This $8 Drugstore Liquid Liner Gives Me the Easiest, Most Perfect Cat Eye
Winged eyeliner is more than just part of an everyday beauty routine. A perfect wing—or cat eye, my preferred term—implies glamour and precision. That's why it's hilarious when people compliment me on my perfect cat eye. I'm neither glamorous (I might be wearing pajama pants right now) nor precise (when was I born again?). Nope, my clear, steady, and bold eye look is the result of one product alone (and 10+ years of practice): a black liquid liner.
While I've been loyal to the never-fail Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner for years, I've recently found a drugstore product that does the job just as well, and I'm here to share my wisdom with you. Trust me! A bartender asked me for this exact information the other day, and I wasn't even that smug when I told her it only costs $8.
Eye Studio Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner
Maybelline ulta.com
$7.99
What's the product?
It's an oldie, but a goodie. The Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise All Day Liquid Eyeliner is a simple eyeliner pen that comes in three colors: blue, brown, and black. I find the applicator super easy to use; its base sharpens to a point, to give your a cat eye that elegant comet tail.
How do you apply it?
Maybelline says this product can give you "precise definition in just one stroke." I'm nowhere near talented enough to accomplish that.
Here's what I do: line my upper lid with a few feathery strokes, going slightly beyond the end of the lid; smooth the line out if needed; then find where I want my cat eye to end, slightly less than halfway between the outer corner of my eye and the end of my eyebrow.
Then, I press the full length of the pen down on my skin and sweep the pen down and slightly inwards to meet the end of the lid-line I've made. Ta-da!
What's it good for?
I use this liner every freaking day. I prefer a middle-level cat eye. Not a Brigitte Bardot–style all-drama, bottom-and-top extravaganza—and not a super-fine line, either. As I mentioned, I don't actually have that steady a hand, so if you're in the market for an ultra-thin applicator that will give you maximum control or a more modest line, this isn't it. But if you would like to create an elegant flick in as few strokes as possible, this is a good bet.
Also, it dries really fast. Bonus!
Any drawbacks?
I have quite watery eyes—if it's windy or cold, you can bet my eyes are running attractively. I've found that this formula can't withstand my eye juice as well as the Stila liner, so if you share my All Tears, All the Time issue, you might want to insure your makeup by applying a layer of primer first.
Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Urban Decay Cosmetics ulta.com
$24.00
Estelle Tang Senior Editor Estelle Tang is the Senior Editor covering culture and entertainment at ELLE.com—including TV, movies, books, music, and Adidas tracksuits.
