Different Type of Eyeliners

Generally there are 3 different variety of eyeliners and these are the Pencil Eyeliners, Liquid Eyeliners and the Gel or Cream Eyeliners. I will be talking about each of these liners, their characteristics and what they are best used for and hopefully thru this you maybe able to answer which product would be best for you.

First stop...

Pencil Eyeliner. There are 2 basic types of pencil liners and these are the Traditional Pencil where user is required to sharpen the pencil with a pencil sharpener every now and then, and the Automatic Pencil where in you just twist the pencil to get the product out. As you can see on my photo the one with the silver handle is the traditional pencil while the other one is the automatic pencil. I'll be presenting bullet points of it's pros and cons to make it easier to read.

from left to right:  first three using automatic pencil, last three using traditional pencil

Pros:

• Hands down the easiest  product to use for lining eyes
• Can be used to rim waterline for tight lining both upper and lower waterline.
• Comes in a wide variety of colors 
• Very versatile and Travel friendly
• Maybe smudge for that perfect smokey eyes base or as and eyeshadow.

Cons:

• Not the best to use for a crisp and defined line
• A bit tricky to use for creating that perfect flick
• Easily smudge (though some formula is less prone to this problem.)
• Needs sharpening for traditional pencils

Liquid Eyeliner. Liquid liners provide the most defined and crisp lines it's perfect for detailing the eyes. It gives you the flexibility to created the thinnest lines to the thickest and boldest details. However it's the most unforgiving when it get to the unseasoned hands. Liquid liners requires a steady hand in order to not mess up, a little shake may require you to redo your whole look. There are basically four forms of liquid liners that I know of as of date. These are the:

1. Dip liner that comes with a brush 
2. Another dip liner that comes with some sort of a felt tip
3. A pen liner with a brush tip 
4. A pen liner with a felt tip. 

In  my photo you can only see three types. the one with the gold handle is the dip liner with a brush tip the one in black handle is a dip liner with a felt tip while the thicker felt tip is the pen type liner, I personally find the second to be the easiest to use, because it's felt tip is a bit stiff and it gives me more control in creating lines.

Left to right: 1st three using the felt pen liquid liner, 2nd three dip liner with felt tip, last three dip liner with brush tip.

Pros:

• Provides flexibility in terms of creating line thickness
• Creates very sharp defined and bold lines for that perfect flick
• Formulated for long wear
• travel friendly
• Smudge proof.

Cons:

• Cannot be used for tight lining
• Requires a steady hand, Not fool proof
• Flaking (some formula)
• Not as versatile as pencil liners
• Drying time needed.

And finally...

Gel Eyeliner. This liner is by far my most favorite liner, as you can see on the photo I'm half way to hitting pan on this jar, simply because it offers the best of both world. Gel liners comes in a gel or cream form it's in a semi-solid form that gives you ease and control. It applies smooth like a liquid liner thus it can create very thin defined lines as crisp as that of a liquid liner. And offers quick drying time compared to that of the liquid liner. It also gives you the option to smudge the color out for a smokey effect.

All these are from the gel liner applied using different brushes, pressure and strokes.

Pros:

• More forgiving than liquid liners
• Maybe used for lining water line
• Can create crisp defined lines great for cat eye look
• Comes in a cream like form providing more control in application
• Long lasting and flake free
• May be smudge and use as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base

Cons:

• May need a little practice to apply
• Shelf life, product may dry up fast 
• Inconvenient to carry along since you need to carry along a eyeliner brush

So with that I hope I've clearly presented the differences of each eyeliners and some of it's uses. for a more in-dept blog about each liner, I'll be creating a separate blog of each one where I'll be writing about how to use the specific liner and what is its best for, and which one would be best for certain type of eyes. Till then stay gorgeous.