Mascara and Eyeliner Tutorials

Floating Eyeliner: what it is and how to do it

Graphic Eyeliner Instagram Makeup

Eyeliner is a versatile makeup staple – and who would have ever thought that adding a swipe of black eyeliner along with your favorite mascara could unlock so much confidence. From cat-eye makeup to the classic wing, the possibilities with your favorite eyeliner products are endless.  

Floating eyeliner is the latest beauty trend to make a comeback, but if you don’t know what it is, we’re here to help. 

What is floating eyeliner?  

Floating eyeliner is a graphic line drawn along the crease of the eye, rather than along the lash line. This eyeliner technique works for all eye shapes by simply following the natural shape of your crease. The floating eyeliner look can also be paired with a classic wing along the lash line to create a parallel graphic liner look perfect for every-day wear or a night on the town.  

In this post, we’ll show you how to step away from the classic cat-eye eyeliner look, instead of showing how to do floating eyeliner. We’ll share our top technique, tips and tricks, including how to kick it up a notch when you’re feeling more confident.

Different eyeliners can be used to create floating eyeliner look:

  • Pencil eyeliner – offers buildable thickness and is easier to smudge if you want to add drama to your look.  
  • Liquid eyeliner pen – precision and control. Using an eyeliner pen can allow one fast motion for crisp lines. 
  • Felt-tip eyeliner – a felt-tip point can offer effortless thickness to the graphic line. 
  • Eyeshadow – technically you don’t have to use just eyeliner! Eyeshadow gives you the choice of endless colors and a softer finish. 

How to do floating eyeliner

Step one: prepare the eyelids

Start by removing excess makeup. This will leave your skin feeling refreshed and allow smoother application to prevent creasing when applying eyeliner. 

Step two: create a neutral base

Once dry, use our Limitless Eyeshadow Palette 1 and pick one of the matte eyeshadow shades. We recommend either Drape or Frank. This will create a neutral eyeshadow base. Sweep it across your entire eyelid and extend upwards to slightly above your crease. To give the appearance of larger eyes, pat a lighter eyeshadow in the centre of the eyelid. If you want to create an eyeshadow look to accompany the floating eyeliner always do this before you add any eyeliner. 

Step three: how to do floating eyeliner

To create the perfect floating eyeliner look, you need to remember: where you position the graphic line is key. If you draw the line too low, you will not be able to see it. Draw the line too high and it won’t look right. You should aim to keep the liner in the centre of the crease.  

To achieve a precise look, use our Black Magic Liquid Eyeliner for a smooth and fluid finish. When creating floating eyeliner, close one eye at a time to determine where your crease is. Aim to keep your chin up but looking down into a mirror to ensure you have a clear view of your entire eye.  

Draw an arch-like shape above or below your crease, starting from the middle and drawing outwards in one motion to create a sharp line.  

If you want to create a parallel eyeliner look, draw your winged eyeliner across the lash line first, then follow the previous steps to best judge where to place your floating eyeliner. 

Step four: create a shadow

Once your floating eyeliner is applied, create a deeper shadow to your look by using a darker shade from any of our Limitless Eyeshadow Palettes in your crease. This will give more depth to your eye look, shaping the eye even further.  

Step five: mascara

To complete the entire look, add a coat of Lash Alert Mascara to the top and bottom lashes. 



Ana Joyking

Ana Joyking

Writer and expert

Hi there! My name is Ana and I love all things makeup. I have had a passion for writing for a long time and started my career in TV , Radio and music journalism, working on some really cool TV shows, festivals and interviewing cool bands. Now I get to write about all things make up from the help tips and tricks to the weird and wonderful, there is no limit to who you can be with the power of makeup.