While we all love wearing the sharp, dramatic, smokey eyeliner drawn out with mathematical precision halfway towards our temples on special occasions, few of us actually wear that style day to day.
The go-to eyeliner style for most of us is thin and subtle, a lowkey enhancement that makes the eyes pop without looking like you’re wearing a ton of makeup and without the frustrating process of getting both wings exactly the same.
So, most clients who come in for a permanent eyeliner procedure ask for a subtle and natural eyeliner tattoo. Here’s a list of PMU eyeliner styles considered natural, so you can know what to ask for when you decide to get an eyeliner tattoo.
Is It Possible to Achieve a Natural Eyeliner Tattoo?
Definitely!
You might get the impression that the only eyeliner tattoos fall under the category of a smokey winged look, but in reality, the most popular PMU eyeliner styles are very thin and delicate, something you can wear regardless of the occasion and a great base for building upon with regular makeup.
Permanent eyeliner is such a versatile technique it can be used to create your favorite eyeliner look, no matter how dramatic or subtle you want it. It can also be done in any color you want – it doesn’t have to be basic black at all.
Image source: Instagram @brownsandco.ae
PMUHub Tip
If you’re getting permanent eyeliner for the first time, it’s a good idea to get a natural eyeliner tattoo even if you normally wear your eyeliner more dramatic.
What clients sometimes don’t acknowledge as much as they should is the fact that PMU eyeliner is very long-lasting and they’ll have it every day for a long time, so they end up regretting getting a full-on long-winged smokey look.
The thing with permanent makeup is, you can always add, but it’s very difficult to take away. If you get a more subtle style, wear it for a while, and decide to go thicker and bolder, you definitely can. But if you go big and bold straight away and end up not loving it, you’ll be forced to wait out until it fades or go through the hassle of removal.
Natural Eyeliner Tattoo Styles
The eyeliner tattoo can be done any way you want it. It can recreate anything you can do with regular eyeliner (except for maybe those abstract eyelid outline styles you see on the runways – no artist would take on the responsibility of tattooing that onto someone’s face!).
Let’s go through PMU eyeliner styles that would fall under the category of a natural eyeliner tattoo.
Eyelash Enhancement
The most natural eyeliner tattoo is eyelash enhancement, a style of PMU eyeliner that doesn’t even have to look like you’re wearing eyeliner.
Eyelash enhancement implies drawing a very thin line just above the lash line and blending it into the lashes, so the end result looks like full, dark and thick lashes. This opens up the eyes very effectively and makes them look bigger. Your eyes look brighter and more awake.
In the past, artists used to do eyelash enhancement by tattooing tiny dark dots between the lashes, but this method was replaced by a thin line above them.
Image source: Instagram @infinite_inkk
Winged Eyelash Enhancement
Eyelash enhancement can be done with a delicate wing, too. The line doesn’t have to end with your outermost lash – it can be brought out of the lash line a bit if you want to slightly modify the shape of your eyes and make them look more elongated.
The length, thickness, and angle of the wing is up to you.
Image source: Instagram @chantelurbanbeaute
Smokey Eyelash Enhancement
The edge of the line is another aspect that can be modified according to your preference – it can be sharp or smokey. A smokey finish adds to the illusion of natural blending.
This is the best style for aging eyes, as the shaded finish camouflages fine lines rather than emphasizing them.
Image source: Instagram @infinitebeautynj
Bottom Eyeliner Tattoo
What you may not know is that you can also get your lower lid tattooed.
A bottom lid eyeliner is done by drawing a thin line just underneath the bottom lashes. The line starts at the outer corner of the eye and ends with the last long lash, or somewhere in the middle of the lash line.
If done thin and delicate, the bottom lid line can be a very natural eyeliner tattoo.
Image source: Instagram @isabelles_center
Consider Your Color Options
While the go-to eyeliner color is black, this is not the best option for a natural eyeliner tattoo. Black will look natural only on people whose eyelashes are naturally very dark and thick.
For most clients, shades of brown look much more natural. Deep, dark brows for dark-haired clients, and lighter shades for blonde clients with fair skin, and those whose lashes are so light they’re almost invisible.
NOTE
Even when the client asks for a black eyeliner tattoo, the artist will add some warmth to the color to prevent fading into cooler grayish tones.
Final Word
Getting a natural eyeliner tattoo is actually a very wise decision even if you normally wear more makeup. It will make your eyes pop when you’re not wearing any makeup, but it will also be a great base for more prominent makeup looks. Once your eyelids heal from the treatment, you can add as much makeup as you want to on top, but you’ll save the time and energy it would take to draw on the eyeliner.
If you need more information about PMU eyeliner, check out this guide.
Cover image source: Freepik
