From The Straits Times    |

Image: Showbit.com

1. Don’t use eyeliner.

Searching for a smudge-proof solution to streaky gel liner? Drumroll, please: Just don’t use eyeliner. Make for mascara to line your lids instead.

Wait, what? But how? Easy-peasy. Grab an angled eyeliner brush and dip it in your mascara of choice, then brandish the brush as you would any conventional eyeline. Most mascaras have a weightier proportion of waxes and oils in their formulas, making them highly “hydrophobic” (chem-speak for water-repellant) and therefore better suited for our budge-proof purposes. Takeaway: Moisture-resistant mascaras make for an excellent eyeliner alternative.

2. Upside down, you turn me inside out.

Storage is of the essence when it comes to extending the longevity of your liquid liners. Stash ‘em standing upside down in a clean container and let gravity do the work in ferrying the fluid downwards to bathe the bristle tips in fresh formula.

3. Lube up!

By the same token, simply dispense a drop or two of your favourite face oil directly into dehydrated gel pots for instant invigoration. Stir it around the surface of the erstwhile bone-dry eyeliner and it’ll be good to go!

ALSO READ: This ‘silicone breast implant’ may change the way you apply makeup forever

4. Mind the gap.

For a natty negative-space spin on the conventional cat-eye, try this futuristic feline flick trick courtesy of Shu Uemura’s assistant education manager Sophia Chia: “Leave a tiny gap in the middle of the tail for a really cool graphic look.” Product recommendation-wise, try Shu Uemura’s spectacularly smudge-proof Calligraph:Ink liquid liner ($58 for cartridge and applicator), which boasts carefully chosen bristles of varying firmness for a gorgeous glide.

Image: 123rf.com

5. Lock lips with your liner.

A creamy cinnamon or chocolate coloured eye pencil is perfect for pampering your puckers, particularly if nailing moist-matte #KylieJennerLips is your #InstaBeauty goal. If you’re concerned about creases, remember to layer a moisturising salve on your smackers under your colour.

6. DI your eyes with eyeliner.

Most of us with a glancing knowledge of makeup will know that white liner on your waterline, which is the pinkish rim around your eyes, will give the illusion of bigger peepers. Selecting a liner with good glide is absolutely essential for waterlining – you don’t want painful tugging around the delicate orbital region. In any case, once you’ve got your white liner on hand, simply start from the inner corners and deftly trace around the contours of your lower waterline. Blink rapidly to transfer some of the white pigment to your upper waterline for a diffused, more natural appearance. So easy!

Image: 123rf.com

7. Engage in some shadow play.

“Eye” adore using single shadow pots – try Cle de Peau Beaute’s beautifully blendable suite of seasonal colours – as a quick-and-dirty stained liner look. All you need to do is to grab an angled sponge to pick up the pigments from the pot. Use fluid, feathery strokes to rim the upper and lower lids, then smudge ever so slightly for a provocative morning-after vibe.

8. Finally, shake it all off.

Well okay, more like swipe it off. Made a makeup boo-boo? Try this quick-and-dirty (or is that quick-and-clean) hack on for size. All you need is a bunch of cotton buds and some micellar cleansing water on standby. Dip the cottony end of your bud in the cleanser, press the wet tip onto the superfluous smudge on your lid, then sweep out and up towards the temples in one deft, decisive move. You can then pat in some concealer to cover up the newly smudge-free swatch of skin.

Right, then. You know the drill: Sharing is caring, so if you’ve got a good DIY hack of your own to recommend, go right ahead and spill it. Here’s to keeping your flick “on fleek”!

Want more? Check out these fabulous face wipes that do an ace job of scouring your skin of dirt and debris, Get off on the right foot with this handy (or is that foot-sy) guide to getting your legs and feet in tip-top shape. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.

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