Apply Kajal

Kajal is a heavy black eye cosmetic traditionally used to outline the eyes. It has its roots in India, the Middle East, Egypt, and the Horn of Africa, but this cosmetic has gained recent popularity worldwide. Applying kajal might seem intimidating at first, but with a little practice, you should be able to use kajal to create a range of different looks.

Steps

Before You Begin: Essential Preparations

1. Clean your skin. To prevent the kajal from smudging, remove excess makeup, oil, and sweat from your eyelids and the skin around your eyes.
   • Use makeup remover to clean off any eye makeup left from a previous application.
   • Dip a cotton pad in cold water and brush it over your eyelids. Doing so should help dry the skin without the use of harsh chemicals while also tightening the pores. Allow the water to dry naturally.
2. Cover dark circles with concealer. If you have notably dark circles beneath your eyes and you wish to create a cleaner look, apply concealer to the area before applying the kajal.
   • Choose a concealer close to your natural skin tone and lightly dab it onto the dark patches beneath your eyes. Blend it into the skin, working carefully to avoid getting it into the eyes themselves.
3. Choose the right kajal. Kajal comes in a variety of forms. Thin pencil sticks are the easiest to use, but you can also find powders, liquids, and gels. Regardless of what you choose, invest in long-lasting waterproof formulas since they'll be less likely to smudge.
   • For subtle or controlled looks, a kajal pencil typically works best. Sharpen the tip of the pencil periodically to keep the lines thin.
   • If you want to create a thicker look, you may wish to consider traditional kajal powders that need to be applied with your fingers. Liquid and gels can also create a heavier look, and the applicator wands they come with are typically easier to control.

Method One: Traditional Waterline Edging

1. Gently pull down the eyelid. Using the ring finger of your non-dominant hand, gently pull down the skin beneath your lower eyelid. Continue until you can see the waterline.
   • The waterline is essentially the lower rim of the eye, or the point at which water gathers when tears form. It rests just above the lower lash line.
   • If you have difficulty exposing the waterline, tilt your head slightly upward as you pull down on your eyelid.
2. Draw from the inner corner to the outer edge. Using your dominant hand, drag the tip of the kajal pencil from the inside corner of the waterline to the far outer corner.
   • Note that the thickness of the pencil tip will determine the thickness of the line. Sharpened pencils will create thin lines, but blunt pencils will create thin lines.
   • Try to draw the line using one motion to keep it even. Run the pencil over the waterline once for a traditional look, or retrace the area once or twice to create a bolder, more dramatic appearance.
   • Do not press hard since doing so could cause the kajal to flake and get into your eyes.
   • Traditional application requires you to put the kajal directly on the waterline, but if you have sensitive eyes, you may wish to apply it directly beneath the waterline, instead.
3. Close the eye. Close the eye you're working on so that you can see the upper lash line. You can close the eye completely or close it just enough to reveal that lash line.
   • If necessary, tilt your head forward to help expose the upper lash line.
4. Draw a line that thickens toward the outer edge. Start at the inner corner of your upper lash line and drag the kajal pencil all the way to the outer edge of the same line. As you approach the outer edge, turn the pencil to thicken the line.
   • The very tip of the pencil should touch the lash line at the inner corner.
   • Gradually flatten the tip end of the pencil as you sweep it across your lash line. By the time you reach the end of the lash line, the pencil tip should nearly be completely on its side.
   • Try to work in one smooth motion across the lash line to create an even increase.
5. Smudge as desired. You can leave the kajal as it is, but if you'd prefer a softer look over a sharper look, carefully smudge both lines by running the tip of an eye smudger brush over them.
   • Run the smudger brush over each line from the inner corner to the outer edge. Brushing over each line one time should soften the look sufficiently.
   • Once both lines have been softened as desired, the process is complete.

Method Two: Double Winged Style

1. Tilt your head forward. Stand in front of a mirror and tilt your head slightly forward, making it easier to see the upper lash line.
   • You'll also need to partially close the eye you plan to work on. Otherwise, the upper lash line will remain hidden behind the lashes themselves.
2. Apply kajal to the upper lash line. Gently press the tip of the kajal pencil to the inner corner of the upper lash line. Draw a line directly over that lash line, moving outward toward the outer corner.
   • Keep the tip of the pencil even, and draw the line using a single motion. Both aspects of your drawing technique will make it easier to draw an even line.
   • Pause once you reach the outer corner of the lash line, but do not lift the kajal pencil off your eyelid unless doing so is absolutely necessary.
3. Extend the line upward. Once you reach the outer corner of the upper lash line, draw 1/4 inch (6 mm) line that tilts upward at a 45-degree angle.
   • This line should extend just beyond the natural curve of your eyelid. You can connect it to the main line at either a sharp or curved angle; both techniques are acceptable, but they will create slightly different looks.
4. Thicken the line with short strokes. Go back over the entire line of kajal, thickening it by brushing the tip of the pencil over the line in short strokes.
   • Instead of working with the point of the pencil tip, tilt the pencil slightly so that you're working with the side of the point.
   • From the inner corner to the mid-eye, thicken the kajal without changing the angle or slant of the line.
   • From the mid-eye to the tip of the outer wing, gradually thicken the line so that it naturally expands toward the wing and meets the wing tip at a point.
5. Tilt your head back. After you finish with the upper lash line, slightly angle your head back to expose the lower lash line.
   • Closing your eye won't make much difference for the lower lash line. Moreover, since you're applying the kajal to the lash line instead of the waterline, you do not need to pull down the lower lid.
6. Apply a fine line along the lower lash line. Draw a thin line of kajal across the lower lash line, moving from the inner corner toward the outer corner.
   • Draw the line using a single motion and keep the pencil at an even angle. Pause once you reach the end of the lash line, but do not lift the pencil.
   • Keep this line finer than the line along your upper lashes. You may even wish to start just beyond the inner corner of the lower lash line to create an even lighter appearance here.
7. Curve the line downward. Draw a gently curve off the outer edge of the lower lash line. This curve should be shorter and more subtle than the wing coming off the upper lash line.
   • The idea is to accent the upper wing, rather than mirroring or competing with it. Drawing a heavy line or a large, angled wing on the lower lash line could weigh down the eye too much and.
   • Do not thicken this lower wing line. This look is finished once you finish drawing the lower line.

Method Three: Smoky Eyelids

1. Narrow the eye. Close your eye and relax the muscles in your eyelid. You need to expose as much of the eyelid as possible since this style will be blended over the entire lid.
   • If necessary, you can keep your eye open in a small slit to help you see better and improve your accuracy.
   • It may help to tilt your head forward since doing so exposes more of the closed eyelid and may allow you to see it more clearly.
2. Apply a thick line to the upper lid. Swipe a thick line of kajal directly over the upper lash line of the eye, moving from the inner corner to the outer corner.
   • Try to keep the line evenly thick, but don't worry about making it perfectly even or smooth. Most imperfections created during this step will be hidden later.
   • Create a line of kajal 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3 to 6 mm) thick. You may need to pass over the upper lash line multiple times to make the line adequately thick.
3. Blend the line upward. Take a fluffy eye shadow brush and smudge the kajal upward, working it through the crease and toward the brow bone.
   • Work in vertical strokes that are perpendicular to the lash line. You'll need to work across the initial line of kajal in short increments, continuing until the entire line has been blended upward.
   • Note that the kajal should naturally lighten as you brush it upward, creating the desired gradient effect.
4. Apply more the upper lash line. To further accent the gradient, draw another thin line of kajal over the upper lash line, working from the inner corner to the outer edge.
   • You do not need to blend this line or thicken it. The purpose is merely to darken the starting edge of the gradient.
   • Once you finish drawing in this final line of kajal, the look is complete.

Things You'll Need

• Kajal pencil (or other type of Kajal—gel, liquid, or powder)
• Eye smudger brush (optional)
• Fluffy eye shadow brush (optional)

Sources and Citations

See also

• Apply Feminine Makeup
• Apply Goth Makeup
• Do Smoky Eyes on Dark, Tan, or Indian Skin
• Do Doll Like Makeup
• Apply Makeup for a Fancy Party
• Apply Gothic Makeup for a Pale Complexion
• Apply Corpsepaint
• Do Your Makeup Like Kylie Jenner
• Do 80's Makeup and Hair
• Get a 1960s Makeup Look

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