Chocolate does the job black used to do, only more kindly. Black eyeliner is one of the few beauty habits most women never question. It goes on in the morning, it defines the eye, and for decades it simply works. Then one day the same line that used to look sharp starts to look a little harsh, and nobody quite explains why.
Lidia Herrero has a clear answer. Speaking to the Spanish edition of InStyle, in remarks picked up by Argentina’s La Nación, the professional makeup artist says that for women over 50 with brown eyes, the most flattering liner is not black at all. It is chocolate brown.
Why Black Stops Working
The issue is contrast. Black creates the strongest possible line against the skin, which is exactly why it looks so graphic on a younger face. Over time, skin tone, brows and lashes soften, and that hard frame can start to sit on top of the face rather than with it. Herrero’s alternatives, chocolate brown, bronze, taupe gray and eggplant, still define the eye, but they blend into the skin instead of cutting across it, adding depth without hardening the features.
Each shade has its own job. Chocolate is the direct swap, close enough to black to read as definition in daylight and in photos. Bronze warms brown eyes and picks up the golden flecks many of them carry. Taupe gray is the discreet option for anyone who wants barely-there structure. Eggplant is the surprise of the list: a deep plum that makes brown irises look brighter by contrast, without tipping into colored-liner territory.
Not Liquid Either
The second half of her advice concerns formula. Herrero favors cream liners, which she describes as “very versatile and easy to apply,” over liquid ones. Liquid liner demands a steady hand and leaves a crisp, fixed stroke, and on lids with folds or fine lines that stroke can break, skip or sit unevenly. A cream gives you a few seconds to correct before it sets, and it softens naturally as you work it in.
Pencils can do a similar job if they are creamy enough to glide without tugging. The test is simple: if you have to press or drag to get color, the formula is too dry for a delicate lid.
How to Apply It
Her method keeps things simple. Draw a thin line as close to the upper lashes as you can. Before the product sets, soften it with a small brush, pressing it into the lash line rather than dragging it outward. Start with very little and build intensity only if you need it, since adding is always easier than taking away. The goal is a shadow, not a stroke.
A few extra habits help. If your lids are hooded, keep the line thinnest at the inner corner and slightly fuller across the outer third, where it will still show when your eyes are open. If you love a flick, smudge it upward instead of drawing a sharp wing. And go easy on the lower lash line, keeping any color to the outer corner so the eye stays lifted.
The point, as Herrero frames it, is not to give up a defined eye after 50. It is to stop relying on a tool designed for a different face. Black eyeliner had a long and successful run. Chocolate is simply better suited to the job now.