Pencil eyeliner is softer and more malleable, and it blends more easily than other products. [2] X Expert Source Frankie SandersonMakeup Artist & Stylist Expert Interview. April 14, 2020. Remember, your pencil tip should be firm enough that it doesn’t crumble on you, but soft enough that the eyeliner still glides on smoothly. Run the tip of a new eyeliner pencil over the soft part of your palm a few times before you begin applying it to your eyelid. This will blunt the tip somewhat so that it doesn’t poke or scratch.

It can be tough to draw on thin, straight lines using a liquid eyeliner, but you’ll get the hang of it with practice! Liquid eyeliner can give you a sharper line than pencil, especially if you have any texture on your eyelids, like crepey skin or wrinkles. [4] X Expert Source Frankie SandersonMakeup Artist & Stylist Expert Interview. April 14, 2020.

Black eyeshadow will work for this, but other colors can give you different effects. A gray shadow will give the same sultry look while being a little less harsh, while brown might look a bit more natural. Experiment to find what works for you.

Small sweeps of a makeup brush will blend the hard edges of the eyeliner. Cotton swabs with pointed tips are better than rounded ones for blending out your eyeliner.

Go slowly, even if you’re used to putting on guyliner. You’re working very close to the surface of the eye, so you don’t want to make a mistake.

Try not to “color in” the outer corner of the eye. This can end up looking more like a black eye than an expressive accent. Instead, line the upper and lower lids and go around the outer corner lightly, just enough to keep the lines from looking disjointed.

Liquid liner is typically best for creating winged or cat-eye looks. [11] X Expert Source Frankie SandersonMakeup Artist & Stylist Expert Interview. April 14, 2020. Any type of tape will be sufficient for stenciling around the underside of the eye, but a softer tape with a weaker adhesive, such as masking or surgical tape, will probably work best as it won’t cause irritation or discomfort once it’s peeled off. Be careful not to make the “wing” too large, or it may end up looking cartoonish.

Because you’re going for a sleek, minimal eye effect, it will probably be easier to partially line using a pencil.

Try out a few different brands and styles of eyeliner until you find the right consistency and shade.