DecoDiva: The Right Tools for Liquid, Gel, or Powder Eyeliners

It’s taken me many years to figure out that the right tools really do make applying makeup a snap. For the longest time I thought that any sort of brush will do to apply liquid or gel eyeliner. So I’d use the brush that came with the product, and it would be very difficult to apply eyeliner so that it looked flattering. In fact, I’d often give up on the product and write it off, when it wasn’t really the product that was bad, it was my application method and tools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, one day, I found the Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush. This thing is my HOLY GRAIL of eyeliner brushes. It makes applying an eyeliner easy! It doesn’t matter if it’s gel eyeliner, wet or dry eye shadows or minerals, liquid eyeliner, etc. it will help you apply a nice thin line that you can keep thin and subtle or thicken for a more dramatic look.

 

 

 

If you’re not comfortable with a bent eyeliner brush, a brush with a very small head such as this super fine eyeliner brush will do the trick.

 

 

You can also use a very thin angle liner brush or a push brush.  In fact, my second brush of choice is the thin angled liner brush, though it definitely makes for a thicker line on me. The push brush is used to sort of push the eyeliner as close to your lash line as possible to create a very natural look.

The reason I prefer the bent eyeliner brush is that it makes it very easy for me to maneuver around my eye lashes and put the liner on very thin and then build up to a thicker line if I want one. I almost always do a thicker line on the outer upper lash line, and this makes it easy. With the brushes that sometimes come with products, the line is always too thick, which can be great if you’re going for a dramatic look, but doesn’t work so well if you’re going for a more subtle look.

By using the right tool, you can apply your eyeliner expertly and be happy with the results. I prefer using these brushes so much that I don’t ever really try the built in brushes anymore. Like anything else with makeup, practice will really help you improve your skills and application. I didn’t find the bent eyeliner brush until June of this year, and now I feel very comfortable with using it.

As with everything, shop around for brushes you like! I can tell you that I personally feel that the Sonia Kashuk brushes are a good buy and very easy to find, as they’re sold at Target.  Some of my favorite brushes are Taklon brushes, and you can find online retailers that sell them, such as Aromaleigh Cosmetics and Coastal Scents.  Of course, big stores like Sephora and Ulta will carry such brushes, too. You may be able to find some that will work for you at Walgreens and CVS as well.

Decorative Diva is a diva of all things decorative! To learn more about DecoDiva visit her beauty blog: Decorative Diva.