EDITOR’S^
PICK
e’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 thecloser you get towards the outer corner of
your eye. The perfect cat-eye flick should have
a gradual tapered shape.”
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. ninstagram.com/lesleyjthomasThe only party make-up skill you need
Don’t panic if you’re rusty: a feline flick of eyeliner gives instant glamour
At a party the other weekend
I completely overdid the
slap and made a far bigger
NICK HADDOW entrance than I’d planned
The Times Magazine 65Best budget linerQuick-drying and waterproofLong-lasting liquid linerWhat we love Foolproof eyeliner
Charlotte Tilbury
The Feline Flick, £22
(charlottetilbury.com)Le Liner de
Chanel, £31
(chanel.com)Too Faced Better Than
Sex Liquid Eyeliner, £18
(boots.com)Tom Ford Eye Defining
Pen, £47
(selfridges.com)Pat McGrath Perma
Precision Liquid Eyeliner, £25
(patmcgrath.com)NYX Professional Makeup
Epic Ink Eye Liner, £9
(boots.com)W
Pout!
By Lesley Thomas
Easy to applyThick and thin brushes Intense black, waterproof