Using an Eye Black Stick
Remove the cap and twist the stick up into position. Pull off the cap the same way you would a tube of lip balm or stick of deodorant. With the cap removed, you’ll see the dark matte eye black stick inside. Twist the finger wheel on the bottom of the tube to raise the stick and ready it for use. You’ll find eye black in the baseball aisle at any sporting goods store, as well as the sports section of your local supercenter. Always lower your eye black stick and replace the cap when you’re not using it. If you throw it back in your bag without the cap on, you’re in for a big mess!
Press the stick to your face about 1 inch (2.5 cm) below your eye. Start at the point of your cheekbone, just below and outside the outer edge of your eye. Hold the tip of the stick flat against your face at a 90-degree angle. This will help you get a thicker smudge that will block out more light. If you prefer, you can also start on the nose side of your eye and drag it outward toward your cheekbone.
Draw a horizontal line from your cheekbone to the edge of your nose. From your starting point, drag the stick slowly along the base of your eye using moderate pressure. Stop when you reach the part of your nose above your nostril. It may help to watch yourself in the mirror the first few times you apply eye black. You’ll sometimes see baseball players smudging their eye black into triangles or similar designs beneath their eyes. This is just an aesthetic choice, and doesn’t make the grease any more effective.Tip: Your eye black should extend slightly beyond your eye on both sides. Otherwise, you might be leaving yourself vulnerable to glare on the periphery of your vision.
Run the stick back and forth as needed to fill in the stripe. The first line you draw with your eye black may appear somewhat faint. If that’s the case, simply go back over the area a few more times until the stripe is nice and solid. For maximum protection, your finished stripe should be 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) thick at every point. Be careful not to bring the stick too close to your lower eyelid. Getting eye black in your eye itself could cause a stinging or burning sensation or excessive tearing.
Repeat the process on the opposite side of your face. Once you’ve finished applying eye black beneath one eye, move the stick over to your other eye and do the same thing. Both halves of your face should look more or less symmetrical when you’re done. Your stripes don’t have to be perfect. The important thing is that they completely cover the area around your lower eye sockets that tend to tend to reflect the most light.
Inspect for defects in a mirror. Take a moment to look over your handiwork and ensure that your eye black is uniform. If you find any gaps or thin spots, fill them in with additional grease, then get out there and play ball! It may be a good idea to pack a small hand mirror in your gear bag if you’re in the habit of applying your eye black on the field or in the dugout.
Use rubbing alcohol to remove your eye black after the game. Grab an alcohol swab or soak a cotton ball in a small amount of pure rubbing alcohol. Then, close your eye and wipe at the grease until it begins to fade. It may take a few minutes for it to disappear completely. Be sure to follow the removal directions listed on the packaging of the product you’re using. If you don’t have any rubbing alcohol lying around, you can also wash off your eye black the old fashioned way using soap and warm water, though this may take longer.
Applying Eye Black Stickers
Remove the backing from the adhesive sticker. Take hold of the loose edge of the backing and peel it off in one smooth motion. Try not to let your fingers make contact with the adhesive itself, or it could lose some of its stickiness. Your local sporting goods store may carry eye black stickers in the baseball or football section. If not, look for them online. A package of eye black stickers typically only costs $4-5, and often includes around 12 pairs of stickers.
Center the sticker about 1 inch (2.5 cm) below your eye. Hold the sticker over the flat part of your upper cheek just beneath your lower eyelid. Try to line it up with the middle of your pupil. Essentially, you want the sticker to sit between your lower eyelid, the point of your cheekbone, and the nearest nostril. Some eye black stickers are curved slightly to fit along the contour of the player’s eye. If the stickers you’re using are curved, arrange them so that the curve is pointed upwards like a smile. Take your time to double-check that each sticker is positioned correctly before you smooth it down.
Press the sticker into place. Once you’ve got your first sticker situated just right, touch it to your skin and apply light pressure for a few seconds. Then, smooth the sticker from end to end with the pad of your finger to make sure it’s secure. There’s no need to bear down too hard—just be sure that every part of the adhesive back is making contact with your skin.
Place a second sticker below your other eye. Remember to align the sticker with the center of your pupil about 1 inch (2.5 cm) under your eye. Press the sticker to your face and run your finger over it to smooth it down. Both sides of your face should be congruent. Resist the urge to mess with your eye black stickers once you’ve got them where you want them.Tip: If you like, you can personalize your eye black stickers with text, symbols, or the name of your team using correction fluid or a white colored pencil.
Look in a mirror to make sure both stickers are straight and level. If they’re not, carefully loosen them and adjust their placement as needed. Just avoid removing them too many times, or the adhesive will begin to wear off.
Peel the stickers off when you’re done playing. One major advantage of eye black stickers is that they’re much easier to remove than the stick. Just grab the edge of each sticker, pull them free, and toss them in the trash. Don’t attempt to use the same stickers more than once. There’s a good chance that they could come unstuck during a crucial part of the game.
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