R.I.P smoky eyes, beauty has no need for you right now. For as we near the end of the Autumn/Winter 2014 shows, it's become apparent that the dark, blown-out eyes of a traditional winter season have been replaced by a precise, perfect liner that draws on illustrative techniques and good, old-fashioned calligraphy. The good news is that for liner phobes and novices, the shows have given us a myriad of shapes to select from.

Today at Kenzo's David Lynch-led spectacular, make-up artist Aaron de Mey broke free from the shackles of winter black and opted instead for an inky blue. Hugging the curve of the upper lashes, a thick, marker pen-like line finished in a pin-thin upwards flick. The trick, says Mey, is to start in the centre of the eyelid then work your way outwards to create an artful line that's obviously been carefully considered.  

This season's liner is not, agreed Tom Pecheux, about conveying the kind of carefree insouciance that has become something of an obsession backstage in recent years. The irony of using a 60-strong hair and make-up team to create something that looks like a 'real woman' did it herself, may just about be on the wane. Pecheux - who has embraced liner as his product of choice this season - instead referred to Japanese calligraphy when designing the thick, squared-off version at this morning's Maxime Simoens show. By its very squareness it was 'cooler, more contemporary and brought a kind of artistic flair to the face,' he said.

What so often denotes the real difference between a home made and a professionally created beauty look however, is the ability to focus as much on what you omit as what you add to the face. At Kenzo mascara was skipped altogether, while at Simoens they feathered it lightly onto the lower lashes only. 

There's no doubt that the autumn eye will come to life through inky, ilustrative strokes. Yet to do so successfully back home will require the confidence to keep the rest of the face clean. Even if that does mean banishing some of your trusty make-up favourites.