Eyeliner

Artfully applied eyeliner will make your eyes look larger, sexier, and more dramatic. Unfortunately, poorly applied eyeliner can make you like a refugee from the Goth movement. It can also smudge over the course of anywhere from minutes to hours, leaving you at an important event looking as though you've been napping, rubbing your eyes, or crying.

Clearly, it takes some work to master eyeliner. Some cosmetic brands have done their best to make it goof-proof, however. You might consider eyeliners from Avon, Mary Kay, Lancome, or Clinique if you like the look of dramatic eyes but have been a victim of eyeliner troubles in the part.

One thing you'll find--it's surprisingly difficult to sharpen a pencil-style eyeliner properly. It's hard to get a point that's fine enough for detailed and precise lining, and equally difficult to get a completely smooth pencil tip around the eyeliner itself. The last thing you want to do is scratch the delicate area around the eye with a pencil shard! For a growing number of women, self-sharpening eyeliner is absolutely the way to go. For example, Avon self-sharpening Glimmersticks are affordable and come in both fun and conservative colors.

Clinique water-resistant eyeliner is another great product because even if you sweat or tear up a little, your eyeliner won't run. You should also be aware that many eyeliners dry out over time. This will lead to flaky lines around your eyes and color that is unevenly distributed and won't stay put. Keep the cap on your eyeliner that comes with it, but also be prepared to replace your eyeliner every six months at the most.