I Haven't Worn Eye Shadow in Months, But I Tried My Hand at Colorful Eyeliner

When daily commutes to the office were a thing, the best part of my morning routine was easily putting on my makeup. Beyond the transformational aspect, for me, applying it is also downright therapeutic. But, as working from home become the new norm, my makeup collection understandably started to collect dust. Until very recently, it's been almost a year since I picked up a blending brush and thoroughly dove into my eye shadow palettes. I used to relish experimenting with different colors and glittery textures, but admittedly my skills have become a little rusty. To ease into the full swing of vibrant eye shadow looks I decided to turn to something a little more beginner-friendly. 

Colorful eyeliner has all of the fun of eye shadow, yet significantly easier to put together than blending five different types of shadows. I found that I could let my imagination run wild and create spontaneous, playful looks without closely following a tutorial. Basically, a colorful eyeliner is a foolproof way to do something creative with fewer tools. I turned to Instagram for some inspiration to jumpstart my own creativity and dream up a few different looks. Below, I'm outlining the five go-to liner looks I've been loving to wear lately. They range from experimental to more subdued and wearable, but nonetheless, all are 100% fun. 

Aquamarine Dream

Shades of blue and green really just do it for me, so when I spotted this shade from Too Faced's Killer Liner collection I knew it would be a product I'd use to the last bit. Along with claims of being waterproof, this liner boasts 36-hour wear. While I didn't keep it on for that long (I can't stand not washing my face at night), it never budged after a full day outside in the blistering heat. The matte aqua color is so striking, so I settled for a more nuanced look playing with negative space lines. 

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Painterly Lids

Sourcing makeup inspo from Instagram is one of my favorite hobbies. My saved folder features dozens of looks I intend on recreating later—including this image from Who What Wear favorite fashion girl Imani Rudolph. After seeing it, I just knew I had to give it a go for myself. For this, I applied Glossier's Skywash in a chartreusy green called Lawn. And while not a liner per se, it's definitely more so a product that works best alone versus layered with shadow. With a few tweaks, I was able to get the abstract effect I wanted. 

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Glistening Glitter

When a muted look is the goal, a simple shimmering swatch of liner really saves the day. It's more amped up than a solid black liner but also subtle enough that is not immediately the first thing people will notice. Marc Jacobs' gel liners are a great candidate for this type of look because the formula isn't harsh with the level of glitter, and the shades are super flattering for any skin tone. Consider it a little highlight for the eyes. Currently its on sale so my advice is to stock up.

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Layered Liner

It should be clear by now that I can't resist graphic liner. I put my own twist on this layered cat-eye look by moving it above the crease for added drama. By chance I combined this orange shade from Ciate London with Fenty Beauty's Cute Ting matte pink liner and it was a gamble I think that paid off. The color payoff from the Fenty Beauty liners were especially impressive—once I started applying it, I really didn't want to stop.

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Blue Spectrum 

You know the feeling of when a product you absolutely love gets discontinued out of the blue? Yeah, that was me when Dior discontinued its Dior Addict It-Liner. I have worn the hell out of the blue shade for years, to the point where not a single drop can further be extracted. For this look, I leaned on my old favorite and added a few more complementary hues for a full spectrum of blues. This look lies more on the experimental side, but when I tell you it's a compliment magnetic, it's the truth.

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Next: 20 Beauty Must-Haves That Are Completely Relaxing, Full Stop