If your eye pencils harden and dry over time, dab a little lotion around the tip, then take off the excess. Your eye pencil will work as if it's brand new again. Moisturizer, cream or baby oil works too.

Using eye pencils is a personal favourite of my make-up routine.

It’s cheap, easy to use, and depending on how you draw the line (thick/thin, regular or with a cat-eye slant, smudged lines or sharp edges, etc etc), an eye pencil is flexible enough to give a whole range of looks.

It doesn’t hurt that kohl is also good for the skin. Kohl protects the skin around your eyes by protecting them from extreme heat and cold. The dark colour of kohl also cuts down glare, and you’ll feel less inclined to squint in harsh sunlight (squinting leads to wrinkles!).

However, over time my eye pencils harden and dry. I’ll notice this when it becomes harder to apply and re-sharpening doesn’t help.

Don’t worry, though! I’ll show you how to bring it back to life again in an instant.

Here’s what you need: Any skin lotion, moisturizer, or basic skin cream. Baby oil or olive oil will do nicely as well.

How to do it: Just rub a tiny amount of lotion over and around the tip. Take off the excess with your finger. Now your eye pencil will glide on effortlessly and the line drawn will be clean and professional-looking. Try it!