Eyeliner has the ability to work wonders for your look. It can enhance the natural color of your eyes and even change their entire shape. It can be a soft and pretty touch for a day out with friends or a glamorous and sophisticated statement for a night out on the town.

There are endless types of eyeliner that come in different colors and textures, which makes the selection process potentially daunting.

It doesn’t have to be, though. Follow these helpful tips and you’ll know exactly how to choose the right eyeliner, just for you.

Beginner Basics

Applying eyeliner can be very complicated business, so if you’re just starting out, you’re going to want to opt for something easy and virtually foolproof like a pencil liner. Pencil liners, like Bloom Cosmetics’ Eye Definer, are ideal for those without the surgeon-like precision and unwavering hands of eyeliner aficionados. They are easy to apply, leave room for mistakes and don’t make a mess. Once you’ve perfected the pencil, you can graduate to the more complicated liquid eyeliner. Liquid eyeliner requires a decent amount of application skill (and a very steady hand), but if you practice hard enough, you’ll get the hang of it in no time.

Skin Tone

The wrong shade of eyeliner can bring out the worst in your skin tone, so it’s important to know what works best with the other facial features you’re working with. If you have fair skin, you’re going to want to steer clear of black eyeliner (especially liquid). It will cause your skin to look harsh, putting you in the danger zone of appearing older than you are (and not in a good way). Instead, go with a brown gel or powder eyeliner, like Dermalogica’s Cake Eyeliner, to create a softer look. But if your skin is medium- to dark-toned, black eyeliner will benefit you and will even help make your eyes really stand out. Which brings us to our next topic …

Enhancing Your Natural Eye Color

When it comes to eyeliner and eye color, the trick for making the color of those peepers pop is the use of contrasting shades. If you have blue eyes, for instance, you’ll want to contrast the blue with a copper-toned liner.The contrast will intensify the natural blue of your eyes. To be certain exactly which colors contrast each other, the use of a color wheel is recommended. Simply locate your natural eye color on the wheel and look for the color on the opposite side. That color will be the eyeliner shade to enhance the natural beauty of your eyes!

From Casual to Glamorous

The right eyeliner can turn a casual gal into a glamorous vixen in seconds, and vice versa! It all depends on what look you’re in the mood for. If you’re going for a laid back, daytime look, opt for a soft pencil line (remember to choose the right color for your skin tone!) along the outer half of your upper and lower lids. This will make your eyes subtly pop without appearing too dramatic or harsh. If you’re going for a more sultry, nighttime look, you’ll want something more intense. Draw a heavier pencil line along the top lid and a lighter line along the bottom lid, meeting at the outer corner of the eye. Then, take your liquid liner (hopefully you’ve been practicing!) and trace over the top line. This will make your eyes, and you, really stand out!