I don’t know about you, but I am practically HOPELESS when it comes to using a liquid eyeliner. I know it all boils down to practice, but as much as I’ve tried, I just can’t seem to draw a smooth line on my eyes with the liquid eyeliner. Really.
I tried drawing the line in one go (no hesitation of the hand). My eyes end up looking like a bad page of colouring where children colour out of the line. I tried the “connecting-the-dots” method. The line ended up really jagged; I looked like I had some kind of weird zig zag lines on my lids. Sigh. I gave up. For me, it has to be the pencil eyeliner. I blend the colours better with it and, for some reason, my eyes are more defined when I use the pencil.
Anyhoos, what’s your take? Which do you prefer?
Thirty-something. Gemini. Happily married. Loves shopping. Has an unhealthy adoration for bags and chocolate. Uses sunscreen religiously. Hates baked beans with a vengeance. Thinks that the weekdays should be a weekend long, vice versa. Optimistic. Narcissistic. Not the average Jane.
If you have any questions or wish to contact me about anything, please feel free to email me at tine [at] beautyholicsanonymous [dot] com or click on 
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
i voted for pencil, but i still prefer gel. or maybe i haven’t found a liquid i like yet
o..i found it’s very difficult to apply eyeliner..and usually I do not use it..hehe
I’m new to using eyeliner. Just bought an automatic liquid eyeliner recently, used a couple of times….totally screwed up! Haha!
i voted for pencil , but i know a very easy way to apply eyeliner , just drow some small dots on your eyelashes lines then drow over it with a small brush
in my country it is ashame if you don`t use eyeliner
love your blog
i’m facing the same problem as u… but pencil liners smudge easily…
i can’t use pencil one. it smudges on my lids, coz my lids are like the ‘inner lids’
i love gel liners, its not that difficult to draw on, but pencil looks more natural. But then again pencil smudges real easy, so there are pros and cons with both.
but one things definite, for bottom lashline, only pencil will do.
i use liquid alot and love them coz its easy to draw on… more fluent compare to gel eyeliner.. u should try those thick tip/applicator.. its easier compare to those finer tip… place your elbow on table while applying to prevent shaking hand..
i found gel eyeliner quite hard coz i need to control the brush… but i’m getting better at applying it now..
pencil will be the easiest… but normally they will smudge… shu uemura’s drawing pencil is not bad… waterproof and doesnt smudge… if you apply for lower lash, normally it smudges….
Pencil for upper lashline, Kohl for inner eyelids, i.e. right between the lashes, and gel or liquids for lower lash line. I use a mixture of several mediums, so its hard to choose
i hated liner till i discovered MAC Fluidline, a gel liner that’s really easy to use. i’m clumsy, too.
once i got better i moved onto pencil, MAC technakohl in graphblack is my fave.
these two are both fool proof!
I prefer liquid eyeliner because for me, it takes less tine to put on than pencil eyeliner. It may have to do with the fact that all my pencil liners aren’t exactly top-quality, but for me, liquid is the way to go.
If I’m having trouble applying the single line of liquid liner, I do a variation of the “connect the dots” method. Try drawing the line in dashes – just little, aborted strokes overlapping each other until you have a full line extending where you want it. It might just be me that that works for, but hey, it’s a suggestion. ^^
Otherwise, just setting my elbow on a solid surface helps, and overwhelmingly so, SITTING DOWN to do your liner (if possible) makes such a difference for me. I just sit my desk with my 7×7 inch face mirror and go at it – works so much better than peering at my face standing up, leaning forward with no stability…
Anyway. Good luck.
I vote for pencil, although I prefer eyeshadow as eyeliner
I find liquid is not that hard to apply but it doesn’t look very good compared to softer options.
Try gel liners – they show up like liquid liners but are soooo much easier to use. I love Bobbi Brown.
I use gel liners… easier to use than liquid (i don’t have a steady hand).. more smudge proof than pencil (oily lids).