Eye Love Eyeliner <3

I'm a big fan of eyeliner - all colors, styles, and application techniques. They can be used to make that sexy, smudgy, smokey eye or the old Hollywood cat eye, and no matter what, they all make your lashes look super thick. Here are a few of my favorites and some tips on how to use them.

For the dark smokey eye, I recommend using a pencil that comes with a sponge tip on the opposite end to use for smudging. I like Dior's Crayon Eyeliner ($26) because it's waterproof, which means it's going to hold through hell and high water. It glides on precise, but with the sponge on the end, you can softly blend it out. I like to use Trinidad Black, which is a jet black. To get the smokey look, you just line from the outer corner to the inner corner on the top lash line. As far as the bottom lash line goes, it's a matter of preference as to whether you want to go from the outer corner halfway in or all the way in to the inner corner (if you have small eyes, only go halfway because if you go all the way, it will just make your eyes look that much smaller). Then, before the liner sets as all waterproof liners do, you take the sponge on the end and just blend softly in small strokes until it's just smudged enough to not be a precise line. Then, with a stiff-bristle brush, smudge a dark charcoal grey or black eyeshadow along the eyeliner and a little bit out past it. I like Urban Decay's Matte Eyeshadow in Perversion, which is a matte black.

When you do a dramatic, smokey eye like this, I recommend sticking with natural makeup everywhere else, with just a touch of blush and a soft, natural lip. This way, it doesn't look too overwhelming.

I also like when people do the smokey eye with different colors, like deep purples, blues, or greens. Here are some examples.

I'm also a big fan of the old Hollywood, super glamorous cat-eye with a precise, black line. Most of the time, liquid eye liners or brush-on ones in a cream or gel form are the best kinds to get this look. Stila Smudge Pots ($20) are gels that can actually be used as eyeliner or even a cream eyeshadow. If you use a small, stiff brush similar to a lip brush, it will glide on perfectly smooth and precise. I pull out the corner of the eye with one hand, while brushing on the eyeliner with the other. This takes some practice and you have to angle the wing on the end differently depending on your eye shape, so just keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it.

I've mentioned before another liquid liner that I really like - Lancome's Artliner ($28) which has a long, pointy, felt tip that's incredibly easy to apply and stays on all day without flaking.

I like dramatic looks with the black liquid eyeliner, too, that are a little more fresh and modern, a little less Hollywood glamour.

I love bright colors, too. Makeup Forever's Aqua Eyes ($17) are incredible eyeliner-eyeshadow hybrids that come in a ton of different colors and can be matte or shimmery. They're waterproof, so they stay on incredibly long and look super awesome.