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​​This Eyeliner Hack Naturally Elongates Every Eye Shape

Jamie Schneider
Author:
January 12, 2023
Jamie Schneider
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
By Jamie Schneider
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
Jamie Schneider is the Senior Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
Young Woman Putting On Eyeliner
Image by Ivan Gener / Stocksy
January 12, 2023

Makeup is transformative, especially when it comes to the eye area. Just a swipe of liner or concealer can provide lift, open up the orbs, and make you appear much more awake. Recently, though, a buzzy eyeliner trend promises the exact opposite: Rather than offering lift, this application delivers more of a heavy-eyed appearance. In fact, the TikTok crowd calls it "sleepy eye makeup." 

Essentially, it makes you appear nonchalant yet mysterious (call it the Wednesday Addams effect), and when you flick the liner just right, it actually elongates your eye shape. Find the dreamiest tutorial of all, below. 

How to master "sleepy" eyeliner. 

Here's the gist: Instead of flicking your liner upward, you draw the line straight out from the outer corner (or even downward) for more of a downturned effect. 

All my knowledgeable beauty buffs out there are probably thinking: Uh, isn't this the same thing as the popular "puppy liner" K-beauty trend? To which I say: You're absolutely right! "Sleepy eyeliner" often has a bigger wing (which gives it a slightly more sultry appeal), but both looks have the same general goal: to appear oh-so-adorably drowsy. Leave it to TikTok to recirculate a tried-and-true trick, slap a different moniker on it, and call it brand-new. (But I digress.) 

Whether you call it "puppy liner," ''sleepy liner," or something else entirely, here's how to nail the alluring effect: 

  1. First, grab a kohl liner. These are the easiest to smudge for an effortlessly smoky look. ​​Despite its seamless blend, it's also perfect for long-lasting wear on the waterline. This Jillian Dempsey pencil glides like a dream. 
  2. Instead of drawing the liner upward toward the tail of your brow, "Follow the corner of your eye downward," says makeup artist Yasha in a TikTok tutorial. Feel free to make it as tiny or dramatically long as you please. 
  3. Then connect that line to your lower lash line and fill in any gaps. The resulting wing should jut straight out from your outer eye corner—not tilting upward—which helps elongate your eye shape. Here's another easy tutorial to follow, if you need a visual.
  4. Next, take a small shadow brush and gently buff the line to smudge it out. The more you blend, the smokier your wing will become. You can even layer the pigment with a rich shadow for an even softer effect. Feel free to run said shadow right underneath your lower lash line for a moodier appearance. 
  5. For even more definition, trace the inner corner of your eyes with the same kohl liner. Finish with mascara, if you choose.  

The takeaway. 

If you'd like to add some mysterious flair to your everyday eye look, you might want to give "sleepy eyeliner" a try. It's just like your regular liner application, just a teeny bit south. Yet that slight tweak can make all the difference between a lifted and downturned look. I repeat: Makeup is transformative! You just have to decide which features you'd like to accentuate.

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