Have you ever been late to work because of your eyeliner? It started out perfectly, then your hand slipped. Or one eye looks like a masterclass in makeup, but somehow you messed up the other eye, and now you have to add more eyeliner to make it even – and now you look like someone threw a black paint ball into your eye socket.

The struggle is real.

Well, take notes: these eyeliner hacks will guarantee that your eyeliner never smudges, looks crooked, ends up all over your eyes. You’ll even get that perfect flick — quick.

Rest your elbow on the table

If your elbow’s steady, your hand will be steady too. That’s where a table mirror comes in handy.  Ideally you can adjust the height so you can look down when you apply liner – this helps you get really close to the lashline, so your eyeliner makes your eyelashes look thicker.

Use tape or a calling card as a guide

Line up the tape or calling card along the outer corner of your eye to get a sharp and straight kitten flick.  Or, if you feel like splurging, get Beauty Blender’s Liner Designer. The rubbery plastic molds against your facial curves, and you can choose between straight or curved edges to create all sorts of eyeliner looks.

Create the perfect cat eye with dental floss

Try this eyeliner hack from vlogger @iamsugarcoated! She uses tiny little flossers are perfect for super-thin kitten flicks. Just coat it with liquid eyeliner and stamp it on the outer corner. Then reangle it to stamp another line and form a triangle. Fill that it in with liquid eyeliner, and voila – a cat eye!

Keep cotton buds ready

Mistakes happen, but you can fix them without making a bigger mess. Just dip a cotton bud into oil-free makeup remover (micellar water is the best). Swipe off the eyeliner and start over again. Or you can also buy Almay Oil-Free Makeup Eraser Sticks – same concept, but much more convenient! You can even pack some in your makeup kit to clean up any smudged makeup in the middle of the day.

Powder up

Apply a neutral eyeshadow on your eyelids before applying any eyeliner. It neutralizes the discoloration around the eyes, and prevents eyeliner and mascara from smudging. (Tip: a warm peachy eyeshadow can also brighten up your eye area so you look more awake.)

Play connect the dots

Instead of drawing one long line (and praying that it works out) use the tip of your eyeliner to make a line of dots across your lashline. Now all you have to do is connect the dots and colour them in – just like those kindergarten puzzles.  

Get the perfect angle

Makeup legend Charlotte Tilbury gave this eyeliner hack for perfect winged liner. Line up a cotton bud between the end of your eyebrow and the outer corner of your eye. Then, draw dots. “This is the most natural angle for any wingled eyeliner, ” says Tilbury. And never, ever pull your skin when you apply liner. “It causes wrinkles, and you don’t get an accurate idea of how your eyeliner will look when your face is relaxed.”