As we all know and have experienced, applying eyeliner can go wrong very quickly. And as the years go by, it can get a little harder to pull off the perfect eyeliner past 50 for many reasons. Our eyesight gradually deteriorates with age, we get droopy eyelids, the elasticity of the eyelids decreases, or our hands are not quite as still as they used to be... or a combination of the above factors. But luckily, there are some tools and techniques that make applying eyeliner that much easier. A thin line over 50 makes your eyes look bigger and more open!
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Eyeliner over 50 - Things to consider
AdvertisementSince our lashes lighten, shorten and lose density as we age, it is more important than Ever use makeup to accentuate our eyes, giving them more definition and depth. With an eyeliner, not only do our eyelashes look fuller and thicker, but the shape of our eyes is better defined. So here are some tips that will hopefully make applying eyeliner easier for older women.
AdTip #1: Buy a magnifying mirror or magnifying glasses for makeup. As terrifying as these products are, they're definitely essential to making sure you can really see what you're doing.
Tip #2: It can help to sit down with your elbows on a firm surface and your pinky on your cheek. These three things provide more stability when applying eyeliner.
Tip #3: Apply an eyeshadow primer or concealer to the entire eye area and also under the eye. The primer ensures that all eye products stay in place longer - especially if you have oily eyelids or droopy eyelids.
Tip #4: Choose an eyeliner that is easy to apply and glides over the eyelid so it doesn't tug or rip the delicate skin around the eyes. And since many of us struggle with easily watery eyes, choosing a waterproof eyeliner can also help.
What are the easiest eyeliner products to apply?
It's important to think about what type of eyeliner to use. There are so many different options: we can choose between creams, gels, pencils, liquid eyeliners or eye shadows. The best thing is what is easiest to apply. For most women over 50, kohl pencils or eyeshadow are the easiest products to apply.
It is best to use an automatic eyeliner pencil. And if you're using a pencil that needs sharpening, make sure it's sharpened before you start liner.
Tip: To ensure that the kajal pencil does not break off when sharpened, you should put it in the fridge before applying make-up.
Two techniques to draw an eyeliner over 50
The first technique is called tightlining. With this technique, the eyeliner is applied under the lash line in the waterline of the eye. Tightlining is especially helpful for older women with droopy lids, as there is often not much room on the lids to apply eyeliner. The tight lining creates more contour on the eye and can also help the eyeliner to look a little softer and less intense. Tightlining can look a little intimidating and may not be for everyone, but once you practice and get used to it, it becomes a lot easier.
How to tightline
Place a finger gently in the center of the eyelid and gently pull upwards. Then take a waterproof eyeliner and draw a very fine line as close as possible to the lash line. Then hold the eye open for a few seconds to avoid smearing the kajal onto the lower lid. Should it happen anyway, just take a cotton swab and gently remove it. If you have very sensitive eyes, choose a soft kohl that will not irritate your eyes.
Apply eyeliner above the lash line
Tighten the eye slightly to avoid uneven eyeliner. Then apply the kohl as close to the lash line as possible – or even between the lashes. One tip that can be helpful is to just make dots or small strokes and then connect them with a facing brick (also called a smudger), small brush, or cotton swab.
Try different tools
It's also important to know that applying eyeliner along the upper lash line can be easier with different tools. For example, take a small, slanted brush and rub it several times over the eyeliner pencil to pick up the eyeliner pigment.
Then you can use the brush - which is much softer than a kohl pencil - to apply the eyeliner. If you wish, you can then smudge the eyeliner with the brush, a smudger or a cotton swab.
And if you're still not completely satisfied with how the eyeliner looks, there's another thing that works beautifully: you can go over the eyeliner with an eyeshadow to smudge it a bit more. The eyeshadow works wonders to hide any flaws.
