If you are like, then you are an eye-liner junkie. I can leave the house in PJs,but I will not leave the house without my eye liner and  mascara. Its a signature part of my look,and I can never do away with it. And my choice of Eye Liner, is clearly the GEL EYE LINERS. Liquid eyeliners are too harsh for me, and pencil eye liners often smudge. I need something which I can put on my eyes, and forget for the rest of the day. I know it might sound a bit intimidating to quite a few whenever they hear of Gel Liners.So many of my friends have told me so many times,as to how do I do my eyes so perfectly every time. Well, the answer is gel eye liner. Recently, I was having a similar conversation with my old school buddy Payel,who wanted details of my eye liner and how I use it. So I thought of penning down this post for her and so many others, who are yet to cross the bridge to Gel Liners. 

I was introduced to Gel Liners when they were first launched in India by MAC Cosmetics. At that time, Kolkata, my hometown, did not even have a MAC Counter or Pro-store of its own. We had to make a trip to Mumbai to pick up all that we loved. And since then MAC FLUIDLINE in BLACKTRACK became a staple of my Make up collection. 

FLUID LINE is MAC's range of Gel Liners and comes in a variety of colors. Currently I have them in BLACK TRACK(Black) and WAVELENGTH(Blue). They usually last for a long time for me, but if you are not careful when you use this product, it might dry out on you. So make sure that you have the lid tightly closed when you are not using the product. 

I have also used Gel Liners from other brands like BOBBI BROWN to WET'N'WILD, but nothing comes close to FLUID LINE. I have put FLUID LINE to a lot of tests over the years and every time, it has come out with flying colors. It has survived the humidity of Kolkattan(Indian) Summers and waves of the Caribbeans Sea(in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Virgin Islands). This color will not fade on you, or will not smudge on you, till you remove it with an eye make up remover. It dries to a matte color and doesn't have that disgusting shinny look which some liquid eye liners might have. 


First you need to pick up a Gel Eye Liner of your choice. Then you need to select the BRUSH of your choice.

There are three options when it comes to brushes:

If you are staring out, you might want to start with an angled brush. Once you feel comfortable of your strokes, then venture off to a fine liner brush. I personally prefer the MAC 266 Angled Liner Brush for starters as its just the right size. The Real  Techniques Angled Liner Brush, which you can see in my picture below, is slightly bigger and broader. The Fine Liner Brush from Real Techniques is pretty good and so is the BENT FINE LINER BRUSH from SONIA KASHUK. I have listed the links of all the products the end of the post, if you wanted to pick up any for yourself.

Dip the brush in the product and pick up product with it. Scrape off the excess on the sides of the container.

If you do not feel confident of drawing a straight line on your eye lids, then with your other hand, gently pull the eye lid towards the side. This will help you to draw a straight line following the curve of the eye. Start from the base of the lashes and then thicken as you go up.

Then open the eye  and adjust the line you have just drawn. It should be thinner on the inner corner and thicken as you go towards the outer corner to give it that almond like shape.

Here, I am holding forth the Fine Liner Brush and angled Brush from Real Techniques. Its one of the best drug store brush brands available.

If you are using the ANGLED LINER BRUSH, then pick up product in the same way and scrape off excess along the sides of the container.

Here is the trick.

While doing the upper eyes, make sure that higher part of the angle is at the inner corner and then use the brush to follow the shape of the eye.

For the lower eyes, or water line, just turn the brush around. Use the lower end of angle, of the brush, to the inner corner and use it to follow the shape of the eye.

For doing the LOWER EYES, with a FINE LINER BRUSH, begin at the outer corner and then go inwards.

Adjust the thickness on both eyes . Make sure there is no  gap between the eye liner you have drawn and the lash line. That bit of skin show is a almost a make up sacrilege. Spend that extra minute to see and inspect properly what you have drawn on both eyes and fill in any gaps.

If you want to do a CAT EYE FLICK then do not do the lower line or water line, but extend the upper line in the form of an imaginary line extending from the eyes to reach the eye brows. Make it as small or big as you feel comfortable.

So go ahead, pick up your gel liner and get practicing. Once you start getting comfortable with this product, you will never get back to any other form of eye liners.



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