Pencil vs Liquid Eyeliner

Images courtesy of ourvanity.com and dailymail.co.uk

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.

Images by beautybitten.com

Images by beautybitten.com

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

Angelina Jolie makeup by Dee Azlan. Images courtesy of fahv.com, luuux.com and typef.com

Angelina Jolie makeup by Dee Azlan. Images courtesy of fahv.com, luuux.com and typef.com

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

Images courtesy of uae.makeupandbeauty.com, passionforprying.com, lorensworld.com, & pinterest.com

Images courtesy of uae.makeupandbeauty.com, passionforprying.com, lorensworld.com, & pinterest.com

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.

Images courtesy of ourvanity.com and dailymail.co.uk

Images courtesy of ourvanity.com and dailymail.co.uk

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

Images courtesy of valentinekisses.com, NARS, stepfordwitches.com, & makeup-lovetoknow.com

Images courtesy of valentinekisses.com, NARS, stepfordwitches.com, & makeup-lovetoknow.com