While everyone on Instagram has entrusted the eyes to the drama of reverse cat-eye flicks, fishtail-shaped eyeliner, and show-stopping looks galore, turning the lids into a canvas for experimentation is not the way to start your foray into the field. If you find yourself struggling to recreate the looks, it’s time to take a step back and start right from the beginning. And that’s why learning how to ace the simple eyeliner styles is the first on the list. Ahead — 25 of the prettiest, no-effort looks to take cues from along with the finest eye makeup products.
Simple Eyeliner Styles For Beginners
Creating flawless simple eyeliner designs can feel daunting for beginners, but with the right approach, it becomes an exciting way to enhance your eyes. From subtle flicks to playful graphic lines, there’s a simple eyeliner design for every mood and occasion. These designs not only elevate your look but are also surprisingly easy to master with a steady hand and a touch of creativity.
Let’s explore 25 effortless designs to perfect your eyeliner game!
1. Classic Winged Eyeliner
credits: pinterest.com
Classic winged eyeliner is one of the most popular simple eyeliner designs for beginners. It involves drawing a thin line along your lash line and extending it outward for a subtle flick. This look works for all eye shapes and adds elegance to everyday makeup. Ensure the wing is symmetrical for a polished finish.
2. Basic Flick Eyeliner
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This simple eyeliner design involves drawing a clean, thin line along your upper lash line. It enhances the eyes naturally without appearing dramatic. Beginners can use this as a daily look or pair it with mascara for subtle definition.
3. Cat-Eye Eyeliner
Credit: Pinterest
Complement your classic cat-eye flick with a stroke of black sprouting out from the waterline — extending upward toward the wing. It’s a simple eyeliner design that suits most eye shapes, adding a sultry yet approachable look. Start with small strokes for precise control.
4. Double-wing eyeliner
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The double-wing eyeliner adds a second wing parallel to the original one, creating a trendy look. This simple eyeliner design is perfect for those who want to experiment without it becoming overwhelming. Pair with minimal eyeshadow for a standout style.
5. Smokey Liner
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This simple eyeliner design involves smudging the gel eyeliner along the lash line for a soft, smoky effect. It’s ideal for beginners who prefer a more forgiving, blended look. Use a pencil liner for easy application.
6. Rhinestones Eyeliner
Don’t let the intensity of this look fool you. After you’re done drawing your flicks, add some rhinestones along the lid with some lash glue. Draw a soft wing on the waterline too — as in the previous look — and throw in a couple of those embellishments to amp up your look instantly.
CRedit: Pinterest
7. Floating Eyeliner
Just draw a line above the crease of your lids like Gigi for a hassle-free, celeb-approved look. You can vary the colour depending on your preference. It’s an easy and artistic way to highlight your eyes. Beginners can start with neutral colours for subtlety.
8. Thin Flick Eyeliner
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The thin flick eyeliner is a minimal version of the winged liner. It’s perfect for a clean, sharp look without dramatic flair. This simple eyeliner design is ideal for everyday wear, focusing on precision.
9. Natural Tightline Eyeliner
For a really, really simple look, you can run a metallic shade of blue along the lash line like Ananya has. While the result is a barely-there pop of colour, it adds a little personality to your look. The tight-line eyeliner is one of the most discreet simple eyeliner designs. It involves lining the waterline under the upper lashes for a natural, fuller lash effect. It’s subtle and perfect for beginners.
10. Inner corner eyeliner
Highlight the inner corners of the eyes with a sunset-like orange. Leave the rest of the eyes bare. You don’t want to overdo anything.
11. Neon Eyeliner
For anyone who prefers a stroke to a wing, Deepika’s look is a masterclass in pulling off the simplicity of the aesthetic with glamour. Just trace a pink-coloured eyeliner along the lids, and that’s it.
12. Pink Eyeliner With Shimmery Shadow
Frame your classic cat-eye flicks with a pop of pink. You can set the base of the look with a sheer, see-through veil of pink eyeshadow as demonstrated in this look.
13. Graphic Line Eyeliner
Try using a poppy, or neon green in place of your-black flicks. Got a concert coming up? Bookmark this one RN. Stick to clean lines for a defined look.
14. Lilac Liner
Opt for a lilac-hued eyeliner to complete your soft-glam aesthetic. A jet-black flick can make your look a little jarring. This colour will soften it up.
15. Chrome Pink Liner
The under-eye is a canvas unto itself. Try running a glitter-studded purple under the eyes before stepping out of the house. This one’s dramatic yet simple easy eyeliner style.
16. Flick Eyeliner
While Gigi’s look is similar to this one, the positioning of the flicks is different. This one’s more toward the outer corners, and it’s angled downward. You can wear this independently or with your classic cat-eye flicks.
17. Graphic Blue Liner
Go all in with the under-eye drama with a heavy-handed flick of blue like Kriti. Make sure you’re extending it into the inner and outer corners of the eye.
18. Negative Space Eyeliner
The negative space eyeliner skips a section of the lash line to create a unique break. This simple eyeliner design is bold yet easy to achieve for beginners with steady hands.
19. Tighligned Liner With A Subtle Flick
Tightlining is one of the easiest ways to intensify your look. Run your eyeliner along your lower as well as upper lash line, and notice how the technique makes your eyes look bigger and bolder in no time.
20. Jet-Black Cat Eye Liner
Trade in your jet-black flicks for a splash of star-studded blue on the lids. Notice how the colour elevates Halsey’s look instantly. You can enlist the expertise of a piece of tape to create the wing. From the outer-corners, angle it upward toward your temples before following the outline to create the flicks.
21. Fishtail Eyeliner
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The fishtail eyeliner involves drawing two flicks—one upward and one downward—resembling a fishtail. This fun eyeliner simple design is perfect for festive or creative looks.
22. Crescent Moon Eyeliner
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This celestial simple eyeliner design creates a moon shape along the crease. It’s ideal for themed events or beginners exploring playful designs.
23. Baby Wing Eyeliner
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The baby wing eyeliner is a tiny flick perfect for those starting with simple eyeliner designs. It adds a subtle lift without being too bold.
24. Rounded Eyeliner
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This simple eyeliner design focuses on a curved, rounded edge at the outer corner for a doe-eyed appearance. It’s soft and flattering for all eye shapes.
25. Abstract Eyeliner
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The abstract eyeliner encourages freestyle patterns for a creative, artistic simple eyeliner design. Beginners can experiment with dots, dashes, or unique strokes.
Tips To Apply Eyeliner As A Beginner
How do you truly ace these simple liquid eyeliner styles? Here are some tips for you to take cues from.
- Start with a pencil instead of a liquid or gel. A fine-tipped pencil doesn’t smudge the lids as much. Try looking for a non-waterproof one that you can remove and reapply easily.
- When you’re drawing a cat-eye flick, start with the wing first. Draw a wing from the outer-corner of the eye before drawing a line along your lid. Proceed to connect the two, and you’re done.
- Brighten up your eyes by tracing your waterline with an eyeliner that’s white or nude in colour. This hack beats A.M under-eye dullness and bags.
- Tightline the eyes to play into the effect of bolder, bigger eyes. Just trace a (black) eyeliner along your upper as well as lower waterline, and you’re done. Eyeliner on the waterline adds weight and fullness to the lashes too.
- Draw your cat-eye flicks with a soft brown pencil instead of going in with a liquid-based eyeliner directly. This line will guide you better.
- You can place a post-it along the outer-corner of your eye before creating your wing — angled upward toward the temples. You can alter the angle depending on the effect you want to achieve. Just use the tape as a guide, and you’re done.
- Try using a primer to eliminate any errors instead of a remover. Just dip a fine-tipped brush in some of the product, and slide it along all the places you want to erase eyeliner from.
- Try the connect-the-dots method. Instead of drawing an undisturbed line along the lids, create a line of dots that are close to each other before connecting them. This will ensure precision.
- Line the ‘v’ of the inner-corners to make your eyes look bigger and dramatic.
Now that you’ve seen these casual simple eyeliner styles, are you considering playing around with our eyeliner now?
