Pencil wearers can choose from traditional Pencil Liners, soft Eye Kohl pencils and their more intense cousins the Kohl Power Eye Pencils, the mechanical pencil-style Technakohl Liner, and the long lasting cult favorite Powerpoint Eye Pencils. The Powerpoints are absolutely budge-proof. Permaplum is a very rich metallic purple that is dark enough to look natural. It also has a pink shimmer but don’t be put off by that. It’s not noticeable but instead has the effect of making the liner look multi-dimensional.

For those who never have any luck with pencils, there are a number of liquid options. Liquid Eye Liner is a standard liquid liner whereas Penultimate Eye Liner is a liquid liner with a pen tip. MAC’s Liquidlast Liner is a very long-wearing liquid liner with a brush applicator that stays on even through a day at the beach or after some serious crying. Not only does it not run, it also doesn’t flake, which is pretty impressive for a liquid liner. In fact, when it’s time to remove it, plan on expending an extra effort with a waterproof eye makeup remover. It comes in a lot of fun colors that can be hard to find in liquid liners, such as the teal-colored Aqualine.

photo credit: ookikioo

Fluidlines are the best of both worlds. They are gel liners that look soft and smooth like a pencil but without the hassle of sharpening. The Fluidlines do not smudge and come in cute little glass pots. You have a lot of control over the application because you can use whatever brush you want depending on the desired outcome. Blitz & Glitz is a classic black with a golden pearl twist. It seems almost impossible to go through an entire pot, but be sure to cap the lid tightly to avoid drying out the gel.

With so many great options, the only problem you will have when buying a MAC Eyeliner is narrowing down your selection!

Learning how to apply eyeliner is an essential step in pulling your look together. Properly applied eyeliner can help define your eyes and give a polished look. However, if you’re not careful, it can easily transform your appearance from classy to trashy. Here are instructions on how to apply pencil eyeliner for a pretty, natural look:

1. Color selection plays a big role in the final outcome. For everyday looks, brown is the most natural color for most people. However, if your hair is very dark, you can get away with black. Charcoal is another nice, universal option. If your eyes are green, a dark plum will make them pop.

2. Begin with the upper lid and a sharpened pencil. You need a heavier hand and a sharper tip for the upper lid. After using the pencil on your upper lids, the tip will soften a bit, making it perfect for lining the lower lid. If your pencil is very hard or waxy, warm it slightly with your fingers or hot water so it will glide better.

photo credit: Green Heat

3. Place the tip at the inner corner of your upper eyelid as close to the lash line as possible. Begin where your eyelashes begin or about one-fourth of the way in. Follow the lash line with the pencil all the way to the outer corner. As you reach the outer corner, you can press harder to make the line a little darker and thicker as it goes out.

4. Repeat this process on the lash line underneath the eye, but use a much lighter touch and work from the outside in. Remember the line should be thickest at the outside so gently lighten your touch as you work inward. Stop about three-fourths of the way toward your nose. Then grab a cotton swab and use it to lightly blend the line, starting from the inner corner and working outward, so that it looks more like a shadow than an obvious line.

5. You can connect the top and bottom lines on the outer corner of the eye, but don’t do this on the inner corners or it will make your eyes appear smaller. Regardless of how much eyeliner you apply, be sure it is even and blended – not rough and jagged. You can use an small, angled flat brush to smooth out any problem areas.