How to: Re-create rock-chick-style eye liner

Mon, 5 March 2012 12:50PM

In the 1950s and ’60s, liquid liner was all about ultra-glamour, used to elegantly define feline-like eyes, and work back to highly arched eyebrows. But by the late 1970s and 1980s, liquid liner was in the daring hands of the rock-chicks, and used to form the basis of their smoky, smudgy eye makeup. Witness Debbie Harry, here filming her Heart of Glass video:

Inspired to try the retro-rock look? Let’s go …

1. Leaving the rest of the face bare (you might get fall-out from your eye makeup, so it’s best to apply your foundation after your eyes are done), prep your eye area with concealer and a dusting of powder. As this eye look is quite overpowering, you might want to also add a dab of illuminating concealer to the under-eyes – this will give some counter-balancing lightness to the area.

2. Now to your liquid liner … First up, don’t go in too hard/too fast. It’s much better to build the look up. Other words of wisdom: the most effective way to apply liquid liner is to tilt your head upwards a little so you’re looking slightly down at yourself in the mirror; this way you can get in super-close to the lashline, yet you still have a clear enough view of your lid. Okay, ready? Take a liner pen, such as Maybelline New York  EyeStudio Master Precise Eye Liner, $13.95, and etch a line across your upper lashes, working in stages, from the inner upper lashes, to the mid section, to the outer lashes. Once you’ve formed your basic line you can go back and trace right over it, building in thickness and intensity. Now, go out to the outer corner, because it’s time to add liquid liner’s signature flick. To do this, simply draw an extension of the line, directing it up towards the end of the brow. Because we’re going over all of this with eye shadow, don’t fret too much about a perfect outline, as the shadow will nicely blur everything (liquid liner in this look simply works as the foundation for your smoky eye, and to darkly define the edges of the eye). You can also choose to draw your liner along the base of your lower lashes– just make sure that this doesn’t visually close in your eyes too much.

3. Take a slate-hued shadow and brush, and whip yourself up a smoky eye, concentrating the colour towards the outer half of lids, and winging it out as much as you dare. Add some shimmery power to the inner corners and inner upper lid to bring some luminosity into the look. Then, coat top and bottom lashes in volumising mascara.

4. Finally, finish everything else off. Eighties rock-chicks piled on matt foundation, serious blush and bright lipstick … but you can choose to switch to a dewy base and neutral lips for a more modern take.

So, have we inspired you to lure out your inner rock chick with liquid liner?

Or do you prefer a more classic style of liquid liner?

P.s Check out how Ruby Rose does 80s rock chick.

Posted by: PRIMPED

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Tags: '80s makeup, 80s, debbie harry, dramatic eye liner, liquid liner, maybelline, rock chick, smoky eye