If You’re Going To Walk The Walk…
You’ve got to talk the talk! (in the most good humoured way of course) I got the best email asking about the terms I used in yesterday’s post O’l Blue Eyes. When I replied to the email, I asked if I could share a bit of the email as the question asked may have also been on the minds of a few of you lovely lasses as well. Plus, it was too good not to share. Our gorgeous Beauty Marked! reader agreed:
“What on earth is the inner V and, well, outer V for that matter? Also, which crease do I apply the eyeshadow to? I seem to have a few creases as I suspect my eyes might be a bit older than yours.”
Well, beautiful one, the terms you asked about from yesterday’s post all refer to areas of makeup placement on the eye.
Crease = The fold just above your top eyelid that is visible when your eyes are open. Applying eyeshadow to this crease area can add definition to your eyes. Mind you, some Asian beauties may not have a visible crease on their eye lids, but only the continuation of the eyelid up to the brow area and won’t really have a need for added definition here, in any case. Remember that dark colours give the illusion that the area it’s used on is moving back or receding, therefore making everything lighter in colour more pronounced. Hence the use of light colours will have the opposite effect making that area more noticeable.
Outer V= The area of your outer upper eyelid that can be drawn like a figurative side lying V between your upper lashline and the outer edge of the crease area of your eye. The pointy bottom section of the V lies in the direction of your ears. The same rules of dark and light also apply here in regards to definition too. The Outer V is also a great place for a small pop of gorgy colour if you’re feeling a bit adventurous.
Inner V= This is the area of the eye where the top and bottom lashlines meet. This area also makes a figurative side lying V, where the base of the V is pointing towards the bridge of the nose. The Inner V is absolutely a divine place to drop a bit of highlighting colour. Often a shimmery opalescent , pale gold, or pearly colour used in the Inner V will give you a beautiful, much sought after, wide awake twinkle.
So there you go, a brief rundown of a few makeup terms used to describe the real estate of the eye. But honestly, terms like that inner eye bit, the…um…bendy/curvy/foldy section and that upper outer eye area work good enough for me too. Wink.
What are some of the makeup terms you use?
The Waterline.
Following on from yesterday’s Get Even More Gorgeous With Beauty Marked! post about tightlining, I thought I’d mention another super sultry eyeliner technique of lining the waterline. The area of the eye called the waterline is also known in some makeup circles as the inner membrane. The waterline is the small 2 to 2.5 mm strip of skin that extends from where the eyelashes sprout forward from the eyelid towards the eye itself. This area of skin holds the same colour pigmentation as your face. There is a definite line at the inner most edge of this area which lies directly against the eye and is part of the lubricated area of your lid, which is not considered a line-able area and should not be lined. There is a waterline on both the top and the bottom eyelids, although, the bottom lid is the easiest to see and to access. Enough of the anatomy lesson, hey.
To be honest, when the waterline is not lined, your well applied makeup will still be gorgeous, but waterlined eyes seems to give an amazing airbrushed look to your overall eye makeup, which is just magic. You can line the waterline with your stock standard eyeliner colours, but do know that the waterline can take a pop of colour and rock it like the best of them. Feel free to line the waterline with super soft eyeliners that are completely glitter free and, equally importantly, eye safe. It’s generally the done thing to avoid lining the waterline with shimmery, glittery, and polymer based liners or shadows as they are not eye safe. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you are using an eye safe pigment or powdered shadow to line the waterline, alcohol based mixing mediums and eyeliner sealant should be avoided. Visine is the only other prepared medium that can be used to mix with the powdered product to line the waterline. Failing that, plain, clean water will do. It will do quite nicely in fact.
I generally apply the eyeliner with a short handled, small filbert or paddle shaped brush, if not using a pencil, but experiment with what feels best for you. To line the bottom lids at the waterline, gently pull down on the under eye area with your pinky finger, just enough to pull the lid away from your eye a few millimeters to apply. Then gently pat the liner and or lightly sweep the liner across the waterline from the outer eye area towards the inner area of the eye where the lids meet. The same technique is done to line the top waterline, obviously pulling the lid gently upwards towards your brow though. Do be warned, that lining the waterline can feel a bit freaky. It’s sort of tickly and slightly sensitive at the same time. Most folks get used to it eventually. My favourite tip is to continue to hold your lid away from your eye for several seconds after waterlining. This allows the eyeliner to set and any tearing of your eye to settle. This gives your liner half a chance by cutting down the odds, somewhat, of your liner instantly washing away.
Do give lining the waterline a try. Lining the waterline is yet another makeup technique that can nicely finish off your eye of the day. After all, who could pass up an opportunity to get even more gorgeous?
Tightlining.
It sounds painful, right? Don’t worry, it’s not. Tightlining is a style of lining your eyes with eyeliner that gives the eyes mega definition as well as the appearance of thicker eyelashes. Essentially, what you do when you tightline is apply eyeliner precisely along the eyelash line: between and directly on top of your eyelashes. When tightlining, no liner is deposited above or below the eyelashes. Tightlining is easily done with super soft eyeliners, be they kohl, kajal, gel or powder. Eyes that are only tightlined don’t look as though they have visible eyeliner applied. Tightlined eyes don’t have that distinctive line just above or below the lashes, but look more as if you have just had your lashes tinted. Tightlining is a fabulous makeup effect that is worth keeping up your sleeve for those occasions when you’re after a less obvious, but mega effective way to thicken the appearance of your eyelashes. Tightlining + volumizing mascara on curled lashes = va Va VA Voom! Bombshell Beauty! Our favourite!
