Even 20 coats of mascara won’t define eyes and lashes quite like the little trick known as tightlining. “It really opens up the eye and makes them pop,” says celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose of the eye-lining technique that deposits pigment along the inner rim of the upper lids. While tightlining may appear nearly invisible on first glance, “it closes up the space between lashes and eyeliner, so your lashes naturally look thicker and darker at the base,” Barose says.
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The steps to creating a tightlined look are pretty straightforward. First, curl lashes so they’re lifted, allowing you to see the upper waterline clearly. Barose recommends then swiping a cotton swab over the waterline to make sure the area is really dry.
Select a waterproof, long–wear eyeliner from your kit. (We love Smashbox Ever Sharp, $20; smashbox.com, which never dulls thanks to a built-in sharpener inside the cap.) Next, use your finger to slightly lift your lid so you can nestle the pencil in close to the root of the lashes. Gently draw the liner along the upper waterline. Finish the look with two coats of mascara, making sure to wiggle it close to the base so lashes appear full and dense. Finis!