Whether you’re a fan of the subtle “French girl flick” (also affectionately referred to as the kitten eye) or prefer to up the drama with a thicker cat-eye wing, if you’ve ever used liquid or cream eyeliner, you know that it isn’t an easy feat. You can have the steadiest hands imaginable or watch endless tutorials on YouTube to get the technique down once and for all, but the bottom line is that creating a cat-eye look takes patience, precision and plenty of practice. While pencil eyeliners are great for rimming the waterline and creating a smokey effect, liquid eyeliners allow for a line that’s precise and expressive.

Not only is a cat-eye a makeup look, but, in our opinion, it’s also a fashion statement that can be customized to suit your mood, personality, outfit, and so on. It’s also incredibly versatile too—it looks chic paired with a no-makeup makeup look and a rosy neutral lip as it does vamped up with a sharp contour and berry-hued lip stain.

The trial-and-error period of mastering this iconic liquid eyeliner look can be downright maddening. With one slight slip of the hand, you can destroy the entire look. And, unlike other eyeliner formulas, liquid liners dry super quickly to ensure their unrivaled staying power. While many formulas come with welcomed long-lasting wearability, this pro comes with the con of an application process that’s anything but forgiving unless you’re a bona fide pro.

Sure, you can clean up some minor errors with some makeup remover and Q-tip, but the aftermath of one slip-up often takes you right back to square one requiring a complete re-do (and making you 15 minutes late to work) or leaves you feeling defeated enough to just surrender and embark on your day looking bare-eyed and defeated.

Whether you’re a new cat-eye convert or a well-versed advocate that just doesn’t have the time or patience to sit down and focus on their eye look every morning, there are some helpful beauty products designed to help you achieve the perfect cat-eye look without the effort, time and hassle.

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