Perfect your eyeliner in all forms (smoked, crisp, winged, or delicate) by making sure you’re not making one of these common mistakes that Rimmel Canadian makeup artist and spokesperson, Vanessa Jarman shares with us.

1. Dull tools
“It’s not uncommon to use an eye pencil that’s dull more often than not,” says Jarman. That means you won’t be creating a clean, perfected line when your sweep across. “Simply keep a pencil sharpener in your bag and make a habit of sharpening your pencil as need be.” Jarman suggests every 2-3 makeup applications.

2. Skipping the shadow
Does you eyeliner ever smudge or transfer up your lids? You must have skipped your eye shadow step. “Even when it’s placed tightly to your lash line, you may notice those nasty transfers to your lids,” says Jarman. “Usually the transfer isn’t seen with your eyes open, but every time you look down the transfer is visible.” It’s all because the natural oils on your eyelids causes the liner to move. “This can be easily prevented by simply remembering to apply a shadow or face powder to the eye lids first.” Take it further by prepping lids with primer before shadow. NOTE: Using waterproof pencils will last longer before a transfer but even then your eyelid oils can break that down.

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3. Not removing all of your eyeliner
“We use eyeliner to rim the inside and outside of our lash lines,” says Jarman. “Removing this type of eye makeup can sometimes be challenging.” Here are Jarmon’s tips for making sure you remove all that makeup and liner residue.

– “Apply makeup remover on a cotton pad and place directly over your eye. Hold for 5-10 seconds allowing the remover to absorbs into makeup before wiping. Repeat this step 2-3 times depending on the intensity of your eye makeup.”

– “Try not to pull the cotton pad down along your cheek. This will only move your dark eye make up from zone A to B, creating a bigger mess to clean.”

– “Q-tips are the perfect applicator for wiggling tightly and precisely through the root of your lashes for that final clean up.”

4. Eyeliner gaps
“Mascara isn’t the only product you should apply starting at the root of your lashes, be sure to do this with your eyeliner as well,” says Jarman. Otherwise you could end up with a slight gap between your lashes and the liner – especially fair-haired women.

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5. Nix the hard pencils
“The softer your pencil is, the easier the application will be,” advises Jarman. “It’s rare to find an eye pencil on the market today that won’t apply smoothly or isn’t soft. And if you happen to have an old pencil in your makeup bag that’s difficult to apply, it’s time to toss it in the trash!” A soft pencil will create a clean, straight line, but can also be easily smudged into a smoky eye. “You will find brighter, bolder and more impactful finishes with the newer eye liner formulas out there,” says Jarman.