23 Ideas For Your Next Bold Graphic Liner Look
If you've been on any Instagram or TikTok beauty accounts recently, you've probably seen a new eye makeup trend slowly emerge over the past few months. That's right: We're finally talking about the graphic eyeliner trend that's taken the beauty world by storm. Gone are the boring days of only putting your liner on your upper and lower lash lines! The scope of your eyeliner knows no bounds — and we don't know about you, but we can't get enough of it.
What exactly is graphic eyeliner? Graphic liner breaks the eyeliner norm by incorporating bold shapes, drawing thick lines, and (sometimes) using every color under the sun. It's a way for beauty artists to express their artistic side and let their creativity flow — and it's one of our favorite ways to make a statement. If you want to get in on the graphic eyeliner game but don't consider yourself an artist, don't worry! You don't have to be Picasso to recreate these looks. Let's discuss 23 ways to make your own bold graphic eyeliner look.
Draw a thick cat eye
If you need to be eased into the graphic liner trend, try a thick cat eye. This bold winged eyeliner look is understated while still packing a punch. You could opt for the standard thick black cat eye if you want to start simple, but if you're ready to go bold right off the bat, why not do a cat eye in a playful color? Even a dark burgundy can be understated enough not to call too much attention.
Checkerboard it
Once you're ready to play with shapes and patterns, do yourself a favor and try out something akin to the checkerboard graphic eyeliner look above. It's deliciously interesting, nearly hypnotic, and will leave everyone who sees you throughout your day begging for more. You could use black as an anchor color, like in the above photo, or make it super exciting and use white. Whichever you choose, be ready to get lots of compliments when you walk down the street in this graphic eyeliner look.
Pair brown and black
Want a neutral-toned graphic eyeliner look that still stuns? You can always contrast black and brown for a look that you can make as bold or simple as you want. You could do a dramatic cut crease with brown (like in the above photo) or play with shapes or patterns. Wearing a black and brown graphic eyeliner look is also a great way to work the typically-dueling tones into the rest of your ensemble while making it look seamless.
Make an edgy-minimalist look
News flash, friend: "Bold" isn't always synonymous with "big." In fact, some of our favorite graphic eyeliner looks are so understated you'll hardly notice them at first. Take the minimalist winged look above. It's edgy but clean and conservative enough that it won't overpower your whole look. Wear it to your next work convention or when you know you're going to happy hour after work.
Do a double-winged liner
A fun take on the traditional winged liner, a double-winged eyeliner look is a fun way to break the makeup mold a little bit. To make this look, draw your wing as you normally would, and then take the line from the edge of the wing back up into your crease. Do it in black if you want to make it simple, white if you want to make a statement, or a different color if you want to push the boundaries. There are no rules here!
Make a Queen of Hearts look
Graphic eyeliner is a fun opportunity to break the mold of how makeup has traditionally been used. The graphic liner trend is swiftly turning makeup into more and more of an art form, and honestly, we couldn't be more hype. An easy way to incorporate some artistic flair into your liner looks is by decorating your lids with little hearts for a fabulously elegant Queen of Hearts look. Bonus points if you sprinkle hearts throughout the rest of your ensemble to tie it all together.
Do it fairycore
Is the traditional black or brown liner just not doing it for you anymore? Maybe you want to embrace the brighter side of life, or your vibe has more of an ethereal essence that black and brown liner just can't capture. If this sounds like you, graphic pastel eyeliner is about to be your new BFF. You can use as many or as few colors as you want — blend them together and cut the crease with a light-colored liner to give you this stunning fairycore look.
Use two colors
Who said you have to use the same color to line your upper and lower lids? Not us. When you want to pull off some graphic eyeliner but don't want to put too much effort into it, just grab two colors. You could contrast the upper and lower lids by using two popping colors or use black on one and color on the other, like in the above photo. Match one of the liner shades to your accessories for extra appeal to make it really stand out.
Draw some flowers
Of course, nobody said you had to use your eyeliner to line your eyes at all. Try drawing some flowers in a liner shade that matches your eyeshadow for standout lids that really pop. It's a great way to make your look visually interesting but still playful and minimal enough to not be too bold. You could line your eyes in black or the same color you used for your flowers — you do you!
Or some dots
If flowers are too fancy for your artistically-challenged self, we get it; and we're here to let you know that doesn't limit you from creating stunning graphic liner looks. You don't have to know how to draw to make it visually exciting! The next time you want a bold liner, make some dots in a fun fashion color and have them follow the shape of your crease. You can match them to the rest of your eyes or do them in a contrasting color.
Take it through your brows
Want a look that's very outside the norm, edgy, yet somehow still delicate? Then friend, take that graphic liner and draw it through your brow! This is a great way to incorporate any blank space you may have in your brows, like from a scar. You can take the eyeliner anywhere else you want, but we love the stunning effect that the above look pulls off by carrying the liner into the inner corners of the eye.
Go asymmetrical
Makeup is a great opportunity to be avant-garde in your self-expression, and there are few better ways to do this than by creating an asymmetrical graphic liner look. Go minimal on one eye and all out on the other, or even just minimal on one eye and slightly less minimal on the other. To keep your makeup uniform, keep some elements of each eye the same — like the same color and shapes. From there, be as elaborate as you want. Fun and personal expression are the names of the game here.
Think outside the box
You don't have to change up your standard eye look at all if you don't want — and you can still play with graphic liner! For a look that'll really wow, use your graphic eyeliner on other areas of your face, like your cheeks, cheekbones, or even your nose. We love the stunning effect of the above teardrops and lightning bolts, but you could also theme this around whatever you have going on that day. Going to a concert? Draw the band's name or logo in graphic liner on your cheeks. A spring festival might call for some flowers or strawberries. Have fun with this one!
Make it glow
Yes, glow-in-the-dark eyeliner is a thing — and if you don't already have one, we recommend picking one up stat so you can create this stunning cut crease graphic eyeliner look! We're going bananas over the bold LED liner trend, especially with these shades of purple used in the above look. And the glowing white crease line cutting through it? Icing on the cake. This is a stunning bold look for your next night out at the club or the next house party you attend.
Do a black and white look
Sometimes simple combos truly are the best, and we think that'll always be the case when it comes to the classic white and black. No other color combo looks effortlessly good on its own or when combined with other colors, so a black and white eyeliner combo is a great look to make when you don't know what you're wearing yet or you'll be changing outfits throughout the day. Match to a black and white outfit for some serious put-togetherness.
Or two-tone a single color
You don't have to incorporate more than one color, though. Sometimes, two shades of the same color can create an equally-stunning look. For a monochromatic look that slays and is easy as pie, pick a shade to apply lightly to your lid. Then, reach for a darker shade of the same color and use it to line your eyes. You can even nail the look with monochromatic eyeshadow. Bonus points if you match your shades to the rest of your 'fit for a true monochrome moment.
Extend your eyebrows
Having brow trouble? Or maybe you just really want to break the boundaries of how eyeliner can be used. We have a simple solution: Implement graphic eyeliner to extend your eyebrows. You could be as natural or bold with this look as you want. Practice with a liner shade that matches your brows at first; then, once you've honed in the shape and technique of extending your brows, play with other colors.
Highlight your inner and outer corners
Listen, you don't even have to use graphic liner on your whole lid if you don't want! Minimalists at heart will love this next look, as it just involves outlining the outer and inner corners with eyeliner. You can add some extra embellishments (like rhinestones in the above photo) or just leave this look as is and blend it into a shadow if you'd like. This simple look will get way more attention than the effort you put into it, which is a win in our book.
Utilize empty space
Just because your eyelids boast plenty of real estate doesn't mean you have to use it all. Enter: empty space graphic eyeliner. As you're playing around with graphic eyeliner, try creating some geometrical shapes with it, and let the shapes speak for themselves. Leave the space inside empty to keep your look simple, classy, elegant, and fit for nearly any occasion.
Draw on your nose
The next time you have to dress up in costume for an event, let your makeup be the star of the show rather than your clothes. A great way to do this is by utilizing graphic eyeliner on your nose to create facial illusions. You could do a bat-esque look as in the above photo, or the more artistically inclined may want to use graphic eyeliner to create some seriously stunning optical illusions.
Use it under your brows
For another minimalist graphic eyeliner look, keep your colors in just a couple of places on the lid. We love how the above look utilizes the outer corner of the eye and the inner corner of the brow for a perfectly put-together look that's also not super common. Use the same color throughout your lid, or mix and match if you want to go a little crazy with it.
Layer different colors
Layering graphic eyeliner colors really makes the possibilities endless when it comes to doing your eye makeup. The next time you're bored of the same old same old, take your favorite color and smudge it onto your lid. Then, do a crease cut line over it in black (or a different color!).
Add some sparkle
Last but certainly not least, your graphic eyeliner doesn't always have to stand on its own (though it certainly can). The next time you want a stunning eye look, pick one of our favorite graphic eyeliner ideas above, then glitz it up with some (eye-safe!) stick-on rhinestones. This is an evening look we love — perfect for your next Christmas party, New Year's Eve party, or even just that brunch you've been planning with your besties for ages.