Eyeliner, Loose Pigments, Lip Liner and Brow Shades: Seven Beginner Questions Answered

Eyes, lips and brows are where beginners get stuck most. Here are seven questions we keep seeing, answered with the products we make.

Which Eyeliner Is Easiest for Beginners: Pen or Liquid?

A pen. A felt-tip liquid liner is easier to control than a brush tip, because the tip doesn’t separate and gives a neat line. A pencil is the most forgiving of all, but a pen gives you a sharper line once your hand is steady.

Both our Inked liners are liquid pens. The Glossy Finish Pen Inked Black Eyeliner has a flexible, precise tip and a waterproof, jet black formula. The Inked Liquid Eyeliner with a matte finish sits in the Eyes collection. Draw short dashes along the lash line instead of one long stroke. Resting your elbow on a table keeps lines steady, and liquid liner dries fast, so work in small sections. Glossy Finish Pen Inked Black Eyeliner +2

How Do I Apply Loose Eye Pigments or Glitter Without It Falling All Over My Face?

Do your eyes before the rest of your face. Fallout lands on bare skin, where a damp cotton pad wipes it away. Prime the lid, then add something tacky: a glitter primer, or a dab of clear lip gloss or concealer. 

Press the pigment on with a flat, slightly damp brush. Never use a dry brush for loose pigment. Tap off the excess first, and pat rather than swipe. A dusting of translucent powder under your eyes catches stray specks. 

Our pigments are labelled safe for cosmetic use on the eyes, and we recommend a patch test if your skin is sensitive. Try the Party Guest Eye Pigments, and see Statement Eye Makeup and Bold Colours for looks to try. didibeauty

How Do I Choose a Lip Liner Shade?

Match your lipstick or go one shade deeper. That gives definition without an obvious outline. For everyday wear, one shade deeper than your natural lip colour looks most natural, and deeper skin suits richer browns over pale nudes.

The Pout Power Retractable Lip Liner comes in six shades: Maroon, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Truffle, Rouge and Eggplant. For a nude look, pick the brown closest to your own lips. For a bold lipstick, pick the one in the same family. More help in What Lipstick Shade Suits Every African Skin Tone?

How Do I Keep Lip Liner From Looking Like a Harsh, Dark Ring?

Three things cause the ring: a liner that’s too dark, a liner only on the edge, and no blending. A liner more than two shades darker than your lipstick creates the obvious ring, so stay close in colour.

Then fill the whole lip with liner and apply lipstick over everything so the edges merge. If your liner is deeper, blend the fill with a brush before adding colour. Use light pressure along the edge. More in Lip Liner Is Not Optional Anymore and How to Use Lip Liner, Get the Perfect Nude Lip.

How Do I Pick the Right Brow Pencil Shade So It Doesn’t Look Too Dark?

Choose a shade at or just below your natural brow colour. When you can’t decide between two shades, take the lighter one, and if your hair is very dark brown or black, go one to two shades lighter. Draw three short strokes on the back of your hand to test.

Technique matters as much as shade. Use light, feathery strokes and comb through with a spoolie, and build in thin layers. If you’ve gone too dark, brush through with a clean spoolie and feather a little concealer through the brow. 

The Browgasm Brow Pencil is a single universal shade, so light pressure and the built-in spoolie do the shade-matching for you. The refillable version is Browgasm Refeel in Perfect Brown. didibeauty

What Is the Difference Between a Brow Pencil, a Brow Tint and a Brow Gel?

A pencil fills gaps with hair-like strokes. A gel brushes through your existing hairs to groom, hold and, if tinted, add colour. In the salon sense, a tint is a semi-permanent dye that stains the hairs for weeks.

Our Tinted Fiber Brow Tint is a tinted fibre gel with a creamy formula that thickens brows, so it behaves like a gel, not a dye. Use pencil first, gel on top. Full breakdowns are in Brow Pencil or Brow Tint? and Colourful Lip Combos for Dark Skin, Plus Every Brow Product Explained. 

How Do I Line My Waterline Without Making My Eyes Water or Smudge?

Start with the right liner. Liquid liners and standard pencils aren’t ideal for the waterline, so use a waterproof pencil or gel liner made for it. Our Inked liners are for the lash line, so keep them off the waterline. 

Then dry the waterline and blot any tears first, because product won’t grip a wet surface. Work in short strokes. If your eyes are sensitive, skip the inner corner, where liner can make them water. Let the liner dry for a few seconds before you blink. If your eyes start watering, close them for about ten seconds, blink, and try again. Line the upper waterline rather than the lower, which tends to smudge. 

Stop if anything stings, and take it off gently with our removal guide.

Can I use a lip liner as lipstick?
Yes. Fill the whole lip with a creamy, pigmented liner. Pout Power is creamy and pigmented, so it works well for this. 

Is the Didi Beauty Inked eyeliner waterproof?
The Glossy Finish Pen is a waterproof, jet black eyeliner pen. didibeauty

How often should I replace liquid eyeliner?
About every three months. Our mascara guide covers when to bin your other eye products.

Browse the full Eyes collection and Lips collection.