Sam McMeekin, Beauty Expert and Junior Content Producer at beautyheaven.com.au – takes us through the strengths and weaknesses when pencil vs liquid eyeliner.
There are many beauty battles a woman will come to face in her life. Waxing vs. shaving; lipstick vs. lip stains; bb cream vs. cc cream; and perhaps the toughest of them all: pencil eyeliner vs. liquid eyeliner.
Of course, as we’ve learnt from every action-movie ever, the best preparation you can do for any battle is to know your enemy. So if you’re struggling to decide between the precision of a pointy pencil and the glossy finish of a liquid liner, read ahead and know the ins and outs of each before naming a victor.
PENCIL EYELINER
Strengths
– It’s a pencil. You’ve been using pencils since you developed motor skills. So if you were good at staying inside the lines as a kid, you should be able to apply pencil eyeliner with one eye closed (which is actually how you should apply all eyeliners…)
– A pencil tip is solid. It’s not going to run, drip or make a mess on our face. Where you apply pressure is where it will go and where it will stay.
– When the tip runs out or goes blunt, there’s no need to buy a new one. Simply sharpen and it’s as good as new again.
– Pencils are great for subtle smudging. So if you like your liner to have a smoky effect, pencil is best. Try smudging with a liquid and you’ll end up with panda eyes, my friend.
Weakness
– If you’re after a super thin precise line or flick, you’re never going to find a pencil that will stay super sharp long enough to produce this effect (unless you like sharpening every five seconds.)
LIQUID EYELINER
Strengths
– Liquid liner will glide across your lids as smoothly as Ryan Gosling picked up girls in Crazy, Stupid Love.
– That flicked and winged eyeliner look that you love so much? Best brought to life using a liquid liner. The fine tip of a brush or pen means you’ll have complete control over the thinnest lines, flicks and tricks.
– Because of the consistency of liquid eyeliner, the formula appears to have a higher pigment percentage, so you’ll get a richer and darker colour pay-off.
– Once again, thanks to the liquid consistency the finish of your liner will be dark and shiny, whereas a pencil will produce a more matte and subtle finish.
Weakness
– It takes a lot of practice and a steady hand. Because it’s liquid it can be messy and the highly pigmented formula makes mistakes a little harder to rectify (although it’s nothing a cotton bud and some make-up remover can’t fix.) But if you’re willing to put in the time and effort the results are worth it.
We’ve got a video tutorial on pencil vs liquid eyeliner for you. Click the link.
Enjoy more great tutorials and articles such as ‘Photo Fabulous Beauty Tips‘, ‘Quick Hairstyles for Work & Play‘, and ‘Secrets to a Great Facial at Home‘ right here on Makeup Files.com.au