We’ve all forgotten many of the pre-pandemic skills we took for granted. Despite being back for a while, I still can’t remember how to dress just right for the office. On some days I look like I just walked a dog; on others like I am going for a job interview elsewhere. I turned up very late to a party the other weekend because I’d forgotten how to do party make-up. I’d completely overdone it and my mug made a far bigger entrance than I’d planned. Having an hour in the bathroom, slowly trowelling on the slap, sipping a tequila and listening to banging tunes on Heart FM was the highlight of the night, of course.
But I now remember there’s only one skill you need for instant glamour. Take it from Adele, Alexa Chung, Rihanna, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn: one slick flick of liquid eyeliner is like putting on a cocktail dress, the fast track to womanly, timeless fabulousness.
I’ve been using liquid liners since I was a teenager back in medieval times – so I have tried scores of them. The more recent versions are so much easier to apply, so we needn’t be intimidated if our calligraphy skills are limited. But it is worth practising a couple of times if you’re planning on using one for a big night out because a little bit of precision is required.
I asked the British make-up artist/genius Pat McGrath for her tips for beginners.
“You want to start at the inner corner of the eye, close to the tear duct and apply a very precise and thin line which gets thicker the closer you get towards the outer corner of your eye. The perfect cat-eye flick should have a gradual tapered shape.”
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Don’t be afraid to try a Sixties-style “wing” at the outer corners of your eyes for that feline look. We can all do it – but there’s a trick, says McGrath. “You want to start to lift the wing just before the end of your eye and not before you reach the end.” I’ve noticed the older and droopier my eyelids get, the earlier this “lift” begins – but it is very much doable for all ages. If you mess up, says McGrath, “Dampen a pointed cotton bud with make-up remover to clean up the outer corner of the wing.” Sometimes I start with the wing to make sure I’ve got it right before filling in the rest.
What I have also learnt is that, with a few exceptions, you do get what you pay for with a liner. McGrath’s own brand has a brilliant Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner (£25; patmcgrath.com). It really is the business: easy to apply, long-lasting and doesn’t skip over the wrinkles. NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Eye Liner (£9; boots.com) is the best of the cheaper ones as far as I have seen. Another of my all-time favourites is Tom Ford’s Eye Defining Pen (£47; selfridges.com). This one has a liner tip at each end of the pen – one thicker, one finer. I use the thicker one first and go over any wobbly margins with the finer end. It stays put for hours and hours, even if your eyes have watered from the price.
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