Tight lining/eyeline - what the jeff am I doing wrong?!?

[NeegansWife]

No matter what I try, my eyeliner always ends up smudging underneath my eyes, and not in a good way. It makes my eyes look tiny and as if my eyes are sore or that I've been crying.

If I try to tight line underneath my upper lashes with a waterproof pencil it ALWAYS ends up 'stamping' a line all throughout the day on my lower waterline. I try and get it as close to the lashes as possible, so not on my upper water line if that makes sense, I don't blink for as long as possible to let it set. It still bleeds.

If I try lining just above my upper lashes, it just bleeds underneath my lower lashes, like it's melting. If I try to set it with powder, or just use powder alone to tight line the same thing happens.

If i use a primer, the same thing happens.

For the love of God, what the heck am I doing wrong????? You Tube has not provided me with any answers.

Use a liquid liner on top and a "felt tip pen" like liner on the bottom. My mind is blanking on the actual names,sorry!!
But I use the cheap brands because they have actually worked better and lasted longer than the expensive ones.Good luck to you!

That sounds so annoying! Do you have unusually leaky eyes perhaps? I'm thinking waterproof eyeliner above top lashes only and use a setting spray like the Urban Decay one.

Not leaky at all. I'm flummoxed by it. My eyelids are a bit crepey so a liquid liner would apply all wobbly I think, but worth a try.

the only way I can get a neat non-budging line is to use a flat liner brush with Laura Mercier cake liner - the brush allows you to push the colour straight between your lashes along your eyelid, so it doesn't go into your waterline and transfer when you blink.

I have the leakiest eyes ever, I joke to poor DH that fellow commuters must think I hate my job as I spend the whole commute 'crying'. I have find the Kiko automatic pencil amazing, the only one that does not shift for love not money. Ditto their waterproof eyeliner too.

Until this I had just given up on liner and thought it would never work for me

Chartreuse! Me too - I don't even put mascara on before I go to work or it would get everywhere - I have actual years (only in the morning though)!

I've been using Laura Mercier tightliner for about 10 years now & it is honestly the best thing I've ever used in terms of make up. It sounds like the issue you're having is going either above or below the lashes. The trick is push the brush into the base of the lashes, wiggling it slightly to deposit the colour. I couldn't do it with a pencil - the wet brush that I use is way easier. I can't get on with any other method now.

I do a sort of cheat-y tightlining. I use the Kat Von D pen, and just poke it (like tiny dots) between my upper eyelashes at intervals. My eyelashes are quite long and thick anyway, so I don’t need to go in between every lash. Then curlers/mascara. The KVD is also great for a cat-eye cluck, it is bomb-proof.

Bloody hell. Flick. Not cluck.

I have the leakiest eyes ever, I joke to poor DH that fellow commuters must think I hate my job as I spend the whole commute 'crying'.

You and me both!!!!