Forget that upper eye lid flick you’ve spent the last four years perfecting because lower lid liner is making a come back, in a big way. And it's all thanks to the revival of '90s grunge. From Kurt Cobain wannabes gracing the cover of NME to Alice Dellal as the face of Chanel, its all about trying really hard to not look like you’ve tried really hard, and chasing that elusive dream of being naturally cool. Even the models at Karl Lagerfield's Chanel Cruise show in Singapore this weekend were sporting some bright cobalt blue under eye decoration. And it looked dreamy.
But if you’re not in a band and you don’t have a make up artist on tap then never fear because we’ve gathered some top tips from industry wunderkind Daniel Sandler (who’s most recently been spotted giving Made In Chelsea star turned beauty blogger Binky Felstead a makeover) and Dixie O’Connor-McCarthy, a Clarins skincare specialist and make-up artist.
So embrace lower liner with confidence ladies - you’re in safe hands, because we’ve assembled their advice to give you the ultimate low down on the new look...
Step 1: Choose your weapon
Everyone’s got their favourite type of eyeliner, whether it’s a pencil, a gel or a liquid liner, and you can use them all to get the on trend liner look. Pencils or brushes, just make sure you choose the one you find easiest to work with.
Pencils: Smudge a classic black kohl on the lower lash line or blend bronze powder eyeliner under the eyes. Benefit’s BADgal liner is great because it’s soft and easy the blend.
Liquid Liners: Use a liquid liner that comes with a brush or a fibre tip liner. Nars Eyeliner Stylo is perfect for that bold, graphic look.
Step 2: Choose Your Colour
This is the fun part. Graphic shaped eyeliner is very on trend at the moment in a variety of colours, Marios Schwab did well with a graphic line set below the lashes. You can also experiment with bright colours like turquoise (as seen at Stella McCartney) and pink, which is set to be the hottest hue for summer (as seen at Donna Karan).
Black: As always, black is the new black and it works brilliantly with the SS13 fluoro trends. If you want to keep it neutral, stick to black.
Brown: Go brown for that softly smudged look, a la Keira Knightley.
Brighter colours: Add a pop of colour to the eye with aqua marines, greens or blues, to give it that modern twist. Plus, coloured liners will enhance the tan and bring out your summer holiday skin. (Sounds like a win win situation to us.)
Step 3: Find What Works For You
The tricky part made easy – just make sure you pick the look that’s best suited to your eye shape.
For small eyes: Avoid making the line too thick because it will make your eyes appear smaller. To make the eye appear larger line the waterline with a white or cream coloured pencil.
For big, round eyes: You don't want to make the liner too thick, as that will make the eye look rounder. Apply a line from the inner to the outer corner, following the shape of the eye, then go back and make the line thicker at the outer corner, from the outer edge to the middle of the iris.
**For eyes that droop a little: **Do the line from the outer to the inner corner, taking the liner up and out at the outer corner.
Step 4: The Final Touches
Don’t make the mistake of over doing it or you’ll look like you’re thirteen and have just discovered your mum’s make up. And whatever you do don’t use eye cream under the liner or fast forward an hour and you’ll resemble a panda.
The Lips: If you're wearing black you can use a bold lipstain. Bright orange, bright red or bright fuchsia all work really well with black. For coloured eyeliner, use a nude on the lips.
**The Upper Eye: **If you're going to go for a statement eye then keep the focus on the lower lid. Keep the lid entirely bare and use a matt, flesh tone eye shadow and then put a dark grey or brown in the socket.
The Mascara: Always finish off the look with mascara on the lower lashes. If you have really long lashes then just apply mascara to the roots, but keep mascara to a minimum because otherwise it will make it look dolly and it will take away from the look you're trying to achieve. You've got to make sure the focus is on the lower eyeliner.
The Brows: Fill them in and bingo. You’re Cara Delevingne.