Unless you’re going for a dramatic evening look, you may wish to keep your eyeshadow subtle when you use it in combination with a winged liner.
Start from the inner corner of your eye and work toward the outer corner. Stop at the end of your lash line. The line does not need to be especially neat at this point, even though it should be thin. You will end up going over the line again, so a little roughness will not make much difference at this point. Keep your eyelid as flat as possible while doing this. If necessary, tilt your head back and just barely keep your eye cracked open as you apply the liner. Use the pinky finger of your non-dominant hand to hold your eyelid taut while you apply the liner. Instead of trying to apply the liner in one continuous line, draw a series of dashes. It is much easier to apply this way.
The line will extend diagonally up and out. If you have a hooded eyelid, you may need to angle the wing more outward than upward to avoid the hooded part of your lid. To get the right angle for your wing, visually trace a line from the outer edge of your nostril to the outer corner of your eyebrow.
Before you start, make sure you have a mirror around. Also make sure your elbow or arm is on a stable surface. This allows for more control over creating your wing! Begin at the very tip of the eyeliner line drawn above your upper lash line. Draw a diagonal line roughly 45 degrees out and up. The line should be heading in the general direction of the end of your eyebrow. The length of the wing is up to you. A subtler winged eyeliner look should have a short line at this point, but a more dramatic one can extend up to just below your brow bone. Never extend it all the way up to the eyebrow itself.
Keep the eye closed as you do this. Watch with the eye you are not currently working on. Put the pointer finger of your non-dominant hand on your brow bone. Pull the upper lid slightly upward to keep it taut. Draw the wing lines using your dominant hand.
This does not have to be especially thorough if you plan on tracing over the pencil eyeliner with liquid liner later on. Fill in the eyeliner as close to the eyelashes as possible to avoid gaps of skin peeking through. The idea is to blend your eyelashes into the eyeliner.
The eyeliner should be its thinnest at the innermost corner, but it should appear as though it is gradually getting thinner in this direction.
For further guidance, the tape should line up from the nose to the outside corner of your eye, finally ending toward the tip of your brow. You should only have the tape extend from the corner of your eye to the brow, though, if possible. If you want a subtler, less angled wing, apply the tape at a slightly more outward angle instead a more upward angle. Make sure that the tape is pressed against your skin well so that no liner bleeds through as you apply it. If your skin is too sensitive to use tape on, hold a credit card or other small, straight-edged object against your skin at the same angle.
Start from the inner corner of your eye and work toward the outer corner. The line does not need to be especially neat at this point since you will go over the line again. While a little roughness will not make much difference at this point, though, you should avoid making the line too thick since doing so will make the end result look chunkier and unpleasantly thick. Keep your eyelid as flat as possible while doing this. If you have trouble doing this with your face forward, tilt your head back and just barely keep your eye cracked open as you apply the liner.
Do not be afraid to get a little eyeliner on the tape. If you stuck it on securely enough, the liner should not bleed through. This is especially true if you are using a light pencil liner. Carefully remove the tape when done.
Do not start at the top tip of the wing. For aesthetic purposes, this part should be left as a fine point. The outer part of the wing should come in at a curve. Most of the eyeliner should follow the natural shape of your eye, but the liner should be a little thicker toward the outer corner of the upper lash line and as thin as possible toward the inner corner.
By double-layering the eyeliner like this, you allow yourself more control over the shape. This creates a darker, more convincing wing shape. Rest the elbow of your working hand on the table or counter. Doing this will help steady your hands as you apply the liner. Make sure that you press the eyeliner wand or pen as close to the lash line as possible to prevent gaps between the eyelashes and eyeliner. Apply the liquid eyeliner in continuous, fluid strokes.
In a pinch, you could also use a cotton swab to erase mistakes. A pointed cotton swab can be more effective in cleaning up mistakes than a round swab. You can also use concealer to mask over any mistakes. Use your fingers, a brush, or a cotton swab and gently apply the concealer over any mistakes or unclean edges.
If you do accidentally smudge a little of the liner, however, you can simply clean up the smear with a cotton swab soaked in makeup remover.
