Why You Should Rethink Your Eyeliner
I hate to admit it, but I’m one of those people that wear makeup every day, even to class. And no, that’s definitely not a bad thing for those who are like me. It’s a personal choice, after all, and it’s been part of my morning routine since high school. But a few weeks ago, that routine changed.
I completely gave up eyeliner. Pencil, liquid, brushed-on – all gone (well, not gone…makeup is too expensive!). After a photo shoot for KRNL’s spring issue (check it out here *wink*), where our makeup artist forewent eyeliner, I realized something: my eyes looked bigger, my lashes looked longer, and my eyes looked bluer…..SCORE!
I didn’t put it into use initially; I was more interested in finding which eyeshadow she had used. But after poorly applying pencil eyeliner for six years (and going overboard with the liquid liner a few times), I was ready for something new.
Now, I’ve always been a proponent for the natural look, so moving from subtle eyeshadow with eyeliner and mascara to just eyeshadow with mascara isn’t necessarily groundbreaking – but it feels that way. The elimination of daily eyeliner only saves maybe two minutes in my morning routine, but the psychological relief should definitely be noted. My eye makeup no longer requires such precision (that can be good or bad), and I feel ~liberated~. I don’t have to worry about uneven liner, wings or thickness, and I’ve begun to hit my snooze button up to three times every morning – something my old self would never have done. My eyeshadow also seems more vibrant and the overall look is much more effortless.
As I’ve become more aware of the merits of foregoing eyeshadow, I’ve also noticed that celebrities and stars sometimes choose the same look. Of course, they still have flawless bone structure, professional makeup artists and eyelash extensions, but the look really is worth noticing. Even the barely-there eyeliner that’s applied with a thin brush stroke (but blends perfectly with the skin) is taking off.
I’m not saying we should all throw out our eyeliners – I still wear winged liquid liner for special occasions, and I definitely appreciate all of the out-of-the-box runway looks MUAs like Pat McGrath have created with eyeliner. But obsessing over the perfect wing is overrated. No-makeup makeup is definitely an accomplishment, and everyone should try a crazy eyeliner look at least once. So next time you glow up, try something new with your eyeliner – go wild, go bold, or maybe go au natural (on the eyeliner anyway). Makeup is supposed to be fun, and you have the rest of your life – every single day for 70+ years – to color outside of the lines.
