Liquid eyeliner isn't for everybody. For one thing, it requires patience, practice, and the willingness to start all over if it goes haywire (lots of time, cotton pads and gentle eye makeup remover is required). There's something painterly to applying it well (literally, some liquid liners need brushes purchased separately and hey, we don't call them makeup artists for nothing) and some of us are, shall we say, more Picasso than photo-realist. So what do you do if you want a Sophia Loren/Brigitte Bardot/swinging Sixties cat-eye?

You might want to start with Nars' new Eyeliner Stylo pens. They're basically a more elegant, eyeball friendly Sharpie (in a coal black, dusky gray, aquamarine/teal and a dark brown). They're high-pigment and long-wearing. They make drawing on your face a little easier for those who are not so good at drawing on their faces (the word 'glide' comes to mind). Flick away, you'll look like an expert. Dramatic flair comes so easily nowadays...