I am mostly done with “flicks”, the vintage, black feline liquid eyeliner made iconic by Margot Fonteyn and Brigitte Bardot, which I see daily in the thousands on Instagram and on the street. I love flicks – I’ve worn them forever and still think them fabulous, which is why I feel they should remain special, not my default. Technology has advanced to such a degree (notably in Benefit’s They’re Real push-up liner and Lancôme’s Artliner) that many women have mastered the once-tricky technique, making it mainstream. I’m pleased – makeup should be easy and accessible – but I find myself changing tack to keep things interesting.
My eyelids, approaching their 40th birthday, are also not what they were, so I’ve returned to proper eyeshadow: soft, smudgy colour that looks grown-up and timeless. I favour the cool browns of Sleek’s i-Divine Au Naturel palette (£7.99) or Charlotte Tilbury’s quad in The Sophisticate (£38), for a sort of Catherine Deneuve chill.
Dust an ivory shadow over the entire lid (you can be relatively slapdash), then, using a taupe or mushroom shade and small rounded brush (I use Mac’s 219; £21), follow the natural curve of your socket line, depositing colour just above it (if yours are invisible, feel your way: everyone has an eyeball, if they’re lucky). The brush should move like a windscreen wiper – there’s no need to move your arms about. Placing the heel of your palm under your chin keeps things steady. Lightly blend the two shadows together, but not too much: the taupe line needs to stay defined. Add brown eyeliner – I love Bourjois Smoky Effet (£5.49) – top and bottom. Smudge.
• Follow Sali on Twitter
