Is It Worth It To Use Tape To Apply Your Eyeliner?

Symmetrical winged eyeliner looks beautiful but can be hard to achieve. The more you try to make the wing even, the thicker the liner gets until you wipe it away and start again. Winged eyeliner is especially difficult for beginners. Since it's such a popular look, a hack was developed to make it easier to apply the liner and ensure that both eyes are even. Beauty Bay explains that tape is the key to perfect wing eyeliner.

They recommend applying a long piece of tape under the outer corner of one eye, down under the tip of the nose, and then to the outer corner of the other eye. This piece is the template for the bottom of the wing. Then you'll need two smaller pieces. Place one on the lid of each eye, connecting the middle of the lash line to the outer corner piece of tape. There should be a space in the center of the tape in the shape of a long triangle. To complete the hack, fill this area with eyeliner or eyeshadow and remove the tape. 

While this hack does work well, you may wonder: Are there any potential downsides to putting sticky tape on your face? 

Even though using tape for a perfect winged eyeliner is quick and easy, the convenience doesn't outweigh what it does to your skin. Dermatologist Shereene Idriss explained to Shape that the skin around the eyes is the thinnest of your whole body, making it super fragile. When you apply and remove the tape, you are constantly tugging on the same around your eyes. This causes the skin to loosen and wrinkle. Over time those wrinkles can become permanent. Hyperpigmentation can also develop from the tape, causing irritation. Regular tape is definitely not recommended, but even medical tape can cause similar issues.

The glue is another reason to avoid using tape to apply perfect eyeliner. Depending on the person, they may have an allergic reaction, giving them a rash and swelling around their eyes. Using the tape hack in your makeup routine every day puts you at a bigger risk of developing these issues. However, using it sparingly is probably okay. 

You can still use this hack but avoid the negative side effects by replacing the tape with a business card or any piece of thick paper. Printer paper is too thin and flimsy to use, according to Meraki Lane. Index cards will work, too. Credit cards are another option if you're in a pinch because they're too thick to bend over your eyes like business cards would. Using these tools instead of tape is better for your skin. Instead of adhering around the eye, you simply hold the paper over the area.

It'll be an easy switch if you're already used to doing the tape method. Line up the card with the corner of your eye at the angle you want your wing to be. Then keep it in place with your non-dominant hand, pressing down as you apply your eyeliner. To finish the long triangle shape, move the card above your eye, with one end crossing through the center of your lash line and the other meeting the line you drew. Fill in the space and clean up any mistakes with micellar water on a cotton swab.