Colorful Eyeliner Is Trending For Summer, So I Asked Makeup Artists How To Master The Look

I feel like everywhere I look this season, celebs are wowing me left and right with fierce colored liner looks. Earlier in the year, a block of bold eyeshadow was the trend of the moment, but now, nothing is cooler than a stripe or two of the most vivid huez you can find, and I've rounded up the best colorful eyeliners for summer 2019, as well as tips on how to apply them, according to some of my fave makeup artists. Thank me later or thank me right now. The choice is yours, I'm just here to talk liner.

"Bright eyeliner is great because it’s a really easy and fast way to up the glamour of an otherwise simple look," insists Andrew Sotomayor, an Emmy-winning makeup artist based in New York City. "It’s like wearing a simple black dress with rhinestoned heels or blue jeans and white shirt with a fuchsia pair of heels," he adds, and wow, that makes so much sense.

Ready to give bold liner a go? Read on for the best MUA-approved tips and formulas:

Liquid

"I really like the new Fenty trios," says Sotomayor of Riri's Getting Hotter collection. "You can stack the liners starting right against the lash line, or you can apply a light color in the inner corner, another under the eyes and another across the upper lash line," he instructs. Three's a charm, after all!

Personally, my fave set is the Fenty Beauty Vivid Liquid Liner Trio in Baecae ($35, fentybeauty.com), thanks to shades such as bright pink "Hottie Alert," stark white "Wet TShirt," and neon yellow "Banana Blaze":

Pencil

"When applying to myself, I’m a just-sharpened pencil kind of gal," says celebrity makeup artist and founder of Share The Glam, Mickey Williams. "However when I’m applying liner on a client and want a graphic line or a razor point to a cat eye, I use a fast-drying liquid." Using pencil on yourself can be ideal for trying to create the ~perfect~ shape, since its easier to work and remove the product to get your line just right.

The Glossier Play Colorslide Eye Liner ($15, glossier.com) made waves when it debuted in 14 colorful shades earlier this year. "Candyland," a metallic sherbert pink, is a big fave for me:

Like, hi shade range, I think I love you:

Chubby Stick

Looking for more of a colorblocked vibe than a fine line? A chubby stick pencil liner will cover more ground. "Since the colors are meant to be abstract and not skin tone-accentuating, you really can be playful and use the spectrum," says Williams of getting funky with your bright eyeliner. "You can follow the rules of traditional liner placement or be more creative with your bright, eye art," she insists, "Both eyes do not have to mirror each other and can be completely different colors and designs."

The Sephora Collection Colorful Shadow & Liner ($14, sephora.com) comes in 11 mattes, five glitters, and 14 shimmers, so you've definitely got some good options to get your creative juices flowing:

Fine Tip

Suppose you're more of a precise guy or gal? A liner with an ultra-fine tip is a must. A twist-up style that you don't have to sharpen can usually get you the tiniest tip, and speaking of tips, Sotomayor has one for making sure your lashes don't get lost in the liner sauce. "One thing about lighter shades like yellow, white, light blue, or pink is that they don’t define the eyes the way black or other dark liners do," he explains. "To balance the look, simply add one or two more coats of black mascara than usual," says Sotomayor. Noted!

The Marc Jacobs Beauty Fineliner Ultra-Skinny Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner ($25, sephora.com) comes in 14 shades, great for fine-tuning any colored eye look:

Drugstore

Allow me to indulge in a few runner-up liner faves. If you're hoping to try the trend on a budget, don't think you have to drop Fenty-level coin on a good liquid liner! The drugstore has a bevy of options that wont break the bank, and they can be ideal for mixing and matching, or just determining which shades suit you best.

My faves are the NYX Vivid Brights Liners ($7, nyxcosmetics.com), which come in nine unique colors:

Waterproof

Last but not least, one more pro tip for summer: Get yourself a waterproof colored liner! Make Up For Ever does carry an Aqua XL Ink Eye Liner ($24, sephora.com) that comes in 10 colorful shades, but I actually prefer its Aqua XL Color Paint Shadows ($25, sephora.com) when creating bright liner looks that I want to ensure are locked-in and waterproof. These creamy eyeshadow tubes are available in 14 shades, and all you need to do is squeeze the pigment onto your favorite angled brush and apply away.

See? Told you there were tons of options on the market! Now go forth with Sotomayor's and Williams' blessings and put this trend to the test on your very own lids. Happy lining!