I’m aware of the fact that black eyeliner is by no means a new makeup trend. Even Cleopatra wore it in pre-dynastic Egypt. However, you have to admit that it wasn’t nearly as popular in the last five years as it has been previously. Remember how in the 2000s and early 2010s everyone was exclusively wearing black eyeliner and black eyeshadow? It was like no other color even existed. Even if you never had a high-school emo phase, a smudgy black eyeliner was the look that everyone was wearing for their nights out. While most of us ended up looking like a raccoon, there actually is a way to wear this eye makeup look in a graceful way.

The emo look is back

Smudged black eyeliner was a staple for party girls of the early 00s like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. But we also saw it on the eyelids of our favorite bad girls on TV, like Jenny Humphrey and Effy Stonem. This was the look that most of us wanted to recreate in our early teenage years, but ended up looking like panda bears at every attempt. It was a symbol of rebellious It-girl coolness long before warm-toned smokey eyes and soft glam were a thing. So if you have a soft spot for nostalgic trends, then this will definitely be up your alley.

Even though 2022 was the year of minimal makeup, 2023 brings back bolder looks. And the smudgy black eyeliner is one of them. However, even though the point of this eye look is to be messy and not perfect, it can still be a bit tricky to recreate. So if you want to learn how to recreate this look the easiest way possible, and how to avoid the fine line between flawless smokey eyes and fully developed raccoon eyes, then keep on reading.

How to get the look

Start with a winged liner and then smudge it with black eyeshadow using a little blending brush. If you make any mistakes, wipe it down with a makeup wipe. Many only use black eyeshadow to get this look. But while eyeshadow is fantastic for setting liner or applying on top of a liner, the black pigment may get really messy and smear over your face. It requires a secure foundation. So before you do anything else, apply a layer of liquid or gel eyeliner.

Another common mistake is not blending it well so you can see the line between the eyeshadow and liner. Just be patient and blend. If black is a bit too harsh for you, you can also recreate this look using other colors, like brown, or even a more colorful option like purple. The technique is the same. Apply a layer of liquid or gel eyeliner, and then blend it out using eyeshadow in the same color.

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