Beauty tips - how to get perfect winged eye liner

Winged eye liner is one of those classic looks that I think every woman has tried out at least once in their lives. For me, it's become a bit of a signature look - over the past ten years I've rarely been without mine, and while that might be a bit dull for some, I honestly feel naked without it!

Over the years (and many wonky flicks) I've come up with a tried and tested method for getting it right (almost) every time. I've put together a quick guide below with my tips and tricks for all abilities. Don't be scared if it goes wrong the first few times - you can always remove it and start again.

1. Use a liquid or felt pen liner. For me, gels and pencils just don't cut it when it comes to creating a decent flick. Felt pen styles will give you the same look as a liquid liner (it's essentially the same thing), but with more stability during application.

2. Start in the middle of your eye lid and work your way out. Try and get as close to your lash line as you can, and using small strokes, work your way to the outer corner. Don't do the flick just yet! Fill in the inner corner of your eye, trying to make this part of the line slightly thinner than the rest.

3. For a good flick every time, you want to follow the natural angle/line of your lower eye lid. Imagine where this would continue to if it kept going upwards, and this is where you want to be drawing. To help you know where to stop for an even finish, pop a very tiny dot of liner where you want the flick to end on each eye, check that they're even, and then you're ready to draw your flick in. Try to draw the flick itself in one or two strokes to help make sure it looks smooth and even.

4. For a 'fat flick', you need to create a mini triangle in the corner of your eye. Follow point 3 to get the main shape in, and then thicken slightly from where the top lid meets the lower lid. This might take a few goes to get it perfect, but will give that classic retro look that most flicks are aiming for.

5. If you suffer from 'wobbly hand syndrome', you need to give yourself a stable surface to work from. Rest the elbow of your application hand on your knee/leg and gently lay the palm of your hand against your cheek.

6. Don't rush it! If you're not confident with eye liner flicks, then I'd recommend having a few practice sessions during a spare evening/weekend when you can take your time and you don't need to be anywhere. The more you do it, the better you'll get - practice really does make perfect in this instance!

7. A cotton bud and some makeup remover are your best friend. Everyone gets it wrong every now and then, no matter how many flicks they've drawn over the years (I had to re-start my right one this morning due to a hair in my eye, grr.). You only need to get rid of the mistake, not the whole thing, so dip a cotton bud into some makeup remover, get rid of the bad bit, and re-apply.

8. Apply your liner on top of your eye shadow. Not only does this mean you won't disturb the liner or cover it over with powder, the shadow gives the liner a dry base to adhere to, making it apply a lot smoother and last a lot longer.

I hope these tips help - let me know how you get on!

Are you a fan of the winged liner look? What are your top tips for getting it right?