What’s the verdict ladies?
Does putting eye-liner on the lower waterline make your eyes look bigger or smaller?
Once upon a time, a long time ago I learned that putting dark eye-liner on the lower waterline will make my eyes look small.
This past weekend two independent make up artists have told me that a smokey eye requires dark eye-liner on the waterline and that I shouldn’t worry that it will make my eyes look small.
I disagree. This technique tends to make my eyes look tiny…at least this is what I think.
Since they are qualified MUAs they are likely right but what does your own experience tell you?
Personally I have big eyes and wear eyeliner slightly thick on the waterline and just below it. I don't think it does make your eyes look smaller... If your wearing the liner in a thin layer try thickning it and see what that does.
From my own experience, When ever I line my water line it feels like the rest of my features look bigger. So what I do is when ever I line my water line I'll use liner on my under eyes too. This way my eyes look even bigger.
IMO, watering the water line gives more of a cat eye effect, what it does is, it elongates the eyes rather than making them appear bigger.
Hey CE! Lol.. I was going to say the same thing about elongating the eyes.. that is the effect it has for me anyway. I always do regular eyeliner with a flick and mostly (like this but sharper) and line the lower lashline (outer 2/3) with a powder shadow and angled brush. I don’t notice that this makes my eyes look any smaller. However, when I’m going out and I want my eyes/eyemakeup to stand out even more, then I line the waterline with black too. As CE says, it accentuates the cat eye effect.
I don't have small eyes but they're not super big either. Up until now I've always lined the lower waterline.
Last month when I did my bridal trial....on one of my eyes (she did 2 looks), she put TONS of black liner and I noticed my eye still "popped out" despite the loads of black liner (more than it normally does when I apply black liner). Then I noticed she didn't line the waterline....but the lower LASHLINE. I talked to her about it and she said that lining the lashline (leaving waterline unlined) still makes your eyes pop. But lining the actual waterline can make some women's eye look smaller. I've lined the lashline on my own a few times so far and for my eyes, I've found this to be true.
So for me.....bye-bye waterline and HELLO lashline. :)
What color you use on your waterline does make a difference on what shape it gives your eyes. I’ve noticed that using white or a flesh tone color on your water line gives the appearance of bigger, brighter eyes and using black on your water can sometimes close off the eye and make it appear smaller. I love how black looks on the waterline but I don’t do it very often because I have to put in extra effort to make it look flattering on me. What i’ve noticed is that if I smoke out my eyeshadow and then use black on the waterline, it doesn’t make my eyes appear smaller as opposed to just using black on the waterline. Smokey eyes in general, make the eyes appear larger IMO (they always do on my eyes)
Here’s a comparison
This is my look each time I go out, if i’m going to a formal event/wedding I just add some eye shadow on top, but this is how I usually how I do my eyeliner on the top and bottom, and I add white to my waterline.
This is with black on my waterline, I don’t know if this is a very good example because of the 30 flicks I have at the corner, but if you compare this picture to the previous one, my eyes appear a tad bit smaller and more rounder because I didn’t do proper winged eyeliner here.
Here’s another comparison, sorry for the two different angles.
Basically, adding white to your waterline gives the illusion of having more of the white part, hence making your eyes look bigger. However that doesn’t mean you can’t wear black on your waterline and make it look good. I personally don’t think white on the waterline can ever look as intense as black. You can always smoke out your eyeliner and/or apply eyeshadow underneath and your eyes won’t look smaller.
Here’s an example (you don’t need to smoke out your eyeliner AS much)
When I line my waterline...my eyes appear longer and intense but not bigger. When I want them to look bigger...I line the bottom with black and line the waterline with white or nude.
Reha, this is exactly what I do too, and it gives much darker/longer look to the eye. one of these days I want to line the upper waterline too, but I am afraid of smudging hence the black eye
Pseudo did I ever tell you are a makeup genius you explain in so much detail and the visuals are the best
I will have to do the same thing that Pseudo did.....take pics.....sometimes just seeing yourself in the mirror is not enough and you need to look at a picture to see the true impact.
Pseudo, your pics are gorgeous (as usual), MashaAllah.
I think it depends on how you line your eyes. I prefer a more natural look so I stay very close to the lashline...and that accentuates my eyes. As for the lower lashes.......I don't know how to explain it....I line it underneath the lower lashes as opposed to right inside the base of the eye....as I think that "opens up" the eyes more.
i feel alien like without lining my bottom waterline because my eyes are too big. When my cousin got engaged they did an interesting technique where they applied a navy liner on the bottom lashline not waterline and only the outer third of the bottom of her eyes were lined. charcoal liners are also a good color.
you can always put the black liner on your lower lashline, and line your waterline with white eyeliner
personally, i look half asleep without black smeared all over my waterline, however, my friend has small eyes and it makes it look smaller...
dont think the makeup artist can't be wrong! everyone's eyeshape is different, and what may work for one person doesnt neccessarily have to work for anotehr
And I don't like using white on the waterline because it looks VERY stark. I prefer a flesh or pink toned if I go for that look. But usually, I stick to black on the waterline because it makes my eyes look a bit fresher as opposed to nothing on the waterline. Sometimes I do nothing on the lower waterline and just line the lower lash line and smudge it out a bit. I find adding mascara and curling your lashes makes a huge difference too.
@Pseudonymous](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/members/pseudonymous.html)… you’re so good at the eye makeup, right now i’m just mastering the art of putting mascara and eyeliner and i can’t line the water line, my eyes have serious eye allergies so the eye liner has to go a bit outside
my 3 yr old niece and cousin have the same color eyes, bluish greyish, are yours natural too? really pretty color
did you shape your eyebrows to look that dramatically arched or are you lucky enough to be born with such pretty shaped brows?
you explain in so much detail and the visuals are the best 
