30 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
kpenn09 Avatar

I don’t mind liquid eyeliner if it’s a good brand. I really love my MAC Penultimate liner – it is the easiest to apply, IMO.

I also love Lise Watier’s, because they are super pigmented and apply very smoothly. They are shimmery without being glittery.

I don’t wear liquid eyeliner very often, though, because I find the line too harsh. I generally wear softer everyday looks, so pencil or lining with shadow fits better with those looks.

dolce aria Avatar

Prefer gel to liquid. I like to choose my brushes and find i get much better lines and textures when i’m NOT forced to use the crappy brush they always include with the product. And I hate when one of the bristles gets bent replacing it, adn then you have this fine delicate line with a SMUDGE running parallel to it from the bent bristles. UGH! SO much fuss. Plus, my eyes have a PRONOUNCED crease, so ti takes FOREVER for it to get tacky enough to NOT line the upper lid!

Reza Avatar

Me too, Dolce! I have to keep my eyes closed for almost 10 minutes if I use a liquid liner, just to keep a mirror-effect black line from appearing above my crease. Yuck!

vanessa Avatar

LOVE when it stays put and doesn’t irritate my eyes! Actuallly found a good one at (of all places) The Body Shop. HATE when it runs or fades. When blackest black turns into grey very quickly. Blah.

Leila Avatar

There’s nothing to rant about when it comes to liquid eyeliner, I think! I’m Lebanese…and well you know how much we love our eyeliner. I love really dark and thick eyeliner and the only brand that does it for me is Maybelline. I only use it on special occasions as it’s super dark and comes on thick.

But for everyday wear, I use a thin line of Mac fluidline. It’s still dark, but it’s sort of matte…so it doesn’t scare people haha.

Meghan Avatar

Pen or felt tip are my faves, but I’ve yet to find a really good pen eyeliner. Felt tip is great for more control but it doesn’t give a really thin line. So basically, I haven’t found the perfect liquid eyeliner, but I’m still looking.

Emm Avatar

I love gel/liquid eyeliners for their staying power, plus they tend to be darker than most pencil liners. The main issue I have is that most gel/liquid eyeliners for me is two steps instead of the one for pencil liners because I need to set it with an eyeshadow so it doesn’t smudge or bleed by the end of the day/night. I also prefer gel liners than most liquids because it’s easier for me personally to apply with a brush than the one that comes with most liquid eyeliners.

April Avatar

I hate liquid eyeliners! They always seem to make the skin itch! Granted, I’ve only tried drugstore brands but I’m not going to spend department store prices on a liquid eyeliner when there is a chance it’ll do the same as drugstore brand. I love pencil eyeliners that are soft.

My-Linh Avatar

I love love love the Lineur Intense felt tip by Loreal in Carbon Black. I’ve tried the blacktrack equivalent from Coastal Scents and even though gel liner is really nice, my eyelids are so freaking oily that it smudges like crazy. MakeupbyTiffanyD did a comparison between the CS one, MAC’s fluidline and a HIP dupe and they’re all pretty much equal. I need a felt tip because the normal eyeliner brushes that come with liquid eyeliner seems so flimsy I’ll end up with liner in my eye or something. The Loreal one is so so easy to use and doesn’t budge. I’m completely blown away.

Scylent Avatar

I prefer the gel to liquid as I am allergic to most liquid liners, have tried out lots of them from a range of brands,not sure what ingredient does this but all of them make my eyes swell up after I take it off >.<
The only liner that doesnt is the aforementioned gel liner and the Penultimate liner from MAC))

Patti Avatar

I was terrified of liquid eyeliners for years, but I’ve just now started to learn how to use them! It was this website, actually, that gave me the courage and inspiration to buy a tube and start playing. 🙂 My first few tries were awful, but I’m starting to get the hang of it and I can usually (USUALLY…) get a smooth line on both eyes first try! I use Hard Candy’s Walk the Line in Black…any suggestions for how it compares to other liners? It’s a very fine brush tip.

Christy Avatar

I prefer MAC Penultimate. It’s easy to use, has a firm yet slightly flexible tip and the formula doesn’t tend to get clumpy. A lot of other liner’s tend to get clumpy or have really dinky brushes that aren’t easy to use. Other goodies are gel liner’s when they’re a well pigmented and non-clumpy. I just hate it when they dry down too soon.

viv Avatar

I haven’t been using it that much lately but liquid liner has been my go-to for years! It all depends on the applicator brush though – I HATE the type of brush in Liquidlast and ones like those. The original MAC liquid eye liners were the BEST but they discontinued great colors like Stiletto and Leatherette, so only Boot Black is left. Revlon Colorstay or Almay liquid liners are really good for drugstore brand. Sephora has good liquid liners in a lot of nice colors too.

Amy Avatar

I only use MAC’s liquid eyeliner…I many times like to just wear a stitch of liner on my upper lid w/ mascara and nothing else. Alas, I’ve got oily lids and nothing stays on except this liquid liner. It lasts all day & night with no smudging or fading. I use Bobbi Brown’s little eyeliner brush to apply it.

Jessica Avatar

I can’t do liquid eyeliners. I have hooded eyelids, and I’ve tried high-end and drugstore, but they always smudge or smear. I prefer gel liners, especially MAC’s Blacktrack Fluidline.

mia Avatar

I know this post is old, but for anyone else with hooded eyes: try Lancome’s Artliner! I absolutely love it and have used it for almost 4 years, tried others (since the prices are so high) but always come back to it. I have hooded AND oily eyes, so I understand this dilemma.

MUST TRY. seriously it is the best liquid eyeliner out there (although I wish I could find a replacement at a lower $$ point)

Lyndsay Avatar

LOVE liquid liners! I’ve been wearing them since I was probably 14-15, I’m 23 now. I started with…was it maybelline? I think so…it was just basic black. Then as time went by, I started to see more brands come out with colored liners. Now, my favorites are Urban Decay’s Liquid liners. They are awesome for having bold, very pigmented, good quality liners. I like to wear a neautral eye and then a splash of color from the liquid liners. I can’t wear bold eyeshadow, so I do my color in liners. I have the MAC penultimate liner in black from the first round when it came out, and I use that from time to time…I really enjoy color, though. Liquid FTW!

Lila Avatar

I use liquid eyeliner for more precise fine lines, rather than soft smokey eyes.
I find it nice for creating patterns around the eye, like leopard print/etc.
Not for everyday use in my opinion, because it can be tricky to soften it up.

kaleen Avatar

I love how dark liquid eyeliner is, but I hate how long it takes to dry completely.

I also sneezed yesterday shortly after putting liquid eyeliner on and it got ALL over. Under my eye, in my eye, on the sides. It was horrible. haha

Patty Avatar

I like the way it looks, but my eyes tend to water and so it always wears off on the inner corner. I’ve started using waterproof gel liner and that fixes the problem, but I do miss the intensity of liquid.

mia Avatar

Lancome artliner, been using it for 2yrs+ and love it. Never smudges, glides on easily, can make a thin and defined line or be easily built upon. WORTH EVERY DOLLAR!

Angela Martin Avatar

I’m a clutz with liquid eyeliner & really haven’t found a brand I like that’s affordable. I used black Ben Nye creme makeup as a liner for years and LOVED IT. I applied it with a really thin brush, like a firm lip liner brush. It looked wonderful, and if you set it, it stays all evening long! I’ve tried this with other cremes by Ben Nye, too. They look great. So, I’m a creme liner sort of gal or regular old pencil liner by day.

CynCyn Avatar

dont really like it, unless im going for a more dramatic look o_O i find it too harsh looking i prefer pencil plus liquid takes longer because you have to be more careful

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!