How to Revive Dried Eyeliner

Whether you’re looking to create a super-bold cat eye for a night out or darken the lash line for a barely-there makeup look, eyeliner is without a doubt an essential part of your beauty routine. But shaky hands aside, let’s be honest: your eye makeup looks are only as good as your eyeliner. Unfortunately, they tend to dry out fast.

There are a few reasons why eyeliner dries out. It could be due to the nature of the formula (some liners dry more easily than others), how you store it, or perhaps you forgot to put the cap back on your pen or gel pot. Hey, we’ve all been there.

Unless you can somehow tolerate the skin tugging and uneven application, dried-out eyeliner is pretty much impossible to work with. Thankfully, there are ways to breathe life back into a parched pencil, liquid, or gel eyeliner and extend the longevity of your products.

If you ever find yourself in this beauty conundrum, try these 11 DIY hacks to save dried eyeliner.

Run the Tip on the Back of Your Hand

One of the most obvious (though potentially wasteful) ways to resuscitate a dry pencil eyeliner is to run the tip on the back of your hand or inner wrist to warm up and soften the product. This trick works for liquid eyeliner too. You can be more vigorous with a brush-tipped liner to encourage the product to start flowing.

For felt-tip liners, run the tip over a paper towel dampened with warm water. FYI, you should avoid dunking it into water or passing it under a running faucet because that could oversaturate the tip and make your liner too watery.

If nothing comes out, it’s probably a sign that your pen has run out of formula and it’s time to buy a new one.

Add Eye Drops

Eyeliners that come in a small pot tend to harden more quickly. The good news is that you can easily bring them back to life with something you probably already have at home: eye drops.

Squeeze a few eye drops or contact solution directly into the pot of dried-out eyeliner and use an eyeliner brush to mix it in. If it’s rock-hard, use a toothpick or safety pink to crack the surface beforehand. This makes it easier for the eye drops to penetrate and spread throughout the product. Mix until fully incorporated and add more eye drops, one drop at a time until you achieve the desired consistency. Did we mention that this trick works on dried-out mascara, too?

Shake It

Like many liquid and cream-based makeup products, the ingredients in liquid eyeliner can separate. To prevent this, some makeup brands add a small ball bearing inside the tube of liquid liner pens, which usually makes a rattling sound. Often found in brush-tip liners, this small innovation helps mix things around and makes sure that the product is cohesive upon application. If your liquid liner runs dry or streaky, give it a few good shakes before applying.

Add Coconut or Jojoba Oil

Waxier formulas like gels can be softened with a little bit of oil. Just be careful to add one drop at a time because too much oil can make the eyeliner smudge easily and look like an oil slick on your lids. After adding the oil, use a toothpick or safety pin to poke holes into the gel. This will allow the oil to sink in. Put the cap back on and let the gel eyeliner sit overnight. It should be ready to use in the morning.

Press the Tip

Felt-tip liners are prone to blockages and sometimes just need a little reboot to encourage ink flow. If your pen isn’t working, try pressing the tip against the back of your hand for a few seconds. This can encourage the product to start flowing. If nothing comes out, then your pen has run out of pigment so toss it out.

Rehydrate the Rod

If your liner is new but already dried out, it could be that the felt tip has dried out and is blocking the product. You can fix this by rehydrating the felt rod. This method is for felt-tipped liners and involves a bit of surgery. It’ll take a bit more effort, but it’s incredibly satisfying when it works!

To do this, grab a pair of tweezers and remove the ink rod from the eyeliner pen. Dip it in a glass of warm water and leave it to hydrate for a few seconds. Take the rod out of the water and dab it dry with a paper towel before returning it to the pen.

Add Inglot Duraline

Like a shriveling succulent, your first instinct might be to add water to your dried-out eyeliner. But doing so will ruin a waterproof formula and turn your tube of eyeliner into a breeding ground for bacteria. Thankfully, makeup pros developed Inglot Duraline, a clear liquid that you can mix with different makeup products to prolong its use. This multipurpose product is great for rehydrating dried-out mascara and eyeliner, especially creams and gels. You can also use it to turn eyeshadow into liquid liner. Just add a few drops of Duraline to bring back the emollience and add waterproofing properties to your eyeliner.

Warm It in Hot Water

Pencil liners contain wax which can harden up and make it harder to apply, whereas liquid eyeliners can get gloopy and disrupt the flow of the product. A simple way to fix either issue is to warm it in hot water.

With the cap on and tip-side down, dip the eyeliner in a cup of warm water or run it under the tap. Leave it for three to five minutes or until you see the pencil liner start to melt. Remove the eyeliner from the water and dry it off with a paper towel to get rid of the excess water. Run the tip over the back of your hand to trigger ink flow. If it’s streaky, repeat this process a few times until you get the right consistency.

Sharpen Regularly

Pencil liners can harden up or dry out over time. Regularly sharpening your pencils can help keep the product moist and remove the outer layer of the tip, which often dries out. You can also get rid of the hardened layer by rubbing the tip on a paper towel.

Store at Room Temperature

Unless advised on the instructions, never leave your eyeliners exposed to extreme temperatures! Avoid storing them in the fridge or leaving them in a hot car. Freezing or melting any makeup formula can compromise its integrity.

Seal Properly

When it comes to ensuring that your makeup products last, proper storage is key. Eyeliner is no exception to this. Putting the cap back on tightly after every use will minimize air exposure and prevent any liquid, gel, or cream eyeliners from drying out.

source https://degreesofvanity.com/how-to-revive-dried-eyeliner/