I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the Tom Ford Eye Defining Liquid ($56) is the greatest eyeliner, ever.  It suffers from two serious problems, however.  First, the obvious issue, the price.  I’m not averse to paying for a great product, particularly one that lasts for 3-months-plus, but this feels excessive.

The second?  You cannot travel with this eyeliner.  I don’t know whether it’s the pressurized cabin or the tumble and toil of the inside of a suitcase, but twice, my eyeliner exploded after a trip.  So when I went looking for a replacement, I decided that throwing away a $56 eyeliner was not an experience that I wanted to repeat.

I tried a few old standbys from Stila and Bobbi Brown.  I even switched back to pencil liner for a while.  But you cannot do a proper smoky eye without liquid liner, so I headed to Ulta to find a strong drugstore-priced performer.

The name, Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum ($12), doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.  But what caught my eye was the box, which promised me, not only a great eyeliner, but also a serum that would help me grow fuller and thicker lashes.

First, let’s talk about the eyeliner.  The brush on this liner is phenomenal.  The tip is substantial, but flexes and bends to create both pencil thin lines and wider strokes.  (See examples, here.)  It also dispenses the perfect amount of product.  It’s one of the better brushes that I’ve seen on a liquid liner.

The liner comes in brown, black, and ultra black.  If you’re looking for black, just buy the ultra black, it’s the color you need.

As for the serum, I can’t tell you whether it works.  I’ve only been using it for a couple of weeks, and haven’t noticed a change.  Other users have noticed a change, however.  But frankly, I love the liner so much (and the price), if the serum doesn’t work, it isn’t a significant loss.

This is one of the best eyeliners that I have ever used.  It draws the perfect line nearly every time, no matter how rushed or careless I’m being.  From now on, I will spend a very respectable $12 on eyeliner, and I won’t even miss my Tom Ford.  Because a product that’s almost as good, at one-fifth the price, is definitely the way to go.