Eyestruck

I LOVE liquid eyeliner. I’ve worn it since I was 18, when I used to slick my short hair back with Brylcream, and lash on the liner.

Twenty years later and I can safely say that liquid eyeliner is still one of my number one favourite items of make-up. There is no other product that can make me feel quite so good about myself.

Okay, so it’s not like I slick it on and walk around thinking that I’m Brigette Bardot, but it does make your eyes look awesome. And because I generally wear mannish clothes at the moment (cigarette trousers, blazers, buttoned-up shirts — think Diane Keaton in Manhattan), I find the liquid eyeliner stops the crossover into a totally androgynous look.

Of course, the main thing that puts people off liquid liner is the application. The inter-net is full of tips and techniques on how to get it right, and even though by this stage I can apply it very well, I thought I’d give a few of them a go. Sadly, most were disappointing. (What’s with that “join-the-dots” technique? It doesn’t work!) The bottom line, as far as I’m concerned, is that practice makes perfect and the tools you use are key to whether the end result is fab or foul.

My number one tip is to avoid pens: I’m something of a liquid liner expert and even I find them difficult to use. The reason is that the nib is incredibly precise and while that may sound like a recipe for success, believe me, unless you’re got a super steady hand, it’s not.

Number two tip: put a shadow or a powder on your upper eye before you apply the liner. This is really crucial because as your eyelids start to get slightly oilier and more moist as the day/night goes on, you’ll find your liner making a shadow on your top lid. Worse, it can all just smudge together in one big mess.

Tip number three: a gel eyeliner is your new best friend. They work fabulously, and best of all is Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Gel Eyeliner. I know, I go on about this one a lot, but it’s an excellent product. It’s slightly puttier in texture than all the others, which means it’s a lot easier to apply. It also lasts much longer, and it has a really dark black intense colour that works a treat.

My technique? Well, I start from the outer edge of the eye and I draw the line to where I want it to go, then I fill it in all the way back along the eye and the eyelid, making the line thinner as I reach towards the inside of the eye. Is it always perfect? No. I’ve often gone out with insane Amy Winehouse flicks, when I was after something a lot more demure, but when it comes to this look you’ve got to be brave and just go for it.

And if you’ve never tried it before then now’s the time to start. Feline flicks are a big story this season, so it’s the perfect time to give it a go.

Wear the flicks with a lovely pink blush, pale skin and a pop of super-sheer pink lipstick and off you go.