Hack a Soft Smokey Eye With This 1 Product
When it comes to our beauty routines, we’d put eyeliner at the top of our list of must-haves. This simple product can help you bring your look from basic to wow with the swipe of a pencil, widening your eyes and making them pop. But, while we love ourselves a dramatic eye achieved with liquid liner (or colorful eyeliner, or dotted eyeliner…), for days where we crave a softer look we turn to something different — powder liner. This awesome product is the key to a soft and sultry daytime look, helping your peepers stand out without overly bold, harsh lines. It’s one seriously versatile product that everyone could use in their beauty regimen. So scroll on for eight of our faves to achieve a daytime look that’s sure to turn heads.
1. bareMinerals Liner Shadow ($15): For everything from a smokey eye to softly lined lids, this multi-tasking powder has got you covered. Available in a variety of different shades, this alternative to your typical liner can be applied dry to give your eyes a soft definition or wet for a finer, more dramatic line.
2. Clinique Water Resistant Eyeliner ($17): You won’t have to worry about smudging with this long-lasting, water-resistant formula. That being said, pre-happy-hour touchups are easy peasy with this compact, which comes equipped with a precision brush for simple application on the go.
L’Oreal
($10): This genius liner makes applying a subtly sultry look a ten-second affair. The pen comes with a foam-tip applicator, which helps to instantly blend the gel-like powder around your peepers. The result is a long-lasting and defined work-appropriate smokey eye — no smudging required.4. Jane Iredale Mystikol ($20): Part highlighter + part powder liner = a fully genius product. This product includes everything you need for some soft ‘n’ smokey eyes. Each pen has a highlighter on one side to brighten and a powder liner on the other to subtly define.
5. Trish McEvoy Eye Definer ($19): This velvety, long-lasting formula comes in both metallic and classic shades, so you can use it for a variety of looks and any occasion. The best part is that the compact is refillable, so you can continuously mix and match different shades to your heart’s content.
6. NYX Cosmetics Collection Noir Powder Black Liner ($6): If you can’t get enough of your typical black liner, but could do without the harsh lines, try this one on for size. The handy wand applicator picks up just the right amount of product to evenly line your lids, leaving you with eye makeup that’s bold without looking too severe.
7. Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eye Liner ($25): This versatile liner makes it easy to take your look from day to night. Wear the powder dry during the daytime for subtle definition, or mix it with a bit of water and apply with a flat brush for a bolder, more dramatic nighttime look.
8. Guerlain Terracotta Khol Loose Powder Eyeliner ($40): Wowza, eyeliner has never looked so luxe! Don’t let the elegant packaging scare you off, though. The applicator wand dispenses just the right amount of product, so a softly lined eye is a total breeze.