Alright so today I got this itch to finally try that whole “guyliner” thing Pete Wentz made famous back in the day. Saw a clip of Fall Out Boy last night, dude rocking that thick eyeliner like it was nothing, and it got me thinking – how hard could it be, right? Figured I’d document the whole mess.
The Stumble-Out-The-Gate Phase
First off, I gotta admit – holding an eyeliner pencil near my eyeball felt weirder than I expected. My hand was shaking like I’d had three coffees. Grabbed this basic black pencil liner I swiped from my partner’s makeup bag (don’t tell her, shhh). Tried leaning real close to the bathroom mirror, holding my breath like I was defusing a bomb.
First attempt? Total fail. Poked myself right in the damn waterline. Tears started rolling immediately – not a good look. Tried again, this time just tracing the upper lash line super slow. Ended up with this shaky, jagged line that looked like a kid drew it. Wiped it off fast. Skin felt raw already. Great start.
Figuring Out The Damn Line
Watched a couple quick videos – mostly old Pete Wentz stuff and random dudes trying eyeliner. Learned you gotta pull the skin tight near the outer corner. Sounds easy. Wasn’t easy. Used my pinky finger braced against my cheek for support, like I saw someone do.
- Step 1: Tiny dots. Seriously. Just tapping tiny dots along my upper lash line. Felt ridiculous but helped.
- Step 2: Connected the damn dots. Slowly. Holding my eyelid taut with the other hand.
Step 3: Realized one eye looked WAY thicker than the other. Panicked.
Smudged one side thinner with my fingertip to kinda match. Decided a slightly messy, uneven “punk” vibe was acceptable for Pete Wentz authenticity. Called it deliberate.
Do I Look Cool Or Crazy?
Finished both eyes after like fifteen minutes. Stepped back. Blinked a bunch. Felt weird. My eyes looked darker, kinda intense? Walked out to the living room. My partner looked up from her book, stared for a solid five seconds.
“Whoa,” she said. “Straight up Wentz vibes. Actually… kinda works?”
Got the seal of approval! Or maybe she was just being nice. Either way, I took it. The liner felt a bit heavy, like I could feel it sitting on my lid. Kept catching myself blinking extra hard. Resisted the urge to rub it off.
Snapped a couple selfies. Harsh bathroom lighting. Looked pretty different than my usual mug – way more “emo” for sure. Wentz definitely wasn’t lying about how a little eyeliner can instantly change your whole face.
The Sticky Part – Wearing It Out
Decided to be brave. Had to run to the damn grocery store. Felt super self-conscious walking through the cereal aisle. Kept wondering if people stared. Honestly? Mostly got tired of feeling it on my eyelids. Got sweaty near the freezer section and worried it might smear. Had a mini-panic: “Do I have raccoon eyes?!” Checked my phone camera reflection. Was… fine. Mostly.
Got home, looked in the mirror. It had softened a bit, smudged darker under the outer corners. Kinda looked cooler? More lived-in, like I’d been on tour overnight instead of buying milk.
Wiping It Off & Thinking It Over
Getting it off? That took effort. Used makeup remover on a cotton pad. It stained a bit. Needed extra scrubbing near the roots.
Sat down afterward. Here’s the real deal: Pete Wentz absolutely had guts. Doing that every night on stage? In the mid-2000s when dudes in eyeliner got major side-eye? Respect. It’s wild how one guy just owning a look can nudge what “normal” is for everyone else years later. Before today, putting anything near my eye felt stupid. Now? Kinda wanna try different smudgy looks. Maybe even leave the house with it again.
Messy process? Absolutely. Worth it? Hell yeah. It’s just black lines, but somehow it felt like trying on a whole different skin.
