It’s important to keep your eyeliner sharp to get just the right look. In this article, we outline 5 easy ways to sharpen your eyeliner if you don’t have a sharpener.
The best way to sharpen an eyeliner pencil is with a proper cosmetic pencil sharpener. This will produce the best results. However, if you don’t have one to hand, there are other options. These are:
- Scissors
- A pocket knife
- A regular pencil sharpener
- Sandpaper
- A nail file
What Is The Best Way To Sharpen An Eyeliner Pencil?
You should ideally sharpen an eyeliner pencil with a cosmetics pencil sharpener.
A regular pencil sharpener is not ideal because it is designed for use with hard lead pencils. Eyeliner pencils, on the other hand, are soft and can break and crumble in a regular pencil sharpener.
Regular pencil sharpeners also tend to sharpen cosmetic pencils with less precision.
To use a cosmetics pencil sharpener:
- Select the correctly sized sharpener for your eyeliner pencil.
- Hold the sharpener in your dominant hand (depending on whether you are right or left-handed).
- Insert the tip of the eyeliner pencil.
- Gently spin the sharpener (not the pencil) two or three times. By spinning the sharpener, you will ensure an even finish on the pencil tip.
- Check the pencil tip to see if it has sharpened enough. If not, repeat.
- Clean and sanitize the sharpener. This will ensure a longer life for the pencil sharpener and prevent eye infections.
Can Cosmetic Pencil Sharpeners Go Dull?
Yes, they can.
You may find when you’re trying to sharpen your eyeliner pencil you’re not getting anywhere. If the shavings are coming off in little flakes, it means the sharpener blade is dull.
Some cosmetic sharpeners come with replaceable blades. If not, you will have to buy a new sharpener.
Always store your cosmetic sharpener in a clean, dry environment. This will protect the blades from dampness, dirt, and bacteria.
5 Ways To Sharpen Eyeliner Without Sharpener
It is always best to sharpen eyeliner pencils with a proper cosmetics sharpener. But that being said, you may not always have one to hand.
If this is the case, there are other options.
Bear in mind though that a couple of these options are more dangerous than using a regular cosmetics sharpener, so proceed with caution.
Also, it’s important to sanitize your stand-in pencil sharpener to prevent the spread of bacteria to the eyes.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the other options for sharpening your eyeliner pencil.
1. Scissors
Scissors can be used to sharpen an eyeliner pencil, but it can be quite awkward so be careful not to cut yourself.
How To Use
- First, wash your hands and sanitize the pair of scissors.
- Open the scissors wide and place the pencil between the blades. Put the pencil on a level surface with a tissue under it to prevent contamination.
- Grip the scissors in your dominant hand by the handles, not the blades. Close the scissors to just above the tip of the eyeliner.
- Slowly glide the scissor blades down to the end of the tip. Repeat two or three times.
- Examine the tip to see the results. Repeat if necessary.
2. Pocket Knife
A pocket knife is a good, but potentially dangerous way of sharpening an eyeliner pencil.
There are also other kinds of precision knives you can use for the job, such as utility knives, pen knives, or an X-Acto knife.
Be sure to move the knife away from your body so you don’t cut yourself.
How To Use
- First, wash your hands and sanitize your knife of choice.
- Grip the knife in your dominant hand and the pencil in your non-dominant hand.
- Point the eyeliner pencil downward and away from you. You may find it easier to point it against a flat surface.
- Starting just above the tip of the pencil, glide the knife down to the end of the tip.
- Repeat, turning the pencil as you go, so the pencil is evenly sharpened on all sides.
- Repeat until you are happy with the results.
3. Regular Pencil Sharpener
Perhaps the most obvious stand-in for a cosmetics pencil sharpener is a regular pencil sharpener.
Bear in mind, however, that these are designed for hard, lead pencils, not soft, waxy eyeliner pencils.
Also, a regular pencil sharpener tends to be wider than a cosmetics pencil sharpener. This means that it will sharpen an eyeliner pencil quicker and with less precision.
It will usually leave a blunter tip on the eyeliner pencil, which is both annoying and a waste of product.
How To Use
- First clean and sanitize the pencil sharpener before use. Remember it has been used for regular lead pencils, meaning it probably contains small bits of pencil shavings that could get into your eye, not to mention bacteria.
- Hold the sharpener in your dominant hand (depending on whether you are right or left-handed).
- Insert the tip of the eyeliner pencil.
- Gently spin the sharpener (not the pencil) two or three times.
- Check the pencil tip to see if it has sharpened enough. If not, repeat.
4. Sandpaper
If you happen to have some to hand, sandpaper is a safe and easy way to sharpen your eyeliner pencil in the absence of a cosmetic pencil sharpener.
How To Use
- Get your piece of sandpaper ready.
- Holding your eyeliner pencil in your dominant hand, simply rub the tip of the pencil against the sandpaper.
- Ensure you slowly rotate the pencil as you go, to ensure it is sharpened evenly.
- Repeat until you are satisfied with the result.
5. Nail File
A nail file is a quick and easy alternative to sharpen your eyeliner pencil in the absence of a proper cosmetic pencil sharpener. It has the added bonus of being an object that is often easily to hand.
The nail file attached to a pair of nail clippers is also a good substitute.
How To Use
- Hold the eyeliner pencil in your dominant hand (or the other hand if this is easier for you).
- Gently drag the tip of your eyeliner pencil down the nail file.
- Gently rotate the pencil as you go, to ensure it is sharpened evenly.
- Repeat until you are happy with the results.
How Do I Stop My Eyeliner From Breaking?
There are three main factors that could cause an eyeliner pencil to break during or after sharpening.
Let’s take a look at what these are:
1. Incorrect Sharpening Technique
It’s always best to hold the sharpener in your dominant hand and your pencil in the other, and slowly rotate the sharpener instead of the pencil.
Why is this?
Because turning the pencil causes the pencil to move more. This makes it glide unevenly across the blade, causing small nicks that cause the pencil to break.
For the same reason, you should rotate the sharpener slowly. Hurrying or pressing too hard can also cause nicks or cause the tip to break.
Rotate the sharpener two or three times, then check the pencil tip. Repeat until you have your desired result.
2. Product Build-Up Inside Sharpener
Another common reason for breakage is product build-up inside the sharpener.
Because eye pencils are soft and waxy, the product can easily build up, becoming caked-on and sticky inside the sharpener.
This prevents the blade from evenly sharpening an eyeliner pencil when inserted.
To rectify this problem, clean the sharpener out after each use to prevent product build-up.
3. Wrong-Sized Sharpener
Using the wrong-sized sharpener can also cause breakage because it will make the process of sharpening more difficult.
It can cause tension on the pencil, cause the tip to break off, or leave the tip too blunt.
You should select the correctly-sized sharpener for the job.
How To Sharpen Soft Eyeliners
Some eyeliners, such as kohl eyeliners, are extra soft to make them easier to blend and smudge for a dramatic smoky eye look.
These eyeliners require a bit of special care when sharpening, due to their extra soft and buttery formula.
So if you’re not getting the results you want with your cosmetic pencil sharpener, one good tip is to pop the pencil in the freezer for five minutes before sharpening.
This will firm it up a bit so it will sharpen more easily.
Also, remember not to press on the pencil too hard when sharpening. This will break the tip and you’ll waste product.
It’s best to hold the eyeliner pencil still and twist the sharpener gently around on it instead, for a smooth and even finish.