Obsessed With This Floating Liner Look For 2020
Source: Pascal Le Segretain/ Getty Images
Floating liner paired with fluttery lashes is the makeup trend MUAs and beauty lovers are obsessing over RN. In fact, we’re crowning it the look of the year – it’s edgy, experimental, and unpredictable: a far cry from the lash-hugging liner we’re accustomed to! Plus, it’s the ideal trend for 2020, seeing as wearing face masks in public is basically essential, this look is ALL about accentuating the eyes.
Unsure of how to add this unconventional trend to your makeup repertoire? Don’t worry, we’ve got all the makeup tips and product recos to help you achieve the look at home.
The Trend
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Graphic liner has been a reoccurring trend for years, but now we’re seeing a fresh variation on our social media feeds: floating liner, favored by celebs and beauty bloggers alike.
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Celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes, who works with supermodels Ashley Graham and Hailey Bieber, refers to it as the “floating crease.” She recently told Refinery29, “It’s this graphic, Twiggy-like line between your lash line and brow.” She notes that, “It’s different from a cut crease in the way that it’s graphic and simple, rather than heavily blended and layered.” The ultimate finishing touch to this look is, of course, sexy dramatic lashes to draw more attention to the eye.
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As you’d expect with any trend, makeup artists are adding their own flavor to the lewk. Take note: don’t be afraid to experiment with line thickness, length, or color. It doesn’t even need to be symmetrical when it comes to line placement, there are no rules – have fun and be bold! You’ll also notice many MUAs using floating liner to accent their everyday wing or stacking it above their feline flick for a modern geometric vibe. We’re obsessed!
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Now you’re familiar with the trend. Here’s how to get the look…
3 Steps to Perfecting Your Liner Look
1. Prime & Prep
When creating a floating liner look, priming the eye is essential – smudging is not a good look! Use an eyeshadow primer like the Urban Decay Primer Potion Tube Original, $24, or create a blank canvas by concealing the lid and mattifying with a setting powder like the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Powder, $34.
Once the lid is primed, assess your canvas! Point your chin up towards the mirror with your eyes looking down so you have a clear view of the lid and socket. If you have hooded eyes, MUA Katie Hughes advises looking directly at the mirror to get an accurate depiction of your lid-scape!
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2. Find the Perfect Liner Formula
The fundamental component of the look is, of course, the liner. It’s super important to find a long-lasting formula – a look this bold needs to remain fierce, not fade! As for the application tool, it’s important to find a tool that works for you, however, it needs to be precise – an ink pen liner or a liquid liner both work well for this look. MUA Katie Hughes opts for a sharp pencil, “I like to use a freshly sharpened pencil and etch the line bit by bit, then use a pointy cotton swab to clean it up.” Which is definitely a great tip for beginners.
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Liners we Love:
Huda Beauty Life Liner Duo Pencil & Liquid Eyeliner, $25: This dual-ended liner (one pencil and one liquid liner) is ideal as the formula is smudge-proof, waterproof, and life-proof. Plus, the liquid liner application brush is super fine so can you easily experiment with tiny lines or easily build up the thickness of your floating liner look. The liquid liner pigment is really intense and mattifies for an edgy finish. We like to use the pencil liner to etch the shape like Katie, then intensify with the liquid formula for a look that lasts all day (and night)!
Ben Nye Cake Eye Liner, $10 (7 shades available): Water-activated cake liner formulas are a great option and a fave among MUAs. When you mix the powder pigment with water, it transforms into a creamy, liquid formula that’s ideal for creative liner looks. It also allows for a very artistic experience as it’s a bit like watercolor paints: simply dip a wet detailing brush, like the e.l.f. Precision Eyeliner Brush, $6, into the shadow and get lining. Although bear in mind, the formula is smudge-proof, not waterproof.
Huda Beauty Matte and Metal Melted Shadows, $25: If we’re opting for a colored liner, we love to use the matte formula with a thin brush like the Morphe M250-1- Detail Liner Brush, $5. The liquid shadow is creamy, easy to work with, waterproof, and dries down matte helping you slay a bold look. It also has a metallic formula at the other end with a fine-tipped brush, which is super easy for adding detail to your floating liner look.
3. Finish with Fluttery Lashes
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Wispy lashes are the essential finishing touch to a floating liner look, and a powerful mascara is all you need to bring the drama. Our go-to is the new Huda Beauty LEGIT Lashes Double-Ended Mascara, $27, which features two different wands with two formulas: Curl & Length and Volume. This means you can customize your lashes and layer the formulas to create all kinds of different lash looks, from sexy, wispy lashes to major volume. Add drama on the lower lashes for an edgy finish.
What do you guys think of this trend? Let us know in the comments below.
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