Eyeliners are the essential beauty tool, above cheek stain, lipstick and concealer. Okay, some might argue this point, but to a person who has sparse eyelashes and pale skin (hello!), the eyeliner can be, yes, essential. You can use them to change the shape of your eye, and you can use them to fill in your lashes.
There are a lot of eyeliners on the market, with pencil, liquid and cake eyeliners being the most popular. The only true skill you need is a steady hand, and what I mean by that is the steadiness it takes to make your eyes look superbly lined and cat-like, without appearing like something The Joker may have applied!
The trick to lining your eyes is to start small. Do little dashes along your lid and then blend with a brush to avoid that weird eyeliner strip of flesh – you know, when there is a space of flesh between your eyeliner and your actual eye. Start from the middle and do small strokes, front to back. Short strokes, small dots even, can help you look more Catwoman than Scary Makeup Clown.
So you’re stylin’ the lined eyes. But how to keep it all eco-friendly? Check out these awesome green liners for your lids in black, brown, green, blues – and in some cases, plum!
The Best Little Eco Eyeliner Around
Emphaseyes by Tarte
I am “going steady, head over heels” in love with this eyeliner. In fact, I plan on marrying it. I was lucky enough to first have it applied by a professional makeup artist, and I was thrilled to find I was able to replicate the fanciness at home. It’s a creamy liner that has an ultra fine tip to easily fill in gaps in the lash line. It glides nicely along your eyes, and it’s easy to apply and blend with the proper brush. And it lasts.
Tarte is fairly eco-friendly, as they are free of parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, and sodium lauryl sulfates. They use soy ink in their green packaging, and the Skin Deep cosmetics safety database rates them around a 4.
The Greenest
Organic Cake Eyeliner by NVEY Eco
This black liner is perfect to add to your existing shadow for a day-to-night look. With a little water, it can be used (with the right brush) for a little Sofia Loren-like dramatic glamor.
This product is certified organic by the Australian government, and free of parabens, talc, SLS, preservatives, GMOs, and petroleum based products. Out of the bunch, Skin Deep gives this one of the better ratings with a 3.
Eyeliner by Lavera
This eyeliner also did well with our testers. The color is great – one coat/line from the pencils gives good, rich color. It has an easy application, but the tip of pencil does not hold its shape well. So you will need to sharpen after just a few applications to get a good point. It stays on well with an amount of moisture, but it does smudge easily.
Lavera claims that Skin Deep gives it a rating of 2, but I was not able to find it in their database. It is certified organic by BDIH of Germany and paraben free, certified natural and organic.
Eyeliner by Josie Maran
This eyeliner got high marks from our testers. It “goes on smooth” though you “need to apply about three coats to get nice bright black color.” There’s a great moisture to it, and it stays on all night. The tip of the pencil stays in good shape, does not dull after few applications. Plus it is easy to remove with soap and water.
How does it green up? It is free of petrochemicals, parabens and fragrance and housed in wood harvested from sustainable forests. It may contain traces of black Iron oxide, titanium dioxide, red iron oxide, and yellow iron oxide and Skin Deep gives Ms. Maran’s products a rating between 3 and 5.
Great Green Eyeliner Brush
Ecotools Bamboo Angled Eyeliner Brush
What to use if your eyeliner isn’t pencil? This brush features a bamboo handle, synthetic Taklon Bristles and a ferule made from recycled aluminum. The company also recently joined 1 percent for the Planet, and therefore donates 1 percent of their annual sales to environmental organizations.
Image: kaibara