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If I know one thing about looking longer and taller, it’s that it can start with the feet. It’s why stilettos were invented. It’s why we wear heels. And it’s why even a kitten heel can give us a bit of that executive presence. And your lashes can get the same stand-tall effects from the lashline.
Most of us think of the tips of our eyelashes for elongating that ’60s doll-like look, which is why lengthening formulas are a top-selling drugstore mascara. But the secret to longer looking lashes can also lie along the lids, with a contrasting eyeliner that shows off the stems.
Think of it like a forest. Say, you’re at the cottage, you wake up and look out the window. It’s a foggy morning, so you can’t see the trunks of the trees, just the tops poking out of the mist. Now, picture a perfectly sunny Canadian summer morning. You can see the footpaths between the trees, and the sun coming up, showing off each trunk, and the rays sparkling between. Now, imagine a fresh layer of snow. This isn’t the most beauty-forward analogy, but ain’t it beautiful? Ain’t it Canadian.
I’ve loved white eyeliner ever since I worked at Glow magazine (a now-defunct publication that was a free-gift-with-rewards for Shoppers’ Optimum points earners). This look was always featured in editorial because it’s playful and artful without looking overdone. Plus, when turning over the beauty closet with cosmetic freebies for staff, the oft overlooked light liners were mine for the picking.
I’ve found that a neutral liner is something beauty junkies appreciate and compliment (even say, “oh, I should try that”), yet something less-trained eyes would just see as “pretty.” White eyeliner makes lashes look longer and eyes look brighter.
As liners went out of style as eyebrows took centre stage on the face, it’s been hard to find a good pale but opaque eyeliner. Admittedly, I have been looking for the perfect white liner since 2022, when I could only find them on Korean and Chinese beauty sites, which didn’t deliver (yet) to Canada. Slowly but surely, a few years later, I started to see liquid liners in muted colours pop up. First was from Ariana Grande’s line R.E.M. Beauty. It was a bit sticky, so I just used a bit of setting powder to keep it in place. Then, of course, NYX and other mainstream beauty companies launched their bright liners. Now I have a pretty tea tin on my vanity holding a variety of muted liners to fit my mood.
But is my eyelash hack MUA-approved? What should you look for when you buy light eyeliner? What looks can you do with white eyeliner? Find out these things and more.
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What to know about white eyeliner
“White is hard,” says Veronica Chu, professional makeup artist and hairstylist. (You can see her work on @veronicachu.) “It’s definitely a choice.” Choose the wrong product, she says, and it could look like cracked paint, chalk or rough. The key is to buy a good eyeliner, use the right type of eyeliner for the look you’re going for, consider your skin tone, and, of course, get creative.
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How to buy a good eyeliner
Now, these tips apply not only to white liner but also to black, brown, purple, and whatever other eyeliner colour you want in your makeup bag. But on lighter shades of eye pencils and pens, the eyes are less forgiving, though, says Chu. So test, test, test.
Whether you’re at Sephora, Shoppers, or a French pharmacy in Paris, always try the eyeliner on the back of your hand. Chu draws a winged and/or straight eye and compares the looks of the different liners.
She’s looking for liners that are high-density and opaque, as well as a matte or soft-matte finish – no shine. She also pays attention to the application. Did it melt into the skin? Was the tip (pencil and pen) too squishy? Too hard? Did it stay in place? How does it smudge well for that lived-in look? Or does it make skin look dehydrated, or like you’re between facials?
She, and ultimately you, want a Goldilocks texture – not too soft, not too hard, just firm enough to stay put but workable.
Then she will walk around the store, looking at other things, to ensure the liner is dry or set. Then comes the wipe test. “And at that point, if it wipes off extremely easily, I know that’s not for me. I want a liner that can withstand a little bit of warmth and moisture. That way it will last. So that’s how I try on and test out a liner.”
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Pencil vs pen: which is better?
Here are the pros and cons for each. Of course, you can use them both and together, but this will help you know what you’re getting.
Pencil liner pros
- You can easily find matte, high-density whites on shelves. Pencils don’t tend to be sheer.
- They come in a variety of styles, including mechanical (click or twist to release more liner) and the standard style that can be sharpened.
- You can warm up the liner tip on the back of your hand with a back-and-forth motion before using it on your eyes.
Pencil liner cons
- To create precise lines, you need to sharpen pencils regularly, even having to stop and start doing your eye makeup.
- The liner product texture can be unpredictable, like squishy or unstable. Always best to test for something that is firm and easy to use.
- If you wear concealer or foundation on the eyes, the pencil can drag and mix with other makeup.
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Liquid liner pros
- This formula offers a smooth glide, making it less likely to pick up your face base makeup than a pencil liner.
- You can be super creative and create enviable precise graphic looks.
- Chu says, “I’m a big liquid liner user in general, and white liquid liner I find so easy to slide on, and it’s very user-friendly in comparison to a pencil.”
Liquid liner cons
- Many liquid eye liners don’t last as long as pencils, and they can come off with a bit of water and tears, as well as accidentally touching the skin near the eye.
- Because the lines are so defined, it can be frustrating for some to ensure that both eyes have a similar-enough look.
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The best of both: The marker eyeliner
“A marker is even arguably easier to control, because it’s kind of an in-between [pencils and liquid liners],” says Chu. “It’s not as wet as the liquid liner, and not as dry as a pencil. And you can really get stark matte white, which I love.”
Markers have the application ease of a pencil with the formula performance of a liquid, which Chu suggests beginners and pros will both appreciate. They tend to be harder to wash off, but its staying power is also a perk.
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Choosing the best liner look for your skin tone
Those with white skin and pinky undertones can get away without being too precise and can even go for a smudged look. But those with medium to darker skin will want to go for a more graphic look, says Chu. You get the same effect of longer-looking lashes because of the contrast with black lashes, but you’ll want to be more choosy about opacity and pigment for a super-white result. You don’t want it to look ashy, dull or grey. Avoid any white eyeliners with any level of sheerness, she suggests. “You’ll want to make sure that it is not a sheer white. It needs to be quite pigmented to be able to overlay on a darker skin.”. This makeup look is meant to look intentional.
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Get ready to play: How to use white eyeliner
Now that you know how to test and choose a white or nude eyeliner for you, here are six ways Chu says to wear it.
Classic eyeliner look: “Back in the day, I would put white eyeliner along the bottom lash line to brighten up the eyes. That was the trick, and everybody was wearing white eyeliner this way. You don’t see it as much anymore, because many nudes have come out, which matched the skintone more.”
Subtle winged liner: Try a concealer-tone or white eyeliner for as winged liner for a very subtle, only makeup lovers notice kind of look.
Negative space and dimension: “When I want to add negative space and dimension on an eye, I use white to sharpen a line. … White doesn’t necessarily have to be stark but it could be used to accentuate a line that you created with another colour.”
Double-wing liner: “Say you just did a cat eye with black liner, or even a double-tick, you can use the white liner to accentuate the hard line of the black liner. “It’s a great contrast in colour to really showcase that.”
Graphic liner: Make your eyes the “art piece” of your face, says Chu. “I love a good white liner for a graphic line when I want to be a little bit more playful.” Go for swirls, dots, cut-outs, shapes like feathers and arrows, wherever your creativity takes you. Just make it editorial.
Eyeliner primer: If you’re going for a light-coloured eyeliner look, white can work as a base, like paint primer. If you want to try pink, for example, by lining the eyes with white, “you’re going to get a beautiful, bright pink liner.” She specifically recommends this for those trying to use eyeliners that are lighter than their skin tone, like those with yellow, purple, or grey undertones. “They’re harder to show up, and white is a great base to get that look you want.” It works with eyeshadow, too. Put white on the lid, then apply your soft pink or baby blue shadow.