In a far departure from the polished clean-girl looks that had us in such a chokehold, coloured liners are here to make the case for the bold and glamorous. But for the record—and as any prominent makeup artist will tell you—coloured liners aren’t trending; they’ve never been passé. Be it a graphic swirl, a snatched wing or even just a pop on the inner corners, coloured liners never go out of style.
“Coloured liners will always have an impact and make a statement,” says local make-up artist Victoria Hwang. “They’re perfect for when you want to translate your creativity into your eye make-up.”
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We must admit, however, playing with colour can seem intimidating. If you’re new to make-up or are used to trusted neutral shades, wearing a smudge of striking aquamarine or glimmery gold may feel a little too out of one’s comfort zone. But to tastefully master and create a look you’ll absolutely love, you need only one crucial element, more than just a light, steady hand: confidence. In close second is using the right product and formula that won’t budge, smudge, or look tacky upon application. And for that regard, Hwang advises, “I think gel liners are the most beginner friendly, as they can be smudged out for a softer look.”
To help with that, accompanied with notes from Hwang, Vogue Singapore assembles the most stunning references you’ll need to get in on the colourful liners fad and the best products for you to master each look.
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Match the liner to your outfit
As Hwang easily puts it, one method to incorporate coloured liners into an everyday wearable look is to match it with your outfit. (G)I-dle’s Yuqi makes a case for it here, complementing her entirely pink fit with liners of complementary hues. The smudge of shimmery blue on Yuqi’s outer eye corners with pastel pink over her lower lash line is exactly what cotton candy dreams are made of.
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Match the liner to your outfit
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Zoom in on the eyes
Another easy tip from Hwang is to make the liners the focus of your look. “It wouldn’t look out of place, and is an easy hack for beginners!” Hwang says. So, go ahead, put on a monochromatic outfit, and save the stress of colour coordination for your eyes. Start with following Lily-Rose Depp’s lead, as she rocks a psychedelic combo of vibrant purple and equally bright lemon-lime—all against a pure white Chanel ensemble.
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Experiment with fun placements
We always want to recreate Hailey Bieber’s beauty looks. Her pretty-in-pink siren eye look is a fine example of what Hwang means to “start with the lash lines to experiment with fun placements”. In Bieber’s case, her make-up artist, Mary Phillips, cleverly creates a break right in the middle for an opening effect, making her eyes appear bigger. The It girl finishes off the look with baby braids fastened by bows.
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Experiment with fun placements
Note: for detailed placements like so, Hwang recommends you use an ultra-thin brush and liquid liner formulas. This will allow you to draw with utmost precision.
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Use it as you would your usual black and browns
Ubiquitous brand marketing has made black and brown liners the “norm,” yet if anyone can make something look cool, it’s Jennie Kim. All throughout Blackpink’s Born Pink World Tour, Jennie swapped out her usual black-brown snatched wing liners for colours of the rainbow, from greens and reds to blues. It might not seem like much, but we’ll take anything we can get from the fashion darling.
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Use it as you would your usual black and browns
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