How have you noticed that eye liner trends are just completely different in 2025? Now more than 70% of women admit they have problems with application, so you are definitely not the only one if it seems to you perfect liner is something impossible to create. Even experienced makeup artists often have a hard time to draw such perfect, symmetrical wings.
There is no greater time to get your eyeliner right than this year of 2025 when eye makeup is blowing up in the beauty trends. If your hands shake too much, or your wings of eyeliner are smudged, or you just can’t choose between a gel, liquid, or pencil formulation, this guide will solve all of your eyeliner puzzles for life.
Within the next few minutes, you will find out precisely the way you should apply the eyeliner for the shape of your eyes, hear about the new formulas, which will work best for different looks, and learn how to get techniques, which will boost any makeup. We have tested hundreds of products and methods to come up with the most complete guide on eyeliners in 2025.
Why Eyeliner Technique Is Important in 2025
The beauty space has completely changed this year with eyes being the main focus of the trending makeup looks. There is a departure from the previous trends of full-face glam which ruled social media in other years, as statement eyeliner with light base makeup has come into 2025.
Why has eyeliner become so crucial? Three main reasons:
New long-wear formulas that were launched in 2025 call for more accurate application techniques
Eye makeup is therefore the number one trend this year as compared to lip and cheeks
The right way of applying the eyeliner can change the shape of your eyes; making them bigger, lifted, or well defined.
High-definition cell phone cameras on the newest smartphones in 2025 gets every detail of your makeup, making the technique perfect even more important than ever. Did you change your eyeliner routine according to the beauty standards of this year?
Different Types of Eyeliners and the Way to Find the Right One: Pencil, Liquid, Gel, or Pen – What’s the Difference?
Down the makeup aisle in 2025, one can easily feel overwhelmed as there is too much of an eyeliner formats to choose from. All of them have different purposes and produce a specific effect: The formulas in pencil eyeliners have also changed quite a lot in 2025 and new formulas result in a smoother glide and greater pigmentation. They are perfect for soft, smokey looks and smudging along the lash line for diffused look. If you are a beginner at eyeliner, then pencils are easy to correct and forgiving.
Liquid eyeliners create those defined strong and graphic lines which are seen on 2025 runway trends. The most recent formulations have quick-dry technology that prevents transfer to the upper lid, a game-changer for a hooded eye shape. These need a steadier hand but produce the most dramatic, long lasting results.
Gel eyeliners are available in pots and need a separate brush for usage. They give mind blowing color payoff and are perfect for heavy drastic wing look that won’t move with workouts or humidity. The 2025 models have brought in innovative water- proof formulas, which do not leave any smudges for a span of up to 24 hours.
Pen eyeliners merge the accuracy of the liquid with the comfort of the pencil. The felt or brush tips have controlled application; hence, are the easiest to use and, therefore, most convenient for beginners in 2025. New innovations are dual – ended pens which have a variation in the tip thickness for versatility in appearance.
| Finish | Longevity | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Soft, diffused | 4-6 hours | Smokey eyes, beginners |
| Sharp, intense | 8-12 hours | Precise cat-eye, graphic looks |
| Creamy, bold | 12-24 hours | Waterproof wear, dramatic styles |
| Controlled, adjustable | 6-10 hours | Everyday use, beginners |
How to Prep Before You Apply Eyeliner to Your Eyes
The perfection of applying eyeliner isn’t solely dependent on your technique but with the perfect preparation as well. This step is often neglected but it’s an aspect of what makes amateur application differ from professional looking results.
First, ensure that you clean your eyelids properly and dry them. Any oils from nature or any remaining makeup will cause even the best eyeliner to skip and smear. Apply a mild micellar water with cotton pad and tap dry rather than rub the eyelids.
Next, use a special eyeshadow primer intended for the sensitive area of the eyelids. The latest 2025 primers not only do not allow creasing and smudging, but they also come with skin-loving ingredients to prevent your eyelids from any irritation that may result from liner pigments.
To further create a velvety canvas, lightly poweder your primed eyes with a translucent setting powder. This gives the ideal surface for your eyeliner to glide on without hanging or skipping.
If you have a problem with redness or discoloration in your eyelids, use a little bit of concealer before the primer to fix such a problem. Pick a concealer that dries out all the way to the bottom because you don’t want your eyeliner to run in it.
Ever tried putting eyeliner once your lids have been properly primed? Such a divergence between the ease of application and durability is especially outstanding.
How to Apply Eyeliner Step by Step.
Step 1 – Place your hand to support its stability.
The basis of a perfect application of eyeliner is a correct hand position. Put your elbow on any flat surface and press the pinky finger against your cheek giving you a stable base. This technique, followed by professional makeup artists, reduces the hand tremors and provides you adequate control.
Step 2 – Trace a base line close to the lash line.
First, draw a thin line on your lash line as close to your lash line as it possible. Instead of making one continuous line (that usually ends up leading to mistakes) use small and connected dashes. Start from the middle of your eye and move outwards then do it the other way round. Return back to the middle and move and end up in the inner corner.
Step 3 – Make the Wing or Tail
If you want to have the perfect wing, look directly into the mirror while open-eyed. Put a dot where you think you’ll stop your wing. The 2025 trend is inclined towards slightly elongated and straight wings as compared to drastically curved wings that were popular in the past years. The wing should continue upwards with the natural curvature of lower lash line.
Step 4 – Connect the wing to the base.
Extend a line from wing tip back to the line that you drew along your lash line. Fill in the empty space for a solid wing. For 2025 cool graphic liner looks, do not forget to leave negative space for the wing for more artistic influences.
Step 5 –Clean up and Set with Powder
Use a precision cotton swab dipped into micellar water or makeup remover to sharpen edges and correct the messes. To perfect the final technique for the ultimate 2025 design, you could end by slightly powdering translucent powder over and under your liner with a small brush to avoid transfer and increase the duration.
- Make your hand stable by resting your pinky on your cheek
- Create a thin base-line, using small, and connected dashes
- Align your wing tip to put a dot while staring ahead
- Attach the wing to your base line and fill in, if you wish
- The area round the eyes: clean the sides with a micellar water on a precision cotton swap
- Set your liner with a slight dap of translucent powder.
What is the step that you normally miss? Steps 1 and 5 are often neglected by people, though these are what will give you professional-looking results!
Best Eyeliner Techniques for Different Eye Shapes
Almond Eyes
If you are lucky to have almond-shaped eyes, define that natural angle of their’s by extending your wing parallel to the upward angle of your lower lash line. The trend 2025 for almond eyes implies a medium-thick line with thickening to outer corner.
- Concentrate in lengthening the outer third of the eye.
- Use a very thin or anything but a corner liner on the inner corner.
- Stick to the creation of a natural eye angle for the most enhancing wing.
Hooded Eyes
Hooded eyes need a special approach as standard applicating works with liner tend to fade away when you open your eyes. The 2025 approach for hooded eyes involves:
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- Making the wing while having an open eye for visibility purposes.
- Using a skinny line on the lash line to create maximum space on the lid
Thinking of “batwing liner” where the formation of the wing is a little above your crease.
Tightlining (pushing liner to upper waterline) for the definition without eating into lid space
Round Eyes
Elongating the shape of round eyes to make it more almond in shape is the objective.
- Extend your wing outward rather than upward
- Leave the inner side of your eye liner free
- Thin the line gradually; beginning in the center of and radiating out of the eye
- Replace lower liner entirely by leaving it to the last third only.
Monolids
Monolid eyeliner technique has emerged as one of the most-searched beauty tutorials of 2025, the tricks that play along, not against this eye shape:
- Build a straighter instead of an upturned wing.
- Use a little thicker line that is seen when your eyes are open.
- Think of the latest 2025 “floating liner” method that is just above the lash line
- Experiment with double-liner techniques that create dimension
Small Eyes
If you ever want to take a small eye and make it seem bigger (big thing in 2025):
- Make sure that your liner is ultra-thin, especially in the inner corners.
- Substitute your waterline with the flesh-toned liner instead of black one.
- Focus definition on the outer third only
- Extend your wing outward rather than upward
Eyeliner Trends to follow in 2025
This year, the most creative eyeliner trends we’ve seen in the last decades are introduced. If you are in a mood to experiment, then try these 2025 liner looks:
Graphic colorblock liner will blend two contrasting colors (à la the oh-so-trendy cobalt blue with tangerine orange) for an artistic look that’s taking trends by storm on social media. This look has clean lines and geometric shapes that go out of wing territory.
Double winged eye make gives a double line parallel and provides a multi-dimensional effect. The 2025 version has a negative space between the wings, which may be filled with complementary color or glitter.
Floating crease eyeliner is an eyeliner applied not on a lash line but a little higher, above the natural crease, bringing an optical illusion which is also quite wearable to everyday.
The metallic and dimensional finishes have taken over the matte black as the preferred texture. Silver, bronze, and multidimensional glitter liners that change colors in varying light are in trend in 2025.
Would you be brave enough to wear a glitter eyeliner look this season. Adding even just a little bit of glimmer to your classic wing can give a whole new update to your makeup routine!
Common Eyeliner Mistakes to Avoid
Shaky Lines
The most frequent eyeliner complaint is the implausible application, and the wobbly lines. Apart from this earlier hand stabilizing maneuver, there is this 2025 pro tip to try: use close strokes, as opposed to drawing one single line. Also, breathe out slowly as you draw your line to enable an automatic stabilization of your hand.
Uneven Wings
It is certainly frustrating when you manage to perfectly apply the eyeliner to one eye and then start wrestling on how to do it to the second eye. The 2025 solution? Start with your dominant side second. When you work from your non-dominant side, you make a less than perfect wing, that is, easier to match, instead of trying to imitate it perfectly.
Smudging Too Soon
The new eyeliners of 2025 dry down more quickly, but not fast enough that folks do not open their eyes wide or apply mascara right away. Allow your liner at least 30 seconds to set — set a timer if you need to!
Use of the Inappropriate Product for Your Eye Type
Gel liner on oily lids or liquid liner on the mature lids can result in unsatisfactory results. The 2025 approach assumes that the eye type should dictate the choice of products:
- Oily lids: Choose waterproof formulas and always use primer
- Mature or textured lids: Choose pencils or hybrids of pencil and gel that will not pull at skin.
- Sensitive eyes: Look for hypoallergenic and ophthalmologist-tested formulas
Top 5 Eyeliner Follies and How to Fix Them:
- Pushing your eyelid while using a liner – Stretching of the skin causes uneven liner application after being released. Fix: Keep your eye relaxed and use short strokes instead
- If you apply only the creme colour along the top lid completely – this can shrink the eyes. Fix: Leave the center lot of the top lid bare for a more open eyed look
- Making a wing that is too high – this may lead to an unnatural look. Fix: Spread your wings out along the lower lash line and then sweep up
- Over-pressing with pencil liners – They create skipping and tugging. Fix: Warm up the tip of the pencil in-between your fingers or use the side of the pencil instead of the point
- Using old, dried-out products – This results in flaking and application which is not even. Fix: Liquids and gels need changing every 3-6 months; pencils will last a year if sharpened.
Below is an outline of how to remove eyeliner without hurting the skin:
Award-worthy take-off is as crucial as application but especially with this year’s long-wear formulas that are meant to withstand anything. Pulling at the sensitive eye region can lead to fast aging and adding irritation to it.
Begin with an eye makeup remover that is specifically meant for your line, but designed to take it out. Micellar water is enough for the regular liners, while the oil-based removers are efficient for the waterproof formulas. The progressive 2025 balm-to-oil removers can exceptionally dissolve hard pigments.
His or her remover of choice should saturate a cotton pad, and it should be pressed against a closed eyelid for 20-30 seconds. This gives the product enough time to dissolve the eyeliner before you begin to wipe. Then sweep lightly away from the nose to the temple – never in and out.
For tenacious liner that just won’t move, apply remover with a clean cotton swab to areas in particular and not the whole eye design. This comes in handy when one is only trying to correct an error.
Always make sure you follow makeup removal with a gentle eye-specific cleanser in order to remove any remains of makeup or remover, which could irritate or cause styes if allowed to stay behind. For 2025, the top eye cleansers include soothing chamomile and cucumber to calm the eyes’ delicate zones.
Finish with a lightweight eye cream. The 2025 formulations contain peptides to reinforce the barrier of the skin that is essential if you are putting on eyeliner and removing it every day.
Wrapping Up: Your Perfect Eyeliner Journey
After examining it throughout the guide, we have concluded that achieving perfection in your eyeliner in 2025 depends on your selection of the right product for your eye makeup, preparation, and applying tricks that will fit your own face shape. Given the new eye makeup take center stage in this year’s beauty trends, being on top of your liner game attains a rewarding experience.
Remember these key takeaways:
- Select your eyeliner format depending on your level of capability and appearance you want to achieve.
- Always do eye prep- it is the cornerstone to a lasting makeup.
- Customize your technique to go with your distinct eye shape.
- Breathe a fresh air into your makeup routine by playing around with 2025’s top trends.
- Practice is required — even makeup artists had to practice in order to become good at their profession.
Most of all, do not be shy about playing and experimenting. The artistic value of makeup in 2025 rests on a creative star and not on a parade of rules.
What is the most exciting eyeliner style that you would want to try in 2025? Have you already mastered the double-wing trend? Show us your go-to eyeliner look or ask your questions in the comments down below!
