EYE LINER FOUR WAYS
LESSONS:
EYE LINER FOUR WAYS
Graphic wing? Underliner? Smoky smudge? M.A.C’s Romero Jennings shows us all the (easy) angles.
- Written by:
- LENA RAFF
If you are alive and online in the year 2023, chances are you’ve noticed Technicolor statement eye liner—for day, for night, from shimmery jewel tones to high-impact cobalt and palette-cleansing matte white—taking over your feeds. To celebrate the debut of M.A.C’s Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eye Liner at VIOLET GREY, we asked Romero Jennings, the company’s resident guru and Director of Makeup, to create four classic liner looks that showcase impact, edge, and ease. The transformational looks are nearly effortless to pull off (we promise); the pencils are next level. We’re talking about super-pigmented creamy gel color that glides on with the right amount of smudge, and somehow all the crisp, clean staying power in the world (truly, they do not move for 24 hours on the lid and 12 in the waterline). And did we mention the shade range? We are obsessed and predict you will be, too.
EVERYDAY LINER
Here’s the classic everyone should have in their five-minute-face repertoire—and once you know Romero’s tricks of the trade, it’s a cinch: Draw M.A.C’s charcoal-brown Sick Tat Bro at the lash line from the middle to the outer corner of the eye and then diffuse upward and outward with a fingertip. Simple, quick, and effective!
BONUS: Apply the beigey neutral Full Sleeve on the lower waterline to instantly open and brighten eyes. All Colour Excess Gel Pencils are designed to perform in the waterline without irritating, which make these liners unusual and essential to our Curation team.
THE EYELIGHTER
White liner is totally underrated. It’s graphic, edgy, minimal, and clean all at once. And it looks so good on deeper skin tones. Here, Romero draws an exaggerated, geometric cat shape with M.A.C’s matte white Incorruptible. For a crisp cool look, pair with a defined lash and a neutral lip.
THE MINIMAL CAT
The classic, sophisticated wing. Using Serial Monogamist—the most must-have shade of deep, shimmery olive green—Romero starts at the lash line and angles up and out at the edge. Pair with a red lip, natch.
PRO TIP: When applying, look straight into the mirror with both eyes open to make sure your wings are even.
SLEEPY EYES—A.K.A THE UNDERLINER
Don’t let the name deceive you, there is nothing sleepy about this look. The bright, impactful underliner in Perpetual Shock extends along the bottom lashline past the outer edge of the eye in a straight line. Emphasize and sharpen the line with a sweep of light concealer just below. We love this look with any shade of liner, and a glossy nude lip.