Look, before you walk away, let me reassure you...once upon a time, I too was not a brown eyeliner person.

I was all about black liner because brown eyeliner seemed absolutely and completely ridiculous.

Me back in the day: "Why wear brown when you can wear black? BLACK IS MUCH MORE DRAMATIC. Why?!"

I just didn't get it.

But as I creep into my mid-40s, I totally get it now. I get the hype. Now I know why legions of makeup lovers out there call brown eyeliner bangin'. 

Here's the deal: Black eyeliner is rich and intense, which is great sometimes. Sometimes that's what you want, but sometimes that much stark contrast on my lids -- which accrue more and more "experience lines" every year -- makes me appear older than I feel on the inside.

I find that when I wear brown eyeliner, I look straight-up younger. With brown eyeliner, I can still get the same effect as black (thicker-looking lashes, bigger-looking eyes that don't look as hooded), but the brown liner looks a tad softer and less harsh. Brown is quieter way to get the job done.

I think the best -- THE BEST OF THE BEST! -- brown eyeliner around is MAC Coffee Eye Pencil. It's a dark brown matte liner that works with every look under the sun.

The pencil just glides, and it's comfortable, so no drying out of 'ze lash or water lines. 

And it's so pigmented that you won't be sitting there for what feels like days, running it back and forth to get the color to be noticeable.

I wear it on my lash and water lines, and it doesn't transfer, smudge or smear. It's my all-around favorite brown eyeliner of all time, and you can find it at MAC counters and online for $18.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen