Once your eye area is prepped and primed, it's important to choose a high-quality eyeliner formulation. Harris told Real Simple recommends fast-drying liquid liners or cake liners applied with a damp, flat-edged eyeliner brush. Allure suggests using a waterproof formula, especially for those of us with oilier skin, while Keeley told Refinery29 that she almost always uses gel liners that are more resistant to water, sweat, and heat.
After choosing your formula, it's safe to say the layering technique is a makeup artist-fave for preventing smudging. Stylecraze points out that the technique is simple: You just have to apply your eyeliner, softly smudge it with a brush or cotton swab, and then reapply. Celebrity makeup artist Kathy Jeung shared a similar trick with Byrdie, suggesting following up your eyeliner application with a dust of matte translucent powder, then drawing a second coat of eyeliner to set.
OK, so now your eyeliner is perfectly drawn — now what? All that's left is proper setting for maximum staying power. The options are endless: Harris said she uses a clear makeup sealer to fight humidity. Other suggestions? Keeley noted she presses eyeshadow over eyeliner to stop transfer, and Byrdie recommends a simple setting spray.
With all of these makeup artist-approved tricks, your eyeliner is sure to stay put for hours at a time, giving you the perfect smokey eye you've been dreaming of.
