Should Women Over 40 Wear Eyeliner on the Lower Waterline?

by Linda B
(NJ)

Should you apply eyeliner to the lower waterline after 40?

Applying Eyeliner to Lower Eyelid Waterline.

Do you apply bottom liner on the waterline or below it? I was told it's not a good idea to do that.

I don't really have bags, but I do have some dark circles under my eyes. Think I can get away with it?

Editor's Note:

Hi Linda,

Great question! And yes, I think you can wear lower eyeliner even if you have dark circles. It's really about where you place it and how much you use.

Personally, I like a little definition along the outer third of my lower lashes. I find that lining the entire lower eye can make my eyes look smaller, especially now that I'm older.

Is eyeliner on the waterline a bad idea?

Not necessarily for everyone, but there are some things to consider.

Applying eyeliner directly to the waterline can cause irritation, interfere with the eye's natural tear film, or transfer makeup into your eyes.

If you wear contact lenses or have sensitive or dry eyes, it's generally better to keep eyeliner just outside the lash line.

And you don't need to line your waterline to get nicely defined eyes!

Here's what works for me

I like using a soft pencil or gel eyeliner and applying just a little color near the outer corner of my lower lashes.

I keep the line thin and stop before reaching the inner corner. On my eyes, this gives me definition without making them look smaller or drawing more attention to the under-eye area.

And because you mentioned dark circles, I also like using a small amount of brightening concealer under my eyes before applying my eyeliner.

Sometimes a softer brown or bronze eyeliner looks more natural than a heavy black line, too.

Want to see exactly how I apply my eyeliner?

I've put together a step-by-step eyeliner tutorial for women over 40, with pictures showing my upper and lower eyeliner techniques, where I place the color, and the products I use on my own mature eyes.

You'll also see how I apply eyeliner when my vision isn't perfect or I need a little extra control.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Linda Robison