Eyeliner is a makeup item that enhances the eye shape, It can help make your eyelashes look alot more thicker. The over all effect of eyeliner can be very beautiful to the way the eyes look, one of the worst things to encounter with the eyeliner is that it can smear under the eyes making it look like you have racoon eyes.
If you want to know why the eyeliner smears under your eyes it’s because your skincare. The reason for this is because regardless if your eyeliner is waterproof the chances of the oils from your skincare will be breaking down your eyeliner which in turn will make it easier to smear.
1. The Eyeliner Is Not Waterproof
One of the main reasons why your eyeliner may smudge under your eyes is because the formulation, it may not be long lasting. The waterline is constantly watery which can break down a regular eyeliner. That’s why it’s important for the eyeliner to be waterproof because it will be more long lasting on the waterline.
A formulation such as kajal liner which is usually not waterproof will have a tendency of smearing off the water line due to the nature of it’s formulation. Some eyeliners are even formulated for smudging for a smokier eye look, that’s why it’s really important to read the labels on your eyeliner’s packaging so you know what you’re working with.
It’s important to know your eyeliner and where to apply them, there are four types of eyeliner:
Pencil: Can be used on the top and bottom eyelid, It’s usually safe enough to use on the waterline.
Gel: Can be used on the top and bottom eyelid, It’s usually safe to use in the waterline.
Liquid: Is usually just worn on the on the top lid and never in the waterline
Cake liner: Can be worn on the top eyelid and on the waterline to set other liners. Cake liner may need a setting spray for the pigment to be more intensified.
This is why it’s best to go for pencil or gel eyeliners because once it’s applied on the skin and it settles it’s in, it wont budge. This type of formulation especially suits the bottom waterline.
2. The Eyeliner Was Not Set
The reason why your eyeliner may be smudging under your eyes is because the eyeliner wasn’t set. Setting the eyeliner on the bottom waterline keeps it in place, this way it set’s the eyeliner on the water line and under it by setting it with an eyeshadow.
This is usually done by dipping an angled brush into an eyeshadow that is the same color as your eyeliner and applying it on to the waterline and under the waterline. It helps absorb the oils and set the eyeliner in place giving it more pigmentation and longevity throughout the day. Lastly, always make sure that the eyeliner that is applied should be waterproof for the best long lasting results.
3. Consider your skincare
Another reason why your eyeliner may be smudging under the eye area is because of your daily skincare. The oils from the skin care can eat away at your eyeliner even if its waterproof. Eye creams and daily moisturizers are full of oils which can easily break down your eyeliner which makes it smudge under the eye area.
Skin care and your skin’s naturals oils can sit under the eye area which is where the eyeliner can deteriorate and smear overtime. One way to prevent the oils from deteriorating they eyeliner under the eyes is by using a translucent powder around the area, this will help absorb any oils around the under eye area.
Always make sure before applying translucent powder that your skin care has properly absorbed into the skin. Otherwise the translucent trick may not work.
4. Try To Primer The Under-Eye Area
Another reason why your eyeliner may be smudging under the eye area is because the eyeliner may not have a primer applied under it. Applying an eyeshadow primer under the eye area will allow your eyeliner to adhere to the skin much better and prevent it from smudging.
Eye shadow primer is also a great way to get cake eyeliner to stick to the under eye area which will help it last longer. The great thing about using an eye primer under the eye area, is that it will help absorb oils in that area due to its mattifying finish.
The following are a few are steps to take when using an eye primer to prevent your eyeliner from smearing:
Step One: Apply eye primer all around the eye area including under the eye area
Step Two: Apply some translucent powder around the eye area (in case your skin is more on the oily side)
Step Three: Apply your eyeliner on top this could be liquid, pencil, gel and cake liner
5.Try using a setting spray
Another reason why your eyeliner may smear under the eye area is because you did not try to set it with a setting spray. Setting spray is another solution that allows your makeup to stay in tact. Setting spray should not be used in the waterline, instead it can help with makeup that is under the eye area.
Some setting sprays can allow your makeup to last up to 24hours. When the liner is applied just under the waterline, you can always dampen your liner brush with the setting spray and gently press the setting spray into the liner. This will help the eyeliner melt into place and it wont smudge or budge throughout the day.
Cake eyeliner can always be mixed with a setting spray in order to create a long lasting liquid liner which that can then be applied under the bottom waterline.
6. Tight lining the upper lid
If you tight line your upper eyelid the liner can transfer to the bottom waterline. If you have not applied the eyeliner to the bottom waterline this eyeliner could potentially be the reason why your getting your eyeliner smearing on the bottom of your eye.
If you don’t want eyeliner on the bottom waterline then it’s best to allow the eyeliner to transfer and then wipe it off gently with a clean Q-tip. Otherwise, you can always leave it on the bottom water line and set it with an eyeshadow so it doesn’t smudge through out the day.
7. Avoid Rubbing The Eye Area
The last way your under eyeliner may smear is because you may be touching and rubbing that area. This will get your eyeliner all over the place giving you instant racoon eyes. This is especially true when it comes not using a waterproof eyeliner because they have the tendency to smudge more.
How do you keep eyeliner from smudging under your eyes?
Step 1: Allow your skincare to properly absorb into your skin around the eye area. This should take approximately 20 mins for it to absorb fully into the skin.
Step 2: Apply an eyeshadow primer under the eye area and blend it in
Step 3: Apply a translucent powder around the eye area. This will help absorb any oils that maybe sitting on top of the skin.
Step 4: Apply a waterproof pencil or gel liner on the water line and under the water line
Step 5: Set the eyeliner with an eyeshadow to ensure that the eyeliner wont budge through out the day
Step 6: Use a setting spray to set the makeup. Dampen an angled eyeliner brush with setting spray and gently dab the eyeliner under the eye area only (avoid the waterline).
Conclusion
In conclusion, when it comes to your eyeliner being smeared under the eyes there are many factors that can contribute to it. This can range from the type of eyeliner your using to simply the skin care regime that could be deteriorating the eyeliner.
It’s really important to help mattify the eye area with a translucent powder which will help absorb any excess oils. It’s also very important to set the eyeliner with an eyeshadow to give the eyeliner extra longevity so it doesn’t smear off during the day, by keeping the eye area oil free it will help prevent your eyeliner from smearing under the eye area.