Eyeliner Essentials

By the looks of it, the best smudgy, smoky eyeliner can be achieved only through a special blend of a late night, a great party and minimal next-day cleanup. The reality? It’s not quite so effortless. However, the right products can make it a bit easier. To perfect the look, stock your makeup bag with these must-haves:

Gel eyeliner. To get a smudged liner look that lasts, start with a long-lasting base. And when it comes to staying power, most gel eyeliners blow their pencil counterparts out of the water.

Smudge-able liner. Top your base gel-line with a creamy cake liner (or a matte, highly pigmented black shadow) or a soft kohl pencil.

Best brushes. Hands down, the right tools are key to nailing the perfect smudged liner. For gel or liquid liners, head straight for Benefit’s angled Get Bent brush, which makes application precise yet nearly effortless. For dabbing on cake eyeliner or diffusing a kohl line, try Mark's Hard Angle brush.

--Michelle Thomas, Style section (The Washington Post)

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