Dita Von Teese

No fancy shoes needed, no expensive bags required … to be irresistible, just one thing is needed: well-lined eyes. The eyeliner is like the magic wand of makeup artists that dresses and lengthens the eye. The key is to master the techniques, find the right product and play with different styles.

Let’s start with the simplest technique: apply eyeliner from the inside to the outer edge of the upper lash line. Unique challenge: to stay flat with the flanges and keep your hand from trembling.

Quickliner For Eyes Intense by Clinique is a long-lasting automatic pencil with a convenient smudge tool on the opposite end.

Lasting Drama by Maybelline is an oil-free formula that holds highly concentrated pigments in a clear gel base.

Inspired by pharaohs’ makeup and characterized by a stroke that leaves the eyelid and extends in a straight line. It emphasizes the eyes’ almond shape.

BE IN CONTROL

A steady hand helps, but the key technique for getting a professional looking result is placing your elbows on a horizontal support, slightly opening your mouth to limit flicker and the most important: not lifting the eyelid with your fingers, so the line won’t deform! This is a crucial moment; therefore, besides a lot of concentration, you need your hands free. Look for a magnifying mirror with a base and angle it slightly below your face.

If you want to enlarge your eye, before delineating

the outside, use white or silver eyeliner on the

inside of the eyelid.

L´Oréal Color Riche Le Kajal contains a highly pigmented formula that creates a most impactful smoky eye.

Not for every day, but every fashionista should try it on occasion. Inspired by the film Black Swan, this look is for crazy nights or wild parties.

FOR BEGINNERS

You don´t look as you were expecting? Well, it’s all about practice and while you try, starts applying the mascara on the root with zigzag movements to paint the skin near the eyelashes. Let dry and then only trace the eyeline. You also can use a guide by drawing dots with gel eyeliner beforehand. Then just connect the dots.

Laura Mercier Cake Eye Liner is an easy-to-use cake eyeliner that delivers long-lasting color payoff.

An avant-garde style that encapsulates your eye in a circle. To make it easy, start with a small circle and increase it until you find a suitable size.

Laura Mercier Cake Eye Liner is an easy-to-use cake eyeliner that delivers long-lasting color payoff.

An avant-garde style that encapsulates your eye in a circle. To make it easy, start with a small circle and increase it until you find a suitable size.

NAKED EYELID

If you are looking for look that is strong and full of personality, it’s best to avoid color on the eyelids. But this doesn’t mean that you don’t wear makeup at all. You need well-hydrated skin and eye contour before applying a touch of concealer to make the surface flawlessly smooth.

Too Faced Three Way Lash Lining Tool is a hardworking tool that features three ways to satisfy your need for thicker, lusher lashes: a lash emphasizing dot tool, tight-liner and traditional liner.

It consists of a very close outline of the upper eyelid, which goes between each eyelash, and is followed by a corner that splits into two lines.

WILD OR STYLED

There are two kinds of looks: a primitive charcoal smudge or a stylized outline that is reminiscent of calligraphy. For the first style, a creamy pencil is needed, while for the second you require liquid ink. You can also experiment tracing black eye shadow with a fine tipped brush instead of eyeliner. The trick is to dilute the pigments in the saline solution used to clean contact lenses.

WHICH TYPE?

TRADITIONAL KOHL

It’s available in markets or with local retailers and known as a natural and healthy product, but be careful. If it contains lead (which is very common) it is dangerous. The metal accumulates in the body and is toxic even at low levels of exposure.

PENCIL

This classic tool has many advantages: it lasts longer, and can be used both on the outside and inside of the eye. The disadvantage is that poor quality pencils can scratch the skin, so make sure the texture is creamy enough and if necessary, heat it very slightly before using.

LIQUID

It’s popular because is more intense, but requires practice to master its use. If you like cat-eye type strokes, with a tail extending to the lid, this is essential! Make sure the product you choose has an adequate tip: fine for a subtle line or chubby for a more blunt effect.

GEL

Gels are the middle ground between pencils and liquids. Apply it with a brush and you can play with it to achieve a very intense look. Paint is less intense than liquids, but is easier to handle. It’s ideal for delineating the inside of the eye. The secret is in the brush; find the right one that satisfies you.

POWDER

A little like watercolour, powder allows you to decide your own smoothness with a little water. The interesting part is that you can control the intensity from very concentrated to almost transparent. Make the mixture in the back of your hand to regulate the thickness.

Aguilar is a French-Mexican fashion and beauty expert with a background as writer in international titles such as Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, In Touch Magazine and National Geographic Traveler.