If you try one product, make it this molten liquid eyeliner that I'll be wearing to every summer occasion
In a shimmering bronze shade with serious staying power, Stila's Inkwear is an exemplary party liner
There's a lot to be said for finding your signature look and sticking with it. Wouldn't you be disappointed if Claudia Winkleman stopped self-tanning or Brian May got a buzzcut?
My 'thing' is black winged eyeliner. Not every day, but definitely for every night out. It was initially inspired by the late, great Amy Winehouse when a bout of university heartbreak overlapped with the release of Back to Black (heaven) Decades later, my feline flick's still here and is the only way I feel truly done and - real talk - hot for parties.
Why this transfer-proof liner is my beauty buy of the week
Essentially, I had a holiday fling with Stila Stay All Day Inkwear because packing a shimmery bronze liner, instead of my usual dead flat black, simply felt correct for two weeks in Thailand.
Yes, I swapped my signature black liquid liner for... bronze liquid eyeliner. Feel free to eye roll. But as anyone with a decades-long dependance on a very specific look will understand, this did feel like a brave departure.
That painterly inkwell contains a fairly thick and, frankly, quite gloopy-looking liquid that paints on with a skinny brush. You can use it along the upper lashline for subtle definition or wing it out, as is my wont. Either way, the finished look is soft and sultry with a warm-toned shimmer that makes my dishwater-grey eyes sparkle. It's also totally budgeproof and survived long nights in Bangkok humidity and long days of wedding merriment in Koh Samui, no sweat. So the holiday fling became a long-term thing, and here I am back in London intending to wear it to every summer occasion I'm invited to.
Me heading out to have fun in my Stila eyeliner all through (L) March, (M) April and (R) May
Some tips: Ensure the brush is really well loaded for non-draggy application. Be brave - more is more for smooth lines. You have to let it dry properly, especially if you have hooded eyes like me, so tilt your chin up for a good few minutes. But once it's on, it is on. So very on, in fact, that if transferring isn't usually a problem for you, this might be a bit too tattoo-like to be the best eyeliner for you.
But, if you are smudge-prone and dream of a flattering, spicy-looking eyeliner that reliably stays where you put it, this is it. And an oil-based makeup remover will take care of business when you want it off. Although, should you fall into bed without removing it (ahem), you will wake up with still-perfect, showerproof feline flicks already in situ, so you can do what you like with that information. Sounds good? Great! Let's chat next Sunday.
