Would You Rock Guyliner? Our Guide to Eye Makeup for Men

Backstage at a high school theater production—the place where many of us really discover eye makeup for the first magical time. We remember student actors spending hours in front of the mirror, batting their newly defined lashes in wonder, and suddenly understanding the power of makeup. There was an era, not so long ago, when offstage liner was socially acceptable only for the female half of the cast. But it’s 2013, and we aren’t in high school anymore.

We say: why let the ladies have all the fun? At Beautylish, we believe that everyone has the right to experiment with makeup. And anyway, rockstars have been doing the guyliner thing for decades! After taking an informal poll of the guys we know, the consensus seemed to be that more and more men are hopping on the eye-makeup train.

Here are our product recs and tips for subtle “is-he-or-isn’t-he?” definition.

The Tools
Men produce more sweat than women, so a waterproof formula is even more crucial for maintaining your cool. And since most guys won’t want to deal with gel liners, we rounded up our favorite waterproof pencils for quick and easy lining. We recommend a black or brown, depending on how much definition you are looking for (black will look more dramatic, and brown more natural).

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes: You can go swimming in this little miracle!
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil: Extra creamy and easy to use.
Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner: This little guy comes with a smudger on the other end for a hint of Johnny Depp smolder.

The Tricks
If you’re going for a natural look, try lining just the upper waterline. This will give the effect of a thicker lash line, and you won’t be able to see the actual product on your eye. Put your index finger on your eyelid and gently pull up. The area between your lashes and eyeball is where you want the product to go (it sounds scarier than it is!). Use a sharpened (but not too pointy) tip and gently line the area. Practice makes perfect!

If you want to go for that Adam Lambert pop star vibe (and why shouldn’t you?!), go ahead and draw a line above your lashes, following the lash line closely.

With a brush, Q-tip, or your finger, smudge the line into the lashes until you get that smoky look. Be sure to smudge immediately after applying, since waterproof formulas dry very quickly. Now repeat the process for the lower eyelid, and for extra drama, line the lower waterline too!

Go full throttle— more smudging!

Apply more liner and smudge on to lids and under eye.

So Beautylish community, what do you think about guyliner? Tell us below!