How I Do My Eyeliner (Smoky Bottom Waterline)

One of the most popular makeup questions I get about my own makeup look, is what eyeliner I use for my bottom waterline. The trick is I’m not only using eyeliner, so this post will talk about my process plus show you a quick demo video!

I love a sizzling, smoky bottom waterline and actually starting doing this process for my liner after makeup artist Andi Yancy first did my makeup for a photoshoot back in 2015. So what I do is after I’ve applied my eye makeup but before I do my under eye highlight is take a matte eggplant colored shadow (MAC Signed, Sealed from my custom MAC palette) with my Laura Mercier Smudge Brush and I sweep the shadow underneath my lower lashes. This shadow doesn’t go on my waterline, but the area just underneath where my lower lashes come out. No need to be neat (but also no need to be overly messy…lol).

After that I apply my liner. My longtime fave is Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Perversion, but I also recently bought Pat McGrath Permagel pencil to try out. You can see more about the two pencils with comparisons here. I apply the liner on the bottom waterline as well as the top—for the top make sure you get as close to the lash line as possible so you don’t have any gaps—you only want to see black liner. No need to worry again about being overly neat because this will all be blended together anyway, plus the look is sooty, glam-rock not super neat. After that I apply mascara to the top and bottom. If you get a little mascara smudge on the bottom, no worries. Just wait a minute or so for it to dry because we’re going to smudge everything together lightly with the smudging brush again. Then I apply my lashes which help add to the look and BOOM! We’re done.

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Smoky Bottom Waterline Video Demo:

(there’s no sound on this, so feel free to watch from almost anywhere)

How I Apply My Eyeliner from Danielle Gray on Vimeo.

Look Details:

Hair: Big Chop Hair 16″ Kinky Curl U-part wig cut and styled by Gabrielle Corney
Hair comb: ASOS
Earrings: Topshop
Blouse: ASOS
Eyeshadow: Natasha Denona Cranberry Palette
Brows: L’Oreal Brow Stylist Definer in Brunette
Lashes: Blinx Minx Lashes in Cash Out
Cheeks: Natasha Denona Blush in Bloom Palette
Foundation: Juvia’s Place I Am Magic Foundation
Concealer: (to cover under eye discoloration) Juvia’s Place I Am Magic Concealer
Lips: LORAC Alter Ego Gloss in Flower Child
Concealer/Highlight/Contour: NARS Soft Matte Concealer, Chanel Ultrawear Flawless Compact Foundation in 152 Chocolat, Cover FX Total Cover Cream, Cover FX Pressed Mineral Powder (find out which shades I wear in each here)