How to Keep Eyeliner on Your Waterline All Day

Co-authored by Melissa Jannes and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: October 9, 2020 References

Lining your waterline with eyeliner helps to brighten up your eyes and make your overall makeup pop even more. Your upper and lower waterline naturally touch the liquid in your eye which can cause your eyeliner to smudge off throughout the day. To keep your eyeliner on your waterline for longer, try curling your lashes, drying out your waterline with a cotton swab, and putting eyeshadow over your eyeliner once you’ve applied it.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Creating a Good Base

1
Curl your eyelashes to stop them from touching your waterline. If you have long lashes or they tend to stick straight downward, they might be rubbing against your upper waterline and smudging your makeup. Hold an eyelash curler up to your eyelashes and gently close the curler around them. Hold the curler shut for about 30 seconds and then gently open up the curler before you take it away from your eye.^{[1]
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Tip: Curling your eyelashes also makes them look fuller and longer.
2
Dab concealer underneath your eyes. Use the concealer that you usually use for your undereyes and apply a small amount beneath your eyes with your fingers. This will help your makeup stay in place longer and move around less on your face.^{[2]
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- Do not put concealer in your actual waterline. This will irritate your eyes.
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3
Sharpen your eyeliner pencil before you use it. Sharpening your eyeliner is good practice to get rid of bacteria, but it also makes the eyeliner more pigmented and easier to apply. Make sure your eyeliner pencil is sharp before you put it on your waterline.^{[3]
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- You can use a normal pencil sharpener on your eyeliner pencil.
- Once you've sharpened your eyeliner pencil, be sure to be extra gentle when applying your eyeliner.^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  Melissa Jannes
  Beauty Stylist
  Expert Interview. 30 August 2019.}

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Applying Your Eyeliner

1
Dry your waterline with a cotton swab. Take a cotton swab and carefully swipe it along your upper and lower waterline. Try to absorb as much of the liquid on your waterline as you can. Use caution so that you don’t poke your actual eyeball.^{[5]
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- It can be hard to swipe your upper waterline with a cotton swab. You can skip your upper one if it is too difficult for you.
- If you have sensitive eyes or wear contact lenses, you may want to skip this step.
2
Use a waterproof eyeliner pencil on your waterline. Your waterline is constantly coming into contact with the liquid from your eyeballs. Put a waterproof eyeliner on your upper and lower waterline to prevent the liquid from breaking it down throughout the day.^{[6]
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- Use caution if you are applying eyeliner to your upper waterline so that you don’t hurt your eyeball.^{[7]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Melissa Jannes
  Beauty Stylist
  Expert Interview. 30 August 2019.}
- If your eye starts to water as you are applying your liner, it may never set. Wait for your eye to dry and then reapply the liner.
3
Press a gel eyeliner on top of the waterproof eyeliner. Gel eyeliner isn’t specifically marketed as waterproof, but it helps to lock in the pencil eyeliner and add more depth of color to your waterline. Use an angled makeup brush to apply the gel eyeliner on top of the pencil eyeliner on your upper and lower waterline.^{[8]
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- Gel eyeliner stays on longer and doesn’t smear as much as pencil eyeliner.
4
Pat eyeshadow on top of your liner with an angled brush. Choose an eyeshadow color that closely matches the color of your eyeliner. Pick up some eyeshadow with an angled brush and gently pat it onto your upper and lower waterline.^{[9]
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- Powder helps to set the eyeliner and make it even more waterproof.
5
Clean up any smudges with a cotton swab. You may have gotten some eyeliner or eyeshadow underneath of your eyes, or the products may be starting to fall off of your waterline. Clean up around your eyes with a cotton swab to make your waterline look cleaner.^{[10]
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- Dip your cotton swab in a small amount of makeup remover if you need to.
6
Avoid touching or rubbing your eyes throughout the day. Making your eyes water increases the chances that your eyeliner will start to smudge or come off. Try not to touch your eyes or your makeup as you keep your liner on all day.^{[11]
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Tip: If you have allergies or a cold and your eyes are tearing up a lot, lining your waterline may not be a good idea.

Expert Q&A
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Question

What products can I use to make my eye makeup last all day?

Melissa Jannes
Licensed Esthetician & Brazilian Wax Educator
Melissa Jannes is a Licensed Esthetician and the owner of Maebee's Beauty Studio in Philadelphia, a single practitioner space providing quality services with individualized attention. Melissa is also a National Educator for Universal Companies. She received her esthetics degree at The Beauty School of Middletown in 2008 and is licensed in both New York and Pennsylvania. Melissa won the "Best of Beauty" award from Allure magazine in 2012 for the quality of her bikini waxing.

Melissa Jannes

Licensed Esthetician & Brazilian Wax Educator

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Primer is great because it keeps your makeup from absorbing into your face, which helps it stay on all day. If you don't want your makeup to slide off, finishing sprays or powders are also really great. They can help set it in place.
Question

Is it dangerous to put eyeliner on your waterline?

Melissa Jannes
Licensed Esthetician & Brazilian Wax Educator
Melissa Jannes is a Licensed Esthetician and the owner of Maebee's Beauty Studio in Philadelphia, a single practitioner space providing quality services with individualized attention. Melissa is also a National Educator for Universal Companies. She received her esthetics degree at The Beauty School of Middletown in 2008 and is licensed in both New York and Pennsylvania. Melissa won the "Best of Beauty" award from Allure magazine in 2012 for the quality of her bikini waxing.

Melissa Jannes

Licensed Esthetician & Brazilian Wax Educator

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

There are dangers to putting eyeliner on your waterline. Be careful that you don't accidentally touch your eyeball.