Makeup is not brain surgery, so why does it require just as steady a hand to successfully apply liquid liner!? While regular liner is forgiving—the most unevenly applied line can be smudged to look intentionally smoky—liquid liner needs to be precise if it’s going to give you the appearance of bigger eyes, longer lashes and an intense, sophisticated retro look. But since it’s been everywhere lately, with Jennifer Lopez, Zoe Saldana and Beyonce, now’s the time for you to become an expert in putting it on.

Once you’ve picked up a tube in black, give yourself at least one practice session before debuting your look to the world. Whether you go the drugstore route (Cover Girl makes a good one) or for pricier, department store brands, be sure to get a quick-dry formula (less chance of smudges as you wait for it to set) with a soft tip for application.

Now, the keyword for applying liner: cheat! Make a faint line with regular liner as close to your lash line as possible. Then trace over it with liquid liner. Stick to upper lashes only and extend the line beyond your natural lashline if you want to be dramatic. If you make a mistake, dip a Q-tip in makeup remover (or your normal facial moisturizer) and carefully correct any smudges.

Since you’ve already gone for a dramatic eye look, keep the rest of your makeup simple, with barely there brush, light foundation and a light lip color.