GETTING THE FLICK

Whether you’ve got the flick or are feeling the puppy-dog trend, says Sarah Caden, you’re spoiled for eyeliner choice

No matter how many times we read that it’s the genius hack for achieving the perfect eyeliner flick, some of us will never, ever press a credit card to the edge of our eye and employ it as a ruler. We just won’t. And not merely because we cut up the credit card years ago. An ATM card works too, it just sounds less glamorous. It’s not just an aversion to the credit-card hack that’s the issue, though. There are those among us who just can’t be doing with the flick. And for those people, there is good news in recent times, straight out of Korea, from whence many beauty bulletins come these days.

To create the new ‘puppy-dog’ eye, line the downward angle of your upper eyelid to the edge of your eye, where the top meets the bottom waterline, and then beyond. Then, on the outer third of your under-eye lashline, apply eyeliner — non-liquid if you’ve used liquid above — and bring it out to meet your downward-sloping line. Yes, this will feel all wrong if you’ve been focusing on an upward swoop for years. The effect is supposed to make your eyes look bigger, and we like it. It’s not only easy, it works. Without use of your credit card — bar maybe to buy one of these five favourites.

BEST OVERALL Wet n Wild ProLine Graphic Marker Eyeliner in Airliner Blue, €4.50, available nationwide

There’s a lot to love about this eyeliner, and, not least, the colour. It’s blue, but not ‘1980s Lady Di’ electric, but a darker, deeper, more dramatic shade. Which is to say that you don’t need to be 15 to get away with it. The nib is also a treat; it’s reminiscent of a permanent marker, and you can vary in thickness by how you angle the nib. It can be very fine or very thick, according to the occasion. And then, of course, the price doesn’t hurt, either. Though we can’t find any love for the brand name. “A fab colour,” said one panellist, “and though I needed to do two coats to get full density, the thick line was really impressive.”

BEST LONG LINER YSL High Impact 16-Hour Wear Color Eye Pencil in Bourgogne Rose, €27, YSL counters nationwide

This is officially a burgundy colour, but it’s extremely dark and could pass for black in certain lights. Which is what some of us want from an eyeliner: the drama and definition of black, without its unforgiving qualities. What we like most about this eyeliner, though, is its unusually good staying power. Some pencils will drift on oily lids, but not this one. Flicks or puppy-dog effects stay in place. “It’s soft enough that it doesn’t drag the skin, but it’s not gooey,” said a panellist. “A dream liner.”

BEST NICELY NUTTY Flormar Gel Eyeliner in Bole Brown, €7.95, selected pharmacies nationwide

Knacky and at a nice price, this is a very decent eyeliner that’s dead handy for your handbag. With the liner in the bottle’s base and a little brush in the lid, you can have touch-ups wherever you go, and we like this brown option for those times when black is just too bold. It also comes in black, though. “Creamy and smooth to apply,” said a panellist. “The brown is deep, but not harsh.”

BEST CUTTING EDGE Urban Decay Razor Sharp Liquid Eyeliner in Retrograde, €20, House of Fraser, Dundrum, D16; Debenhams

There are no less than 20 colours in this eyeliner range, which boasts unshiftable colour and a really, really precise brush. It might seem an obvious thing, but not all eyeliners have the same fine-tipped brush, which balances precision with comfort. It’s razor-sharp alright, but it won’t take your eye out. This shade is a gorgeous blue-black-purple with a non-gritty sparkle to it. “I may invest in other colours, and I can’t say enough good things about how it stays on and doesn’t flake,” said a panellist.

BEST RACY ROUGE Chanel Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Eros, €25, Chanel counters nationwide

This liner is part of the first collection for Chanel by Italian make-up artist Lucia Pica. Known for her partiality to pops of unexpected colour, the fact that this Le Rouge collection features reds for all over the face shouldn’t be a surprise. This is a reddy-brown, or a browny-red, that is surprisingly attractive around the eyes. As in, it won’t look like you have conjunctivitis. The key is to wear a ton of very black mascara with it and keep the lips a neutral shade. “It’s creamy, and more warm than full-on red. I was surprised to get away with this,” said one panellist. “Nicely autumnal.”