Fifty Shades of Grey (Eyeliner)

Consider toning down your cat's eye and kitten eyeliner for the dog days of summer

Hello, Gorgeous!

Do you watch General Hospital? ABC’s long running soap has been a delight this summer with intrigue and meltdowns including Willow’s post wedding-that-never-happened mascara and eyeliner.

In case you don’t watch GH, Willow had an epic makeup disaster with leaking eye makeup everywhere. Think the Zillennial lovechild of Norma Desmond and Tammy Faye Bakker and you’re on the right track.

It’s a look I’ve been working hard to avoid this hades-like summer, but I’ve come up with an easy fix: grey eyeliner instead of black.

A quick eyeliner refresher

In case all you do is swipe and go, this might help put some of the looks in context.

• Cat Eye is a more dramatic look with sharp-winged black liner. (If you know me for the past few decades, you’ll know this is my default eyeliner look).

• Kitten Eye is a softer, smaller wing for when you want a bit of sass. Less Chrissie Hynde more Taylor Swift on a night off.

Whatever your eye look, it can be hard to keep on during the hottest summer months. That’s why I’ve shifted to grey instead of black for the next few weeks.

Here’s why:

• It's more forgiving in heat: When black liner smudges it looks harsh and messy. When grey smudges slightly, it looks smoky and effortless. It’s also easier to pretend this was the look you were going for.

• Less stark against summer skin: Whether you're pale, bronzed or cocoa tinted, grey tends to be more flattering to every skin tone than harsh black in bright summer light. I still love my black eyeliner, I just wear it in moderation during the heatwave.

• Pairs beautifully with summer colors: If you’re on the fence about grey, you should know that it works beautifully with summer brights or lights.

• Still defines without overwhelming: Even if you don’t soften your overall look, you’ll still get eye definition without the heaviness.

Before you buy, try to test out product on your hand first. Some grey liners have a slight yellowish/greenish tinge to them - those are the least flattering. Grey eyeliners with an almost blue-ish undertone are more universally flattering. They also tend to enhance the whites of your eyes giving you a brighter look overall.

Grey eyeliners for your summer switch

Ready to try some grey eyeliner? Here are few I think you might like:

• Easy to use pick: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Smoke. The texture alone makes this a great choice for summer eye makeup - light enough to glide on with enough oomph to stay on. Don’t love grey? This eyeliner comes in 37 other shades! ($26, urbandecay.com).

• Slightly lighter pick: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Fog. This one is fabulous because there’s a thin enough tip for precise lines, with enough body to try for a look mimicking shadow. One caveat - this one has a very slight yellow tinge that won’t work for all skin tones ($34, Ulta).

• Sensitive eyes pick: Clinique Quickliner™ For Eyes in Slate. This one is great for those of you with sensitive eyes or contact lens wearers. It works for nearly any skin tone and is super easy to apply ($28, Dillards).

• Affordable pick: NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner in Flashy Flare. Light grey with a touch of shimmer ($10, Amazon).

• The one I’m using: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Intense Labradorite. So this one is about as close to black as you’ll get, but the intensity is dialed down a few notches. I love that it stays on all (schvitzy) day and doesn’t budge ($24, Stilacosmetics.com).

Have you swapped out your year-round favorites for lighter summer versions ? Let’s meet in the comments to discuss!

Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋