Where would the world be without eyeliner? Would Adele even be Adele without her winged liner? Would Kim Kardashian even have a “natural” makeup look to turn to without her not one, not two, but three eyeliners? It’s a sad, scary place to imagine. But even though eyeliner is an integral part of our makeup routine, it’s not exactly easy to handle.

Once we got acquainted with which eyeliner to use in which scenario, we went hunting for the best hacks to make wearing it easy as hell. Here are the best eyeliner tricks every woman should know.

Use Taupe-Colored Eyeliner to Open Up Your Eyes

We know what you’re thinking: Taupe? Will anyone even see it? But consider this a lesson in visual effects. “It adds subtle drama and makes eyes look bigger without making them look heavy or closing them up the way a dark brown or black will,” says celebrity makeup artist (and founder of Fiona Stiles Beauty) Fiona Stiles. “I smudge it all around the lash line, top and bottom, or swipe it on the waterline.” Fiona Stiles Beauty Ultra Smooth Waterproof Eye Defining Pencil in Mulholland has just enough pigment to give it impact.

Use Mascara as Liner When You’re in a Rush

You know those mornings where you’ve hit snooze five times and feel like you might melt if daylight touches your skin? That’s when you need this trick the most. “Try using your mascara as liner,” says makeup artist Moani Lee. “I curl lashes and then add two to three coats of mascara, pressing and holding the lash wand into the root of the lashes without wiggling it.” This deposits mascara between the roots, which has an eye-opening effect without the eyeliner.

This seems counterintuitive. But unless you have a really careful hand, you risk getting remover everywhere—including where you didn’t screw up. Plus, the oil in the makeup remover will simply cause the liner to drag even more, says makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes. Instead, “Polish up the shape and precision with a small synthetic brush dipped in a primer,” says Lee, who’s a fan of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. “This smooths out the edges while ensuring longevity and water resistance.” A Q-tip also works.

“When I’m applying eyeliner, I coat a smallish brush—like a concealer brush—by running it back and forth against the tip of the eyeliner until the brush is well coated. Then, I use that to smudge the liner on,” says Stiles. Unless the look you want requires precise lines or edges, it’s ten times easier to do this since a brush gives you more control. On top of that, the smudginess is more forgiving, especially if you have shaky hands. Pro tip: This is especially handy for those with monolids. “Create a thick line with the brush and buff it out,” advises Lee. “It has a soft, eye-opening effect.”

Create a Dramatic Cat Eye in Smaller Steps

There’s no way of putting it nicely: Liquid liner is the worst. But it also gives you super-inky color, a clean edge, and it can stay put for hours. A penlike brush like Surratt Beauty Auto-Graphique Liner helps with precise lines, and it also helps to break the process into three separate steps. “First, perfect the flick at the end—make sure each flick is even and the same width, as well as symmetrical,” says Surratt. Then do a really thin line over the tear duct at the inner corners, connecting it to the wing at the end. Finally, fill in your winged outline.