How to Use White Eyeliner

How to Use White Eyeliner

White eyeliner can seem perplexing if you've never used it, but it's actually an incredibly versatile cosmetic and worth including in your collection. Applying it to your eyes can make them look wider and brighter when done well, but you can also use white eyeliner to assist your beauty routine in other ways.

Draw a thick white line along the upper lid.

Using white eyeliner, carefully trace the lash line of the upper eyelid. This line should be very wide—up to twice as thick as normal eyeliner would be.

You can technically stop here, but the results might seem overpowering if you're not used to using white eyeliner. If you do choose to use white eyeliner as a solo liner, though, consider making this line somewhat thinner instead of opting for a super thick line.

Create a thinner black line beneath the white.

Switch to black eyeliner and carefully draw a second, thin line along the lash line of the upper eyelid. This line should fall at the base of your white line, and it should be about half as thick.

The contrast between the black and white liner should make your eyes stand out.

You can use other colors instead of black, but they should still be dark to achieve the same effect. Dark brown, dark gray, or navy blue eyeliners would be other options worth considering.

Add more white to the inner corners.

Touch up the dark corners of your eyes by drawing a thin v-shape with the white eyeliner, directly around the inner corner. This line should be short, but it should overlap the inner edge of the top and bottom lash lines.

The inner corner is one of the darkest spots of the eye. Applying white eyeliner to this area can minimize this darkness and make your eyes appear more open.

Do not apply black eyeliner to the inner corner. Moreover, it's best to apply the white liner to the inner corner after you've already traced the upper lid in black since you can cover any spots accidentally darkened by the black liner.

Draw a v-shape along the inner corner of the eye.

Using white eyeliner, trace the inner corner of your eye along the upper and lower lash line. The resulting shape should look similar to a sideways “V.”

Since the inner corner is naturally one of the darkest spots of the eye, highlighting it with white can extend the appearance of the eyeball and make your eyes seem both wider and brighter.

Apply white liner directly to brow bone.

Swipe the white eyeliner along the entire bottom edge of your eyebrow. Keep the line relatively thin along the inner brow, but make it wider as you approach the outer edge.

Start at the inner eyebrow, just beside the point where the eyebrow begins to arch upward. Follow the direction and shape of the brow until you reach the outer edge.

When done properly, this should highlight your brow bone and help define the shape of the eyebrow. It should also brighten the eye area overall.

Smudge the liner.

Use your fingers, a cotton swab, or a smudge stick to smudge the eyeliner at your inner eye and along the eyebrow, giving it a more subtle appearance.

When highlighting your eyes, the idea is to make them appear naturally brighter. If you don't blend the white liner into your skin around these areas, it will stand out as a cosmetic instead of looking natural.

Gently tug the lower lid.

Place your middle or ring finger directly beneath your eye. Gently tug down on the skin there, revealing the rim of the lower lid.

This step is especially helpful if this is the first time you've applied eyeliner to the lower waterline. If you're familiar with this practice and can see the rim of the lower lid without tugging it down, you can skip this step.

Trace the waterline with white eyeliner.

Carefully trace over the lower waterline/rim using white eyeliner. Make sure the line of white extends from corner to corner.

Colouring the inner waterline with white liner can minimize redness, which may make you look more alert and less tired. Maximize the effect by extending the white liner into the naturally dark inner corner of your eye, as well.

Since this technique widens the eye, you may wish to avoid it if you have naturally large or predominant eyes. Apply white liner to the waterline under these circumstances could actually make your eyes seem washed out.

Color the lid with white liner.

Use white eyeliner to color the entire eyelid. Apply the makeup as evenly as possible. The white eyeliner will have an impact on the way your eyeshadow appears. Furthermore, it should also act as a primer, allowing your eyeshadow to last longer as you go about your day.

Dust the eyeshadow over the white.

Pick a bright or dark color of eyeshadow. Brush the eyeshadow over the whitened portion of the eyelid, covering the area evenly with a fine dusting.

It's best to use a bright or dark eyeshadow for this. Muted colors would also work, but the effect won't be as dramatic since they inspire less contrast.

Leave the colors as they are or use a cotton swab to blend them together. The former will make the color of your eyeshadow pop, but the latter will fade the color of the eyeshadow and make it more subtle.