

This MAC eyeliner hack will change your makeup game for the better

So simple, so effective.

king of the booth

Whether it's liquid or pencil, black eyeliner is a classic look, and I for one smother my eyes in it every morning. But whilst I'm a big fan of smudgy, smoky liner, I often wonder if it's a little too much for my face.

Yes it serves a purpose and gives eyes the definition they need, but is it actually flattering? Or am I - and so many others - just stuck in a comfortable-but-boring liner rut? Hmmm.

Luckily, I recently met MAC Cosmetic's Senior Artist Dominic Skinner (who by the way, you need to follow on instagram for lots of cool product newness), and he shared a clever hack that has forever changed my eye makeup game.

The idea is simple, and all you black eyeliner devotees out there are going to love it.

Simply smudge a black pencil along the lashline as normal, but then blend a brown pencil into the hazy smudged-out part.

Why? Well Dominic can explain this way better than I...

"If you smudge out a black eyeliner it tends to look grey, but blending a brown into it gives warmth. Straight away you get a richer smoke around the eyes and this will enhance the colour of the iris more than black alone."

king of the booth

king of the booth

So is it a universally flattering trick?

"Brown is a shade created from every colour in the spectrum. If you mixed them all together, you get brown" says Dominic.

"Think about it, take the three primary colours; red, yellow, and a little bit of blue, mix them together, you get brown. If you start to play with these colour ratios, you'll get browns with different undertones and each of these will enhance different eye colours."

"If you add more blue you get a cooler brown, which will flatter brown eyes, if you add more yellow you get a golden brown which enhances deep blue eyes. Add more red and you'll get a richer brown that will bring out green and turquoise eyes."

Green eyes: MAC Modern Twist Kajal Line in Groundbreaker, £14.50

Blue Eyes: MAC Power Point Eye Pencil in Bountiful Brown, £14.50

Brown eyes: MAC Technakohl Liner in Earthline, £14.50

"Browns are so interesting, the subtle differences within the creation of each one can give you incredibly sparkly eyes, or dull as dishwater eyes. It's a shade that people don't think of as an intelligent colour, but it really is."

So by blending a brown liner into your smudged out black, it gives the definition and smoky finish you want, but with an added richness.

Try it tomorrow, you won't regret it.

Follow Victoria on Instagram.

[contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="12%20reasons%20your%20eyeshadow%20looks%20bad" customimages="" content="article.48863"]

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
More From Makeup