The 'Knot Dot' Eyeliner Trick Can Make Your Eyes Look Brighter
If you've ever wiped away your fifth attempt at a creative eyeliner look — skin red and raw, with your mood bordering on rage — then you know graphic liner is a beauty concept that often sounds better in theory than in practice. Graphic liner is tough, even for the most steady-handed, seasoned MUAs. But a new makeup trend promises to help us connect the dots a bit more easily.
Knot dots have been circulating on TikTok as a unique, new way to adorn your eyes, and it's easy to see why. Not only is the look easy enough to master, but it blends retro elements of Twiggy-era bottom lashes with space-age flair. If you're never sure whether you want to go modern or vintage, knot dots meet you in the middle.
What's more, no actual knotting is involved — no, you're not painting sailor's knots onto your lash line. Here's everything you need to know about this hot new trend.
What are knot dots?
Two similar techniques are taking the internet by storm: knot dots and the four-dot technique. We'll start with knot dots, the more minimalistic of the two styles. Rachel OCool shared her tutorial for natural-looking knot dots on TikTok, citing it as an easy way to make eyes stand out without using heavy liner.
"Take a liquid liner — black works, but brown is better — and find where the bottom lashes cross over each other. Place just a dot of liquid liner on the base or knot of the lashes, and boom! You have a knot dot. Follow this along your lash line, add some brown mascara, and woo! It looks so good," OCool explains.
OCool's way of incorporating knot dots into the lash line is reminiscent of the painted or false lower lashes that were all the rage in the 1960s mod fashion movement. Blended in with mascara, the knot dots subtly emphasize the lash line without making the eyes appear smaller or boxed in with product.
What is the four dot technique?
Similar to knot dots but a little bit funkier, the four-dot technique is a fun way to incorporate liquid liner dots in an eye-catching, space-age way. SoyMilkIsBetter offers an easy-to-follow tutorial on her TikTok using white liquid liner, but you can use brown, black, colorful, metallic, rhinestones — you get the point. The essential part is where you're putting the liner.
The MUA takes liquid liner and places four small dots around her eyes: one on the lash line, like a knot dot; two just outside either corner of the eye; and one above the lid crease, directly above the lower knot dot. She recommends lining the dots up with your pupils as best you can, so it's critical to apply this look while looking straight-on at a mirror.
You can incorporate OCool's lower knot dots with additional dots à la the four dot technique around the eye, or choose one or the other, depending on what aesthetic you're trying to achieve. Whether you go with natural colors or something a bit more vivid, these graphic liner looks require minimal effort while making a big impact.