My favorite aspect of permanent makeup is the Shadow Eyeliner technique, which helped me win first place at WULOP Benelux 2021, allowing me to compete in the World Championships in Antalya, Turkey. In 2022, I took 4th place at the PMU World Expo and once again qualified to compete at the World Championships in Munich this September (2023).
In any case, the shaded eyeliner is huge and trending in Eastern Europe, and fortunately, here in the Netherlands, we’re also starting to get a taste of how this
aspect of permanent makeup could be a real hit. As cool as it all sounds, caution is advised with this technique. In any case,
experience with applying the infralash/deepliner is very important. Are you
, like me, someone who thrives on a challenge? Then this shadow eyeliner is truly amazing to apply. So for all you die-hards in the PMU world, this technique is a real must-have in your practice.
This technique isn’t suitable for every client. A consultation appointment prior to the treatment is mandatory in my practice. That way, I know on the day itself that I won’t be dealing with an overbooked appointment where only a normal or, at most, a Baby Wing is possible. After all, time is money.
An eyeliner shader treatment can easily take 2 to 3 hours.
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE SHAPE OFYOUR CLIENT’SEYES
The most important thing is to determine the client’s eye shape beforehand before you start sketching. The focus should be on the eye, not on the entire face, which is the case with eyebrows.
THERE ARE FOUR MOST COMMONEYE SHAPES:
- Almond-shaped eye (considered the ideal eye shape)
- Round eye (very suitable)
- Hooded eye
- Monolid eye (Asian eye)
The almond-shaped eye is the most perfect shape, followed by the round eye, where you can often achieve a beautiful effect with a bolder eyeliner.
The hooded eye and monolid achieve less satisfactory results with the shader technique. On the other hand, the winged eyeliner often looks very nice on this eye type. I prefer to enhance drooping eyelids using the shadow + infralash technique, which is fairly new in the PMU world; I offer a great training course for this that you can take even if you’re a beginner eyeliner artist.
THE CLIENT’S SKIN
- Young and firm skin (best results.)
- Middle-aged (you should only treat this client if you have sufficient experience.)
- Mature (Be very careful with this skin type.)
It is crucial to take into account the thickness of the skin on the eyelids and the superficial blood vessels in the area of the eye where the shading and wing are pigmented. No one benefits from a blow-out of pigments under the skin.
Be careful if your client uses eyelash growth serum. This causes the capillaries to dilate, increasing the risk of bleeding or a pigment blowout during the treatment. Also, if your client has undergone eyelid surgery, it is advisable to wait at least 6 months before performing shading or eyeliner. Stretching the skin can be painful for the client. The skin must also have healed from the inside out. After eyelid surgery, blood vessels may sometimes become more visible on the moving eyelid. This can also cause difficulties.
COLORS FOR A SHADOW EYELINER
- Black-colored infraliner.
- Shader in brown or black; use only temporary pigment. (organic)
NEEDLE CHOICE
Sometimes I work with a 3-point power liner when a bold eyeliner line is needed; other times I use only a 1-point needle. Keep in mind that the Nano needle must remain sharp! I use one Nano needle per eye. You can’t afford to accidentally get stuck in the thin skin of the eyelid while pixelating if the needle becomes dull. For the Shadow, I prefer to use a traditional 1-point needle where you can clearly see the pixels. But I also work with a 0.25 or sometimes even a 0.25 Nano needle, where you see fewer pixels but get more of a powder effect. This depends on the client’s preference but also on what’s possible on the skin! You’ll learn this during a Masterclass training. As for the machine, you can use a long or short stroke; both are suitable.
HOW TO PRE-DRAW THE SHADOW EYELINER
First of all, I use the wing-mapping technique. This is only possible with tighter eyelids, by the way. If this isn’t the case, my client sits directly across from me. Eyes also have a different shape when sitting or lying down!
Keep this in mind with a more mature skin type. If the skin is still tight, have the client sit up straight after the wing-mapping to check the lines.
Best regards, Kim!
