Cheer up, emo kid! Jeanne's black eyeliner picks

Feeling angry and sad at the same time? Like there's some sort of goopy thing taking over your life and making you a jerk? What better way to express it than by lining your eyes with black liner? It's an instant "don't mess with me, I've got issues!" look. Plus the ladies are all over it, especially when used in conjunction with some sassy dance moves.

Seriously, though, black eyeliner is always hot in the fall and winter, and if you're looking to vamp it up for Halloween or just in general, there are lots of different options for a great black liner.

Liquid: If you're going for a solid black line that won't turn grey on you like a pencil can, you'll probably want to go with a liquid. But be careful and take your time! Tarte's Indelible Wink eyeliner does have a smudging end with powder to go over your line and soften it, but in my (admittedly, one) use, I haven't really found that useful. The interesting thing about Indelible Wink is that the liner itself doesn't soak into your skin. It peels off. (Okay!) It also comes in Brown and Charcoal if you do want a softer color.

Cream: The classic choice here for a cream eyeliner (the kind that comes in a pot and you apply with an angled/eyeliner brush) is MAC's Fluidline in Blacktrack. Some people swear by Bobbi Brown or Stila, but pretty much everyone's got Fluidline in Blacktrack. Fluidline also comes in lots of other colors, including one called Blue Peep (hee!) and a gorgeous gold that just came out in their new Holiday collection, Uppity. Probably not the best choice for the true emo look, as it's hard to tote around the pot and brush when all you want to do is a quick dash of eyeliner to go out, and if you leave the top loose or off, it can dry out (which will just make you cry).

Pencil: This will break your heart: The best black eyeliner pencil I've found is limited edition. It's a MAC product again, but they really do know their stuff. The Kohl Power Pencil in Feline is the best black eyeliner pencil I've used, period. It's dark, it's soft (doesn't tug on your eye), and it stays on. For example, Benefit's Bad Gal pencil is a nice fat pencil, but it doesn't have enough of the black pigment to look truly black on your eye -- it looks like a very dark grey on the skin. The Kohl Power Pencil is a true dark, dark black. The other colors are awesome as well: I've got Orpheus (black with gold pearl) and Jealous (black with green -- SO PRETTY); the color in this picture is Raven (black with red pearl). They're amazing pencils and I'm sad to think that they're a limited edition product.

My top pick? For a great black eyeliner, you gotta get your hands on the Kohl Power Pencil before it's gone. But everyone's preference when it comes to eyeliner is different -- I dig the pencils, and some people prefer liquid or cream. Still, black eyeliner's something you ought to have in your kit this fall and winter, and you know, just in case you get possessed by a symbiote from outer space. Hey, it could happen!

images from rollingstone.com, sephora.com, nordstroms.com