Purpose: To examine, record, and quantify the migration of a conventional eye cosmetic pencil when applied to periocular skin in two different locations: behind the lash line (ELI) and along the periocular skin (ELO). 
 
 Methods: This was a pilot study (prospective, randomized crossover design) involving two visits on separate days. Three female subjects were randomly assigned one of two eyeliner application conditions: ELI (inside the lash line) or ELO (anterior to the lash line). Pencil eyeliner ("Glimmerstick" in Graphite; Avon, Northampton, United Kingdom) was applied to the subject's upper and lower right eyelid by the examiner. Slitlamp video recording of glitter particles suspended within the tear film was conducted for 30 sec on 10 occasions up to 2 hr post-eyeliner application. The number of glitter particles suspended in the tear film, analyzed using ImageJ software, is reported. 
 
 Results: The migration of the glitter particles occurred more readily in ELI application, with maximum contamination of the tear film achieved 5 to 10 min post-application. The migration of eyeliner following ELO application was comparatively slower and reduced compared with ELI application. The quantity of glitter particles suspended in the tear film varied between subjects; however, 2 hr post-application, contamination of the tear film from pencil eyeliner was negligible. 
 
 Conclusions: Pencil eyeliner migrates most readily and maximally contaminates the tear film when applied posterior to the lash line. This has implications for contact lens wearers and patients with dry eye syndrome or sensitive eyes. Eye cosmetic usage for participants involved in anterior eye and contact lens research should be carefully considered in the design of studies. 
 
 (C) 2015 Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, Inc. 

 
 
 Raise your hand if you've been here before: You stand in front of the mirror in the morning, liner in hand, ready to make your eyes look as dazzling as possible. You use a light touch and a steady hand—you're an Allure reader, after all—but when you step back, you realize the skinny rings have somehow managed to make your eyes look smaller. The good news: If you shift those very same lines a few millimeters, you'll create the illusion of big, open eyes without a trace of any obvious makeup. It's just a matter of nestling the eyeliner pencil between the roots of your lashes as well as carefully tracing it along your upper waterline (the rim where your eyelid meets your eye). Makeup artists call this tightliner or invisible eyeliner. With a bit of practice and the right pencil (mechanical, not wood), it's almost impossible to screw up. How's that for eye-opening? 
 
 1. Choose the right tools for the job. If you don’t want your line to disappear in the blink of an eye, opt for a waterproof formula (we like Smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liner and Em Michelle Phan Waterliner Intense Color Eye Liner). 
 
 2. Line your top waterline. Raise your chin and place your nondominant index finger above the outer corner of your eye, lifting upward. Then, holding the pencil vertically in your other hand, trace back and forth under your lashes. Go over it a few times, and stop before you reach the inner corners to prevent eyes from looking beady. 
 
 3. Darken the roots of your top lashes. Gently pull your top lid taut by pressing one finger on the outer corner. Bury the tip of the pencil deep into your lashes at the outer corner of your eye, wiggling it back and forth as you move inward. Take your time and don’t be afraid to really mash the tip into your lashes. 
 
 4. Accentuate your bottom lashes. Holding the pencil just below your inner rim—but not at the waterline—lightly dash the pencil right at the base of your lashes. For intense color at the root, use a creamy liner in a pot, like Rimmel London ScandalEyes Gel Eyeliner. It creates the richest, inkiest color—the best option if you want dense-looking lashes. 
 
 5. Clean it up. Run a pointy cotton swab (like Muji Thin Cotton Swabs) dipped in makeup remover along your top and bottom lids to erase any mess. 
 
 6. Curl your lashes. It will solidify the wide-eyed effect you’re going for. Then swipe on some black volumizing mascara, top and bottom. 
 
 
 
 RELATED LINKS: 
 
 • Love Letter: Smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liner 
 
 • Beauty 101: Eyeliner 
 
 • What Is Kohl Eyeliner, Really? 

 People who apply eyeliner on the inner eyelid run the risk of contaminating the eye and causing vision trouble, according to research by a scientist at the University of Waterloo. This is the first study to prove that particles from pencil eyeliner move into the eye. 
 
 Dr. Alison Ng, at the Centre for Contact Lens Research at Waterloo, directed the study when she was at Cardiff University in Wales. The team's findings appear in Eye and Contact Lens Science and Clinical Practice, the official peer-reviewed journal of the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists. 
 
 Dr. Alison Ng and her colleagues used video recordings to observe and compare the amount of eyeliner particles that migrated into the tear film - the thin coating protecting the eye - after applying makeup in different styles. 
 
 "We noticed that the makeup migration happened quicker and was greater when eyeliner was put on the inner lid margin," said Dr. Ng, also a post-doctoral fellow in the School of Optometry and Vision Science in the Faculty of Science at Waterloo. 
 
 Each participant wore glitter eyeliner outside the lash line, and then on the inner lid area closer to the eye, or along the waterline. 
 
 The vision scientists found that within five minutes, between 15 and 30 per cent more particles moved into the eye's tear film when subjects applied eyeliner to the inside of the lash line, compared to outside it. The makeup also moved more quickly into the eye when eyeliner was applied inside the lash line. 
 
 As time passes, the amount of makeup entering the tear film steadily drops and by two hours, there was a negligible amount of eyeliner left. However, Dr. Ng and her colleagues say eyeliner can alter the tear film, adding to discomfort. 
 
 Eyeliner ingredients commonly include waxes, oils, silicones and natural gums to help eyeliner stick to eyelids and last for prolonged periods. It has to adhere through blinking, sweating and the secretion of natural oils. 
 
 Makeup that enters the tear film may cause discomfort for those with sensitive or dry eyes. But the eyeliner waxes and oils can also adhere to contact lenses and build up if used for more than one day. Resulting complications include irritation and redness, introduction of harmful bacteria from the eyeliner, and in some cases, eye infections or blurred vision. 
 
 "People who wear contact lenses are most likely to notice some problems," said Dr. Ng. "If they have eyeliner stuck to their lenses, increasing deposits might cause vision disruption as the lens becomes cloudier." 
 
 While this study didn't examine the bacterial aspect of makeup contamination to the eye, Dr. Ng notes that previous studies do show that old eye makeup can harbour bacteria. 
 
 "If you thoroughly sharpen your pencil eyeliner before each application and get rid of the stuff that's stuck to the end, you'll have a fresh tip which can help prevent infection," said Dr. Ng. "With twist-up eyeliner, cut some off the end before each use. And always make sure to fully remove eye makeup before bed." 
 
 ### 
 
 Alison Ng writes about cosmetics and eye care on ContactLensUpdate.com, an online resource for eye care practitioners, run by the Centre for Contact Lens Research. She and colleagues at the CCLR also produced handouts for the public to share makeup tips for contact lens wearers. 

 Inner eye goop and blotchy color consistency are just a few of the problems you might encounter when lining the waterline. Getting a pencil (or brush!) that close to your eyeball is just bound to be difficult, but with practice and patience and my th. 
 
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– Your dramatic eye makeup could actually be unhealthy for your eyes assuming you're a contact lens wearer, according to a tiny pilot study that appears in Eye and Contact Lens Science and Clinical Practice. The study involves the "waterline." That's the thin inner portion of the eyelash line, and it's a popular place to apply eyeliner: The waterline has an entire Pinterest board dedicated to it; an Allure article touts the "big, open eyes" you can get from putting makeup on it; and celebs like Selena Gomez apparently favor it. But researchers wanted to quantify how much eyeliner might enter the tear film—which a press release explains is "the thin coating protecting the eye"—when it's applied in one of two places: on the waterline, or outside the lash line, along the skin. The study involved just three female participants who visited twice on separate days. They were randomly assigned one of the two eyeliner application conditions, and used Avon's "Glimmerstick." Alison Ng, a scientist at Canada's University of Waterloo, took more than 200 frames of video of the subjects' eyes over a two-hour period to record the amount of particles that moved into the tear film. Ng says, "the makeup migration happened quicker and was greater" in the waterline scenarios. "Within five minutes, between 15% and 30% more particles moved into the eye's tear film," the release notes. That could lead to discomfort, says Ng, or cause buildup on the lens (especially when lenses are worn for several days) that could fuel more troublesome problems, like irritation or even an eye infection. "For anyone who wears heavy makeup or enjoys regularly applying beauty products around the eye, I would recommend daily disposable lenses for optimal cleanliness and comfort," she says. (Here's why long lashes are bad for you, too.)