Way before I worked as a Beauty Editor, I have been a long time eyeliner lover. Secondary school loo breaks were often spent leaning over sinks, drawing the thickest kohl lines we could get away with whilst in a fog of hairspray and white musk.

Obviously, A LOT of time has since passed but isn’t it funny how we still stick to the same tricks?

OK, so I’ve moved onto liquid liners rather than pencils, but let’s not literally split lash hairs here. The point being that I will always have a thick, flicked eye line whenever it’s a make-up day.

It’s become my little signature thing (I also can’t bear eyeshadow!) And while it’s not always identical, practise does make perfect. It’s a great feeling when you do get an eyeliner wing-win, innit?

Anyhoo! Working in the beauty biz has meant that I have probably tried my fair share of what’s out there – not everything granted – but certainly the majority. There have been spectacular horrors – watery, tapioca textures and sandpaper, scratchy nibs which I would always ditch straight away. THAT’S NOT MY EYELINER, ITS INK IS TOO YUCKY! However, on the whole many have become favourites and there are three simple ways in which I rate them.

Don’t give me grey black, petrol black or midnight black. I want ULTRA-PITCH-BLACK-CAN’T-SEE-MY-HAND-IN-FRONT-OF-ME-BLACK. To get that really intense cats eye effect, especially if like me you are brown or have dark or black eyelashes, my advice is that unless it comes out BLACKER-THAN-BLACK-HAS-EVER-BEEN-BLACK, bin it!

The firmness of the applicator is key.  Whether it’s a brush head or felt tip nib, it can’t be too tough and scratchy – remember that skin is super sensitive around the eyes, so you don’t want anything that drags and especially avoid this at all costs as skin ages – but similarly you don’t want it too limp or soft either. (Your mind, not mine!) I find that long bristle brushes are way too tricky to control. The secret is so that the applicator allows you to rotate around the curves and contours of your lash line in just a  few fluid but controlled movements.

All that said, if it’s darker than night itself and has the perfect texture applicator nib but smudges or drops after an hour, then jog on!

I have oily skin – something that plagued me in my younger Rimmel Black Cherry Lip liner years – that I am now thankful for as the bonus to looking like you’ve stuck your head into a vat of Vaseline is that skin ages much slower than drier complexions.

However, it also means that make-up will slide off faster than a ready meal lasagne, microwaved and plated then spun round to serve (true story, sorry Mrs B!) Using concealer to act as a primer beforehand, usually does the trick. That said, if it still slides off like oily pasta, then it’s got to walk the line (or not as the case maybe!).

Rimmel Scandaleyes Micro Eyeliner, £5.99

Bourjois Liner Feutre in Noir, £6.99

Barry M Blink Eyeliner in Black, £4.50

Kat Von D Beauty Tattoo Liner in Trooper Black

Weirdly, it was my brother’s fiancé who actually introduced me to this product over Christmas, knowing that I’m an eyeliner addict. I’ve been using it since and can honestly say that she is bang on the money. OK, it’s a bit more expensive at £16 – but it’s worth it, especially if like me, you love a good flick! (Your dirty mind again, not mine!)

It’s easy to control and the colour is intense, so there’s no need to go over. Getting eyeliner looking symmetrical is always going to be an issue so here are my hacks on how I do mine…

1. Start from the inner corner as close to the lash line as possible. Draw a line to the middle and STOP.

2: Do the same on the other eye. Share the love, release the pressure valve. Don’t waste all your time and energy perfecting one eye ’cause the other is then bound to go wonky.

3: Get to work now on where the flick will be. My eye lids are starting to droop so if anything I need to create a more opened look so I don’t line right to last lash now but just before. As a general rule, the tail end should aim into the direction of where your brow hair stops.

4: Never draw your flick down – you’ll look more puppy dog than cats eye.

5: Once you’ve got that flick in place,  join up the line from where you left off. Take your time whilst stopping and starting to check that everything is all perfectly lined up!

Are you already a Kat Von D fan? It’s got a super, cult status and I’m looking forward to trying out some more stuff. If they’re anything like this liner, I’m pretty hooked…

Any more eyeliner flick tips that I missed? Let me know and as always thank you for reading.

*Illustration by the_girl_who_draws_things