Eyeliner after Mascara? A Quick Tip for the Liner-Impaired

Mascara then liner?  It works!

I mentioned in my last post that I spent the last week taking various day trips and generally just goofing off around the greater NY-metro area.

We aren't able to take a proper vacation this summer, but these little "stay-cations" are a really fun, budget-friendly way to make up for that fact. I had a ton of fun this week and didn't have to deal with any of the hassles of traveling. 

Okay, that's the end of my stay-cation pimping, I swear.

Since I actually had to be ready to leave the house at specific times all week, I found myself rushing through my makeup routine quite a few times.  One morning, I was in such a hurry that I only realized after I'd put on my mascara that I'd forgotten eyeliner.

Now, I should probably confess here and now that I am seriously eyeliner-challenged. I've been applying makeup for more than half my life and I am still ridiculously spastic when it comes to liner.

Liquid liner is pretty much impossible, but gel, cream and pencil liners can be a challenge too.  No matter what I do, I wind up with a line that's uneven, crooked or just thicker than I want. 

Most days, I have to smudge to make my mistakes a little less obvious.

Well, this past week, when I wound up applying my liner after mascara, I finally got it right. 

I don't know if it's because the mascara darkens my lashes so I have an easier time getting super close to them with the liner or because I realize that I don't necessarily have to take the liner all the way to the inner corner since I don't really have too many lashes there, but applying eyeliner after mascara seems to make all the difference.

I was using a pencil liner that first morning, but since then I've tried it with every type that I own.  I nearly wept the other night when I lined my eyes perfectly with a liquid liner for the first time in my life. 

Yeah, it's the little things in life that make me happy.

So from now on, I'm always going to go mascara first, liner last. 

If you have a problem applying liner, you might want to give it a try - and if you do, leave a comment below to let me know how it works.

What's your favorite unconventional makeup tip?