t last long, but I love the look. It’s also the first thing my mum taught me about make up. 😛

Chanel Avatar

I do, but I wish it would stay. I’ve tried almost everything. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Oh and does it matter what ethnicity and kind of eyes you have? I go with suggestions people at MAC or Sephora give me and it works for them and not me, it’s weird.

Samantha Avatar

Have you tried Mac’s fluidline? It’s the only thing that really stays for me, but I have to dry off my waterline with a q-tip first. You could also pat on a matte black eyeshadow (carbon) on top of the fluidline to give it extra staying power.

DIJ Avatar

i highly doubt it, it just depends on your eyes. My eyes are really watery (in my opinion), and things that have worked for my friends has not worked for me.
Have you tried the new Maybelline gel eyeliner that comes in pots?
I bought it recently and used it on my waterline, and it stayed forever. Also, a lot of people will dip a black eyeliner pencil into a gel like this, and then line the waterlines, b/c the gel helps it stay.
Personally, I’m only going to use the gel on my waterlines occasionally, I’m not sure it’s supposed to me used that way.
Hope this helps! 🙂

Katie Avatar

Before I say anything, it’s not recommended for the waterline, BUT I’ve found that MAC’s fluidlines stick VERY well. I’ve never had issues or irritation but again, it’s not recommended.

May Avatar

I agree, I’m Asian and I don’t like lining my lower waterline but a MUA on youtube, gossmakeup, suggested lining the upper waterline and it looks really good. It makes my upper lashes look really thick.

Katie Avatar

Hey, Chanel. The ones that work for me are MAC’s Technakohl eyeliners (I prefer either Graphblack or Photogravure). They just don’t get enough love: they’re twist-up, smooth, stay put, and are great for tightlining and waterlining. I’m Asian with small eyes and wear contacts, and I’ve got no problems. You just have to experiment with or w/o waterlined eyes. I love the Urban Decay’s 24/7s and Milani’s Liquif’eye, but they’re too creamy for the waterline.

nicci Avatar

I don’t do it on my own and only had it done once or twice while getting my make up done at the counter…I wasn’t too crazy about how it looked on me.

Kelly C. Avatar

Never successfully. I can never seem to get any liner to apply to the waterline! Though I can’t ever get it on my eyelids well either, so I think there is so human error involved. : )

Suyin Avatar

i try not to, because i actually had a major eye issue. this hasn’t stopped my passion for makeup though! i do everything but the waterline and tightline. 🙂

Carolanne Avatar

only if i’m doing a smoky eye. otherwise, i think it looks too harsh on me for everyday. plus, i often wear a winged liner on my upper lashline, and i find it looks better without liner anywhere on my under eye area.

funny… i remember my first experience with makeup was in the 7th grade, and that was me wearing just black eyeliner in my waterline everyday and nothing else. ::shudders:: oh, the naivety of youth! haha

Jaclyn Avatar

I do line my waterline on days that I want a more dramatic, dark eye. I found a technique that works fairly well for making the liner stay longer. I gently wipe my waterline with a qtip before applying gel liner with an angled brush, then I set the liner with black eyeshadow. It’s not perfect but I found it works the best, because gel liner seems to be more waterproof than any kohl liners I’ve tried.
Hope I helped 🙂

Chrissy Avatar

Sure do! Mine always lasts throughout the day and I often get things in my eye so they water a lot. I like to use Lise Watier’s eyeshine liners. Dior also has some waterproof liners with really good staying power. I try to only use black during the night but I like to use brown during the day. If I’m doing a light colour I tend to go for Benefit high brow. It gives you that white water line look but without being too harsh.

Ilyssa Avatar

Yes! My eyes are small, dark brown, and almond shaped, so I usually line on my actual lower lashline with colored pencils (the faves being marines,jades, greens, plumps)to create a subtle cateye. However, I am a huge fan of lining my wetline with lighter shades of white, gold, or clair kohl liners to really open up and brighten the whites of my eyes. It makes such a huge difference, especially in pictures.

kurisu Avatar

Nope. It smudges all the time – literally within a minute of applying! I don’t think it’s worth it though. I only line my upper and lower lash lines, as it makes my eyes appear a bit bigger. Plus, flecks of eyeliner will smudge onto my eyeball if I line my waterline. Tightlining is very difficult because the skin on my upper lid is very thin, so there’s not much to really line. I used to really want to line my waterline, but now it seems inefficient and unnecessary in any of my looks.

tg Avatar

Not usually – it closes up my eyes and makes them look very small. Once in awhile if I experiment with a smokey look, I might inadvertently do it, but I normally leave it as is. It’s healthier for the eyes too.

Nellie Avatar

Never. It makes my eyes look tiny and beady — not a cute look. As a contacts wearer, it also doesn’t work very well. Plus, I don’t think it’s particularly good for my eyes, and I try to take care of them.

Paula Avatar

I waterline with a white pencil liner for everyday.
I only waterline with dark gel liners (Bobbi Brown Black and Sepia gel liner has never failed me!) for occasions where I want to wear a more dramatic look.

Tina Avatar

Exactly how I feel too!….about my makeup being “unfinished” that is 🙂

I line my (bottom) waterline with MAC Technakohl in Photograuve, and it stays on relatively well. The key is to not line it too darkly, that way it stays put. I also find that it helps if you apply a bit of loose powder around the bottom of the eye to “set” it and prevent it from being too watery.

Elana Avatar

You should try the Astor Eye Artist Kajal!! Its absolutely phenomenal! I have long harboured dislike for the brand, but recently they’ve been turning it around & keep on discovering sensational products.

aradhana Avatar

almost never…with my contacts and dry eyes it’s sadly a bit of a nightmare…it gets all over my lenses! actually, that happens enough with it simply on the lash line, so why exacerbate the situation?

Lisa Avatar

I don’t, since I’m wearing glasses all the time, which make my eyes look ~15% smaller – so when I’m lining my waterline, it makes them look even smaller, and really, I don’t want my eyes to disappear under my glasses! 😀 Also I’m looking quite emo…

Svetlana Avatar

Yes !! Any liner works for my waterline .I use UD’s 24/7 but I used sephora’s and max factor’s in the past and they all worked great.

mkdallas Avatar

If I’m going out, I do…otherwise, I think it looks too harsh on me. I don’t use black when I do it, either; I try to stick to khaki, bronze or brown, using any kind of “liquid pencil” type liner. Surprisingly, Prestige (a drugstore brand) Total Intensity pencils stick around for quite awhile and are super-easy to apply.

Whippetlady Avatar

Yes indeedy! I use a fine line smashbox bent tip eyeliner brush and any gel eyeliner ( favorite is Bobbi Brown) , but I also pack 24/7 pencils for travel. I use Black, dark brown, dark blue and recently picked up a Pixi for Target pencil in a dreamy Teal.

Katie Avatar

I don’t line my waterline, though I used to in high school. I have small eyes so it’s just not a flattering look on me, as it makes them look even smaller. Instead, I line the outer third of my lower lash line.

Valerie Brower Avatar

On rare occasions I’ll line my water line with white but it never stays on longer than an hr. So I mostly just line the lids. I wear a winged liner everyday(well everyday that I do make up) tho.

Amber Avatar

Always, I think it helps make me look more awake. I use MACS fluidline and dap a tad of shadow. This usually lasts all day, I am also a contact wearer and it does not bother them.

tremorviolet Avatar

I never do. I have small eyes and I think lining the waterline makes eyes look smaller. I usually just line my top to make my eye look more open.

Promise Avatar

I try, and sometimes I feel like it gets in my eyes and I wear contacts, so my eyes feel blurry?
The only liner that hasn’t done that so far was Tarte emphasEYES, and I can never get any liner to last long on my water line!!! But it looks so cool. 🙁

Marcela Avatar

only for going out at night and only with Mac’s kohl eyeliner that’s waterline-safe cuz i won’t use anything that’s not approved for waterlines or else it’ll sting my eyes (and i wear contacts). it’s hard to get the color to stick, though, and fades soon after. maybe my waterline is too watery? i wonder how some people manage intense black lines on theirs without fading???

Elisabeth Avatar

Stila Kajal liner in Onyx is amazing on the waterline. It does smudge, but not unless you touch it. I put it on last, and the boldness never gets watery or rinses off with tears. It is my fave, if they stop making it, I will cry!!!

Andrea Avatar

Yes, I line the inner rim every single day. I have large, round eyes and it gives the illusion of a more almond shape eye. My routine pretty much lasts all day except for the outer corner area where no liner will ever stay. I use a Mally waterproof pencil first and I usually go over the area with the pencil twice and then I use a Stila smudgepot on top of that.

Megan Avatar

I always use MakeupForever Aqua liner in black.. I dry off my waterline with a qtip and then set with mac carbon. its literally lasted me an entire night out at the bars, and then still looked perfect the next morning.. unbelieveable.

Yumi Avatar

i dont usually use eyeliner but more often than not i’ll line my water line and lower lashline and forgo the upper line just cuz its a pain! i know it’s a major nono according to bobbi brown but i could really care less haha. it does tend to smudge on me sometimes though so i don’t do it a lot.

Ru Avatar

I love to, really makes my brown eyes pop nicely, but it doesn’t always stay. Smashbox gel liner used to work like a charm but the pot dried up :(. Tarte, BB, Zero, MAC kohl- all smudge. It’s a neverending quest for me.

Courtney Avatar

I like the look of a lines waterline, but I rarely do it because any makeup that gets in my eyes makes my contacts very uncomfortable. Mostly, I use my UD247 pencil, but I may try MAC fluidline next.

lazeny Avatar

I actually prefer lining my waterline than my lash line, it’s more subtle that way and it makes my eyes look bigger. I find a khol liner pencil or khol powder stays put no matter what, especially the khol liners of Guerlain.

Charlene Avatar

Only with white. As I got older I noticed my eyes got smaller. My lashes got skimpier. This OPENS my up and makes my upper lashes stand out more instead of competing with them. 🙂

Kerry Avatar

I never line my waterline unless I am doing a smokey eye. I have relatively large eyes (not like Christina Ricci large), but lining my waterline seems to close them off — and not in a good way. I do line my upper waterline to make my lashes look thicker, though!

adrianne Avatar

Sometimes I’ll line it halfway, but most often I don’t because it makes my eyes look smaller. I already have big eyes, but I love for them to look even bigger!

Michelle Avatar

I do, but only with white eyeliner, so I guess that doesn’t count. White liner, paired with darker liner on my lower lashline, makes my eyes definitely larger and brighter. Dark liner on my waterline just makes me look tired/mean with small eyes. Even with smokey eyes, I avoid the waterline!

Carrie Avatar

All the time, but not with black, with gold/brown/burgundy tones. It makes a big difference but is not harsh looking. I like MAC’s Kohl Power pencils and Loreal HIP loose kohl (I wanna try Guerlain but can’t afford it yet!).

Bonnie Avatar

I never put liner on my waterline- it makes my eyes looks smaller, and I wear contacts. It’s one of those things that looks good on some people but not others, in my opinion.

kenzie. Avatar

I line my upper waterline and the outer 1/3 of my lower waterline. I have small-ish eyes and wear glasses, and my eyes COMPLETELY disappear without it!!

Plus, I’m a huge fan of doing my makeup in seconds (I’m a high-school student) so usually my eyes just get eyeliner, mascara, and a quick hilight.

gina88 Avatar

hello from rainy Greece!i line my waterline everyday but it doesn’t last more than an hour(sometimes half an hour)..in your opinion,is there any brand that lasts more(without smudging)?? p.s. on july 30,i asked you if you could recommend me quality blue-based red lipsticks(under 40$) that suit to my fair/pale skin(+brown eyes+blond hair)..and i just found out you answered me..sorry!in Greece i have access to:l’oreal,max factor,Bourjois,dior,chanel,clinique,lancome,estee lauder,revlon,korres(!),pupa,clarins,make up forever,maybelline,sephora,shiseido,Yves Saint Laurent and mac(not very easily)..

Julia Avatar

I would say that I line my waterline 9 times out of 10. I prefer the look of dark liner on the waterline (even if it doesn’t last all day) and a medium toned shadow on the lower lash line. I get raccoon eyes if I line my lower lash line with a dark pencil liner.

Ayr Avatar

I really don’t like to look of black on the waterline… It makes eyes look creepily defined and gerbil-ish, in my opinion. I like the look of big bright eyes, so I use white on the waterline.

Ali Avatar

There’s a word for the lower inner lash line? I learn something new every day!
I like the look, but only with certain shadows. And I agree, it doesn’t last long – it slides down onto the lower lash line and good luck trying to make it behave after that. I will definitely have to try this Fluidline you ladies are talking about – it would be my first MAC purchase! I’ll have to brave the icky MAC counter for once.
NARS black eyeliner works well but isn’t perfect; same result with Urban Decay’s 24/7 liner. I hardly ever try anymore, because I feel like pulling and prodding my eyelids will only do serious damage (aging, lines, tissue damage etc) down the road. Plus black eyeliner generally makes your eyes look smaller – not larger, as I think people who use it intend.
I only use it to define my eyes a little when using shadows that could otherwise make you look tired – Urban Decay shadow in Baked comes to mind.
This has always been my #1 most-pondered beauty issue. Thank you for posting it!! I will be reading all the above comments for advice 🙂

MAChostage Avatar

I’ve just begun to do this more and more. I normally waterline when I’m wearing black liner, but sometimes I’ll do another color. I always use UD 24/7 pencils, because they just work for me. I *gently* blot my waterline with a piece of paper towel (no shredding or leaving behind pieces of anything) and then I immediately waterline that eye. The 24/7 pencils stay on my waterline until I remove it.

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