Eye liner is very tricky. And can be very messy. For years I have been using liquid liner. I tend to migrate towards make-up that stays on for extended periods of time, and liquid liner generally lasts all day. A lot of women don’t trust themselves with something that is akin to a sharpie on their face. I totally understand. I didn’t start using liner in liquid form until after college. Somehow these two things are correlated. Maybe.
Regardless of which form of liner you are using, I have probably, at some point, tried it. Here is a list of some of the best working ones, along with my newest favorite at the bottom.
For those still using pencil:
Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner
It is a pencil, and comes off as such, but feels very soft. That is one of the things that I hated most about pencils: they felt like you had to dig them into your skin. However the softness is due to a more creamy texture, which does tend to smear a bit.
Covergirl Perfect Blend Pencil
This can be used for the dramatic lines, but can also be blended for a more smoky effect. I like to have the straight lines at the bottom and reserve the blending for up top. However, I have seen some women do the smoky lines at the bottom corners, and it can look very nice.
Maybelline Eye Studio Master
This is great for long lasting pencil lines. It can be used to create a smoky effect, but quite a bit of rubbing is involved since it tends to not blend or smear easily.
For those using liquid liner:
Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner
This one takes a little bit of getting used to since the texture is different from other liners, but I love the look of it (their mauve shades are incredible). It dries fairly quickly so there is very little room for error, but unlike some of the other liners it comes off with a quick rinse.
Almany Intense i-Color Liquid Liner
It goes on like regular liquid liner, and feels like it too (in case you are worried about using anything with a strange texture). I was not a fan of the brush it comes with, and actually used a different one. But that was a personal preference.
Not a pencil, but not liquid:
Revlon Colorstay Crème Gel Eyeliner
I knew gel liners were becoming a thing, but I just started using one last week. And it is my new favorite. It comes in a little pod and you use the brush to scoop it up and apply. This too takes a bit of getting used to, but the effect is wonderful. I haven’t yet mastered creating dramatic lines, so it looks like I am making my eyes super smoky. I wasn’t trying to, but I think I love it.