Applying dry eyeliner is a nightmare all makeup users dread. When your favorite liner seems to be at the end of its life, doing your usual makeup routine can suddenly feel empty. The product – whether it be gel, pencil or liquid – is a staple in anyone's makeup collection. Read on as we show you how quick and easy it is to revive your dried out eyeliner.
Even better, we go one step further than simply bringing your eyeliner back to life. You'll learn how to use your dried liner for other beauty hacks, such as creating fierce eyebrows, and how you can amplify your eyeliner look with just eye shadow. Stop fretting about purchasing a new eyeliner and take a look at the handy tips below to add weeks or even months to your liner's life.
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Use dry liquid liner for brows
Dried out eyeliner doesn't have to be used only for winged liner looks — it can take on an entirely new role in your makeup routine. Try using the old eyeliner on your eyebrows instead as an effective way to define your brows while keeping your liquid liner useful, despite its state. The fact that it's dried out instead of liquid will help prevent your eyebrows from appearing too bold, creating a more subtle look instead.
Dried out eyeliner doesn't have to be used only for winged liner looks — it can take on an entirely new role in your makeup routine. Try using the old eyeliner on your eyebrows instead as an effective way to define your brows while keeping your liquid liner useful, despite its state. The fact that it's dried out instead of liquid will help prevent your eyebrows from appearing too bold, creating a more subtle look instead.
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Add eye drops to gel liner
Gel liner can easily become dried out after consistent use, but this doesn't mean you should resort to buying a new one right away. Simply adding a few eye drops to your gel pot can bring the liner back to life instantly. Add two drops and mix them in with your gel using a liner brush. If it still seems dry, add a couple more drops until the gel starts to look brand new. By the time you've finished adding the drops, your gel liner will be ready for regular use again.
Gel liner can easily become dried out after consistent use, but this doesn't mean you should resort to buying a new one right away. Simply adding a few eye drops to your gel pot can bring the liner back to life instantly. Add two drops and mix them in with your gel using a liner brush. If it still seems dry, add a couple more drops until the gel starts to look brand new. By the time you've finished adding the drops, your gel liner will be ready for regular use again.
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Freeze pencil liner before sharpening
Paying for an expensive eyeliner just for it to crumble as you sharpen it can be heartbreaking. To avoid feeling like you're shredding cash on a broken pencil liner, try putting it in the freezer for a few minutes before you use it. Freezing your pencil will make it much sharper and easier to use than before. If your pencil is particularly thick, you might want to freeze it for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Paying for an expensive eyeliner just for it to crumble as you sharpen it can be heartbreaking. To avoid feeling like you're shredding cash on a broken pencil liner, try putting it in the freezer for a few minutes before you use it. Freezing your pencil will make it much sharper and easier to use than before. If your pencil is particularly thick, you might want to freeze it for an additional 10-15 minutes.
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Stop liner from migrating with eye shadow or pressed powder
What do you do to keep your concealer and foundation in place? Bake your face with powder, of course. In this case, why should eyeliner be any different? More often than not, eyeliner is liquid, which means it can easily run or smudge. To avoid this, try securing your eyeliner in place with eye shadow or pressed powder. Select a powder that matches your eyeliner shade and dab the product onto your liner with a small brush. This should keep your eyeliner well-behaved as you navigate the rest of your day.
What do you do to keep your concealer and foundation in place? Bake your face with powder, of course. In this case, why should eyeliner be any different? More often than not, eyeliner is liquid, which means it can easily run or smudge. To avoid this, try securing your eyeliner in place with eye shadow or pressed powder. Select a powder that matches your eyeliner shade and dab the product onto your liner with a small brush. This should keep your eyeliner well-behaved as you navigate the rest of your day.
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Fake metallic liner with regular liner and metallic shadow on top
This handy tip is ideal for those wanting to get more creative with their eye looks, whether or not their liner is still going strong or not. Simply paint on your usual winged liner with the eyeliner you have left and apply a metallic eye shadow on top to create a dazzling new look. You can achieve this by using an eyebrow or eye shadow brush to dab the metallic shade along your liner.
This handy tip is ideal for those wanting to get more creative with their eye looks, whether or not their liner is still going strong or not. Simply paint on your usual winged liner with the eyeliner you have left and apply a metallic eye shadow on top to create a dazzling new look. You can achieve this by using an eyebrow or eye shadow brush to dab the metallic shade along your liner.
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Turn your favorite eye shadow into liner
Unable to grab yourself a new eyeliner? Looking for something completely different? Try using eye shadow as a makeshift liner instead. This is a fabulous way to have more fun with your liner. Spray an angled eyeliner brush with a makeup fixing spray or hairspray, and apply the liner as you normally would with eye shadow instead. Pick a color that complements your eyes, and paint a sleek line of the shadow across your lash line. This way, you can pick and choose a new color every day.
Unable to grab yourself a new eyeliner? Looking for something completely different? Try using eye shadow as a makeshift liner instead. This is a fabulous way to have more fun with your liner. Spray an angled eyeliner brush with a makeup fixing spray or hairspray, and apply the liner as you normally would with eye shadow instead. Pick a color that complements your eyes, and paint a sleek line of the shadow across your lash line. This way, you can pick and choose a new color every day.
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When your felt tip liner gives up, use it with cream liner for the applicator instead
Felt tip eyeliners are ideal for precision, but they can dry out dry quicker than other makeup products. However, this doesn't stop the tip from being an excellent applicator for the ultimate cat wing. Instead of chucking the pen, dab the tip into a cream liner pot and continue applying as you normally would. The tip will soak up the product and allow you to keep using it.
Felt tip eyeliners are ideal for precision, but they can dry out dry quicker than other makeup products. However, this doesn't stop the tip from being an excellent applicator for the ultimate cat wing. Instead of chucking the pen, dab the tip into a cream liner pot and continue applying as you normally would. The tip will soak up the product and allow you to keep using it.
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