Raise your hand if you've been here before: You stand in front of the mirror in the morning, liner in hand, ready to make your eyes look as dazzling as possible. You use a light touch and a steady hand--you're an Allure reader, after all--but when you step back, you realize the skinny rings have somehow managed to make your eyes look smaller. The good news: If you shift those very same lines a few millimeters, you'll create the illusion of big, open eyes without a trace of any obvious makeup. It's just a matter of nestling the eyeliner pencil between the roots of your lashes as well as carefully tracing it along your upper waterline (the rim where your eyelid meets your eye). Makeup artists call this tightliner or invisible eyeliner. With a bit of practice and the right pencil (mechanical, not wood), it's almost impossible to screw up. How's that for eye-opening?

1. Choose the right tools for the job. If you don't want your line to disappear in the blink of an eye, opt for a waterproof formula (we like Smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liner and Em Michelle Phan Waterliner Intense Color Eye Liner).

See more: Find the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape

2. Line your top waterline. Raise your chin and place your nondominant index finger above the outer corner of your eye, lifting upward. Then, holding the pencil vertically in your other hand, trace back and forth under your lashes. Go over it a few times, and stop before you reach the inner corners to prevent eyes from looking beady.

3. Darken the roots of your top lashes. Gently pull your top lid taut by pressing one finger on the outer corner. Bury the tip of the pencil deep into your lashes at the outer corner of your eye, wiggling it back and forth as you move inward. Take your time and don't be afraid to really mash the tip into your lashes.

See more: 50 Beauty Products to Try Before You Die

4. Accentuate your bottom lashes. Holding the pencil just below your inner rim--but not at the waterline--lightly dash the pencil right at the base of your lashes. For intense color at the root, use a creamy liner in a pot, like Rimmel London ScandalEyes Gel Eyeliner. It creates the richest, inkiest color--the best option if you want dense-looking lashes.

5. Clean it up. Run a pointy cotton swab (like Muji Thin Cotton Swabs) dipped in makeup remover along your top and bottom lids to erase any mess.

6. Curl your lashes. It will solidify the wide-eyed effect you're going for. Then swipe on some black volumizing mascara, top and bottom.

BDST: 1139 HRS, MAY-14, 2014