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Rant & Rave: Waterproof Eyeliner

Share: Tell us what you love and hate about Waterproof Eyeliner!

my answer: The formula is often harder and less creamy, so it can be less comfortable to apply, but then they often stay on longer and better with less smudging. Sometimes taking them off can be a real pain!

22 Comments

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A Name Avatar

They can be fussy to remove, but Urban Decay’s waterproof liquid liner is amazingly easy to take off – also really easy to remove/correct errors without smudging which can save you from having to just remove all your eye makeup from one mistake.

xamyx Avatar

I can’t recall a pencil liner I’ve tried that was specifically designated “waterproof”, but I have gone through countless brands/pricepoints trying to find those that work on the waterline. So far, Essence & L’Oreal take top honors. As for liquid liners, which I use soley on the upper lashline, I don’t find waterproof to be necessary, and also find they can crack/peel, so I just go with a “regular” formula.

Maddie Avatar

Have you tried the Too Faced Perfect Eyes pencil liners? I find they work beautifully! I have a couple of the L’oreal Hip Liners (the gold and the silver) and they are pretty great. I wonder if the non metallic colors work as well!

xamyx Avatar

I haven’t tried the Too Faced pencils, but the Essence Long Wearing pencil has become HG for my waterline. I really only use pencils there, and very rarely on my lashline (if I’m really in a hurry, I usually forgo liner altogether). I actually have very dry lids, and most pencil products hold up well (even the NARS shadow pencils everyone loathes!), except UD pencil liners, so liner is one place I can save money on. My waterline is another story, though, so I need bullet-proof products there, and the Eesence pencil really holds up, and is $3!

makura Avatar

I agree, the Nars eyeliner does not go on my waterline at all. I loved Bare Minerals. Round The Clock, applied like butter on waterline and stays all day but they just discontinued it 🙁 I will def try the Essence one. I heard Jane has a decent one too?

Maddie Avatar

Cannot live without waterproof liner. I have oily lids and watery eyes, so it’s a necessity. I don’t find most particularly difficult to remove, which some exceptions (Prestige Cosmetics Against All Odds and MAC LiquidLast Liner, UGH). The only pencil liners that last on me is Too Faced Perfect Eyes. Liquid I have a few very long lasting, but I like to stick to my Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner because it’s easy to remove.

Tugce Avatar

For liquid waterproof liners: flaking! Urban decay perversion flakes on me like nobody’s business. So pretty and black but by afternoon it is on my cheeks and in my eyes. Not good :/

Melle Avatar

RAVE!! If it weren’t for waterproof eyeliners, I would not wear eyeliners. With my very oily skin, waterproof e/ls are necessary for me. Luckily, I have an amazing gel liner that works well and stays put for hours. Unfortunately, the Canadian company which makes this liner has discontinued it. Thankfully, I was able to stock up and won’t have to worry about replenishing for months.

Zoffe Avatar

I really like my liquid liners to be waterproof. That way the line stays perfect thoughout the day 🙂
I don’t care as much with pencils. They usually look okay even though they fade or smudge a little.
Taking waterproof makeup off doesn’t really bother me. I always use an oil based makeup remover anyway since it takes everything off so easily.

Helene Avatar

Rave! I love waterproof eyeliners. They, or at least the ones I have stays put, even in my slightly troublesome inner corner.
I use oil to remove all my makeup so removal isn’t a problem at all.

H. Queen's Avatar

I really love them, and have no problems with wear and application but I did find a problem with sharpening them. I think you really need to have a good sharpener, especially with the ones that have that weird casing (*cough sephora waterproof pencils *cough*). I bought the UD grind house one recently and that has pretty much fixed the problem. It sharpens the wood pulp casing so that it sits flat without any pokey bits, which is what was annoying me about the eyeliners in the first place.

Kay Avatar

Any thoughts on how to keep eyeliner in the tightline/top waterline? Every waterproof pencil I’ve ever tried (even the jordana, urban decay 24-7, milani…) end up smuged under my eye and on my lower waterline within an hour. I’ve tried setting them with an eyeshadow, & it just makes what smudges under my eyes darker. I’m not into the zombie panda look, so some help would be appreciated! Thanks guys!

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