Eyeliner! Whether it’s satin, matte, gel, cake, cream (yes, we are still talking eyeliner), pencil, or pen… we all have our own cult classics. Here are some favorites among the masses that are currently available on today’s market, my thoughts on them, and an honest friendly review for your eye lining needs.
Cake
Bésame has a cake mascara, which can also be used as an eyeliner. Once upon a time, in the 1930’s this was what was used. For the novelty of it, I gave it a shot. Dabbing some water over the little black cake in the tin, I mixed around the substance with a fine tipped brush. The product is buildable, and can give a sharp defined line. Just remember you need to wait a while between coats of liner to not get the dry eraser effect and layer effectively. If you love vintage, like all natural ingredients, and have patience then this could be for you!
This is a multi-tasker product which can be used for mascara, eyeliner, and an eyebrow filler. Comes off easily with a little soap and water. This is vegan, cruelty free, paraben free, gluten free, and mineral oil free.
Cream
Danessa Myricks
Color Fix Matte
Danessa Myricks has a matte and waterproof cream color pigment called Color Fix Matte cream. This is marketed for eyeliner, lipstick, eyeshadow, and the lighter colors for blush. Another multi-tasker like the Bésame cake. I use this for an eyeliner occasionally when I know I do not want something to budge. It could literally go through a tear jerker of a novel or movie, and your eyeliner would still look good! The cream is highly pigmented, and requires a fine tip brush to apply. You will need a make up remover (oil based works best in my opinion), and then soap and water to remove this one. This one is cruelty free, gluten free, and paraben free.
Anastasia
Anastasia’s Waterproof Creme Color
Anastasia’s Waterproof Creme Color is waterproof and blendable. It can be used for a smokey eye, an eye shadow, or a liner. You will need brushes to apply this one. It comes off easily with make up remover, soap, and water. It is an okay choice depending on what your eyeliner goals are. For a defined line, this would not be my first choice. For a soft line, or a smokey eye it could be a good option for you. This is vegan and cruelty free.
Gel
Bobbi Brown
Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Smudge-Proof Gel Eyeliner is waterproof. You will want a brush to apply this. I noticed with this eyeliner that it is buildable and blends well for a smoky eye. For me it smudged a bit, despite the name for it. If you are looking for a smoky eye, or a subtle soft winged liner then this could be an okay choice. Bobbi Brown is owned by Estee Launder, a company that tests on animals. While they say they do not test finished products on animals, the key word is finished.
Brushes
You will need a fine tipped brush to apply cake, cream, and gel eyeliners. If you want to splurge, I recommend the Katie Jane Hughes x Spectrum collection on sale for almost 50% off right now. This includes the fine tip for application, flat tip brush to sharpen the wings of your cat eye, and angled flat tip for other lid designs as well as a host of other make up brushes. These are really great quality, and my favorite for eye makeup.
If you are on a budget, then Real Techniques has a couple of options here as well for a flat tip brush to clean your wings, and a fine tip for application. Not as many choice, but can definitely work in a pinch!
The Pencil
Lancome Le Stylo Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil, a cult classic. This pencil is better for a smoky eye or a blurred line than a sharp edge. This is waterproof, applies with a smooth line, and is long lasting. However, in my opinion, the color stamps down, transferring easily to my lower lid. Not a hit for me. But if you like a smoky eye, this could be an option for you. Lancome is not a cruelty free brand, and contains synthetic ingredients.
The Pens
Pens are a little easier because everything you need is wrapped all together in one. No brush cleaning required after eyeliner application. It’s easier for travel, and just more convenient in general.
Let’s get to it!
This one used to be a fan favorite among a lot of people. This has a matte finish. The product is waterproof, and can be removed with make up remover wipes or soap and water. The pen goes on smooth initially in the first couple of weeks of using. The pen has a sharp pointed tip at the end of its spongey tip. Pretty good for the water line if this is your intended use. The color does not transfer. This is 100% vegan and cruelty free.
With time, the brand seems to have gone down hill though. The dry eraser effect where you apply the eyeliner, and it creates a muted pale line within the eyeliner seems to happen quickly after a few uses. The eyeliner product also has a propensity to crumble and flake. The companies website recommends to lay the pen flat for storage, and shake before use. If the tip is still dry, then use a damp towel to remove the product build up on the tip. From user experience, this does provide temporary relief. I found it cumbersome after a while though.
Kat Von D sold her beauty brand to its parent company Kendo. Which now stands for Kindness, Vegan Beauty, and Discovery and/or Doing Good. I don’t know what or if anything changed with this product formula over the years. What I can say is that the eyeliner seemed pretty good around 2016, and after 2020 the product appeared to go down hill.
Stila
The Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner
This is the O.G. (original gangster) of the clan of Stila liners. The tip is pliable and pointed. Easy for application. Can be applied to the water line without issue of transferring. The pointed tip is a little larger than the micro tip which doesn’t give as tight of control.
The Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner – Micro Tip
The micro tip is very tiny as the title indicates above. This gives you tight control for the water line. With the water line, this does fade as the day goes by. The color does not stamp down to the lower lid from the upper lid. A good choice for aging eyes if you just want to line the upper water line of your lid with very tight control of the line. Same with a tight control with a fine tip of the upper lid if that’s your goal.
The Stay All Day Dual Ended Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner
This reminds me of a magic show where the magician puts the person in the box and saws the box in half, but when they put the box back together the person is whole again. Somehow Stila managed to put a regular winged tip on one end and a micro tip on the other end. This gives a refined line, and a larger line depending the look you are going for. My only gripe with this one, is the product in the pen doesn’t last as long.
In a nutshell Stila has a lot of waterproof pens to choose from. This is a matte finish. The product is waterproof as stated, and can be removed with make up remover wipes or soap and water. As my eyes start to age, a good brush tip is pivotal is a smooth application of eyeliner. Stila does not transfer after application after drying. It is easy to maneuver in shaping the liner. Stila is cruelty free, but not 100% vegan.
In end, The Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner is a good runner up depending on the shape and design that you want for your lining needs. This will give you a clean edge.
Il Makiage
A tech driven make up company based in New York. Lots of marketing went to this company, and I was one among the many to be influenced. They are cruelty free and vegan for their eyeliners. The eyeliners are water proof, and do not flake.
Black Card Liquid Liner + Inkliner Liquid Eye liner
Has a spongey pointed tip. The pigment is more of a black carbon. The pointed tip is a little larger than I like for liquid liner application. It sponge like brush tip is somewhat firm, not allowing for much bend in application to the lid. Lastly, the color transfers, smudges, and fades with the day. The review is the same for both items from Il Makiage. I wanted to like it, but it fell flat. Not a favorite.
Bella Dona
The Sweet Street Wing Queen Eyeliner is the top heavy weight champion of the pens! The brush tip feels like an actual brush and not a sponged tip. The product is easy to apply to the shape of your lid. The pigment is easy to maneuver when wet. Once it dries, it doesn’t budge. This is a satin finish. Stays all day. No dry eraser effect. Does not smudge. Does not fade or flake. You can create a thin or dramatically clean line with this pen. This eyeliner pen also comes in a golden pen casing.
The founders LaLa Romero and Natalia Durazo really hit it out of the park with this liner. The quality is above and beyond. This one is not to be missed, and the clear winner out of the pens if you want a defined line! Vegan and cruelty free, and 98% naturally derived. This is one hundred percent the homecoming queen and bell of the ball when it comes to liquid liners!
Overall my #1 picks for eyeliner are
For a defined eye and liquid eyeliner –
For a blendable builder or soft eyeliner-
Cream – Danessa Myricks Color Fix Matte
Brush Pick if you want cream, gel, or cake
-Keri
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