What do you look for in the perfect liquid/gel eyeliner? Share your must-have qualities!
It’s all about opaque color in one stroke — I don’t want to have to go back over the same line to fix any unevenness. It should stay on for 8 hours or longer without fading or migrating!
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Aw yay! Good to know I’m not asking too much from my liquid liner, because I have the same expectations. I’m using the Stila Stay All Day liquid liner at the moment (the pen one) and I HATE it. The edges always feather as I apply it, and it flakes off on the inner corners. I’ll be giving the new MUFE ones a shot next!
Integrity! When I apply black liquid liner, I prefer that it stays black and not fade to gray by the end of the day. I prefer a narrow applicator as well. I’m hearing grand things about Lorac’s Front of the Line PRO liquid liner! I need to add it to my list.
I only use liquid not gel (washing a brush is too much work. lol)
it has to have a very fine flexible tip. The colour has to be opaque and the formula has to be thin. Dry time has to be relatively short. The liner has to last for 6 hours without fading and anything that transfers is an instant hate.
Smooth application and it must STAY PUT.
Loving Bobbi Brown’s at the moment.
Smooth, opaque application and, most importantly for someone with deep set eyes and very oily lids – something that DOESN’T BUDGE. One thing I’ve learned? Waterproof does not mean oil-proof, not by a long run.
I have to like the applicator, first of all. A thin, firm brush for gel liner or a wedge-like thing for liquid. I hate brushes for liquid liner. I don’t really use gel, though. Also, useability. I’ll buy wacky eyeliner colors if I can use them.
It needs to have a good waterproof formula, good pigmentation, and liquid liners should have a brush applicator.
Smooth application and lasting pigment are very important. But, since I want very fine lines when I apply eyeliner, if I can’t use my own brush with it, it better have an applicator that lets me create the right type of line!
I look for a very dark black color that has a little shine but mostly matte !
a nice consitency that glides on. the brush (for liquid liners) shouid be a nice shape that allows you to get to the inner corner without having a chunky line. and it has to dry fast snd stay on i also look for liquid liners thar have the inkpot resemblence, not like the ones mac does, the handle is far too long to even attempt applying liner for me
MAC’s LiquiLast liner was a nightmare to apply because of the length and flismy brush they have.
Opaque
Long lasting
And for liquid liner.. The packaging is quite important to me.
I like the stick of the applicator as short as possible. Ex xhanel liquid black liner.
It is easier for me to control the shape..
the consistency has to be right, it can’t be too hard or so creamy that you pick up a TON of product. Also I go for the opaque color in one stroke.
I need it to swipe well on my lid with maximum pigment and not to dry out, a problem I regularly have with Bobbi Brown gel liner and Tarte Amazonian clay liner. Any suggestions?
It has to be black as hell, goes on really smooth, stays on really, really long, doesn’t smudge or budge, but really easy to take off. For me, the last one is the most important which is why I prefer MAC Blacktrack over the Maybelline or ELF gel liner because with MAC, it’s so easy to take off compared to Maybelline and ELF wherein I’d have to use oil based cleansers and scrub at my eye for so long.
As for liquid, it must have a brush aplicator. I hate the stiff felt tip ones. Dry quicklyand waterproof. Gel:must glide smoothly. Not dry out in the pot, be true to color and last in the waterline (again preferably waterproof).
Must be opaque in application without having to build it on, and a quick dry-down time. I have tried liquid/gel liners that take as long as big bounce shadows to dry- lemme tell you it STINKS
My criteria is exactly same as Christine’s but havent found a good gel/ liquid liner yet. Which ones do you prefer Christine that meet your criterions??
For a gel liner I like something that lasts all day, that doesn’t smudge and is a good dark black colour.
For liquid liners I like the brush to be quite thin so I can build the liner up as I go, and I prefer felt tip liners as they’re easy to use.
no flaking (stila smudge pot flakes on my without fail)
staying power (no creasing)
color (black liner needs to be dark)
Has to have a major dark opaque black in the line up of shades. Non transferable (as in no under eye smudging and disappearing corners. Right now and for some time, I have liked using Bobbi Bown’s gel liner but not her bush. I use a BE flat angle brush – get better control with it and can really do a good cat eye. Liquids? Tried a # of them and need to try again now there are so many new ones out. In the past, they have been harsh and unforgiving in app.
Ease of use, less mess, long-lasting both in its container and on your eyes, good color pay-off. Most important to me with this is ease of use and less mess – I’ve had difficulty trying to use gel liner well and I had read that it was supposed to be easier. I had a hard time putting it on and taking it off. Maybe I need to try other brands and practice more, although I’ve been checking out makeupgeek’s method of using them on some of her vids and may try it myself – it might be easier – she actually takes an eyeliner pencil and dips it in the gel then puts it on.
It can’t irritate my eyes. While I love wet and wild black gel liner for color and longevity, it makes my eyes water. I much prefer MAC, especially for tightlining.
I just bought a Tokidoki Perfetto eyeliner from Sephora and I LOVE it. It’s a marker and the colors are adorable.
Very black, and doesn’t smudge off or transfer. I can’t use gel liners at all because they don’t last for more than 2-3 hours without giving me panda eyes (Bobbi Brown’s Longwear Gel Liner disappointed me a lot) due to my oily lids. I stick to liquid ’cause they’re longer lasting and smudge less. I also prefer pen-type liquid liners as they’re easier to use in my opinion.
For liquid a brush applicator that a firm enough to apply but not to hard either. NYX studio liner has been that perfect combination for me. Also the formula can’t be too watery like MAC’s Superslick, I had to be careful not to blink until it set.
For me it’s about being very waterproof since my eyes are extremely watery. I don’t want it to smudge or come off until I remove it myself at the end of the day with an oil-based cleanser. I also look for liners that have a matte, non-glossy finish. For liquid liners I prefer a very thin, stiff, felt-tip applicator.
First and foremost, I want a liner to last in my water lines as long as possible.
Second, I want good pigmentation/color payoff with ease.
My go-to gel liner:: MAC’s BlaCktraCk <3
opaque in one stroke I hate going back because then the line gets uneven and the ilne keeps getting thicker and thicker….. creamy, can’t dry too quickly and creamy 🙂
Opaque in pigmentation, able to stay on through the 8 hours of school and application abilities.
I have a collection of eyeliners, gels, pencils, auto-liners, liquid, felt tip, etc. I look for intensity of color (specially when picking black), long-livety of the product when worn, smudge and waterproof. I have had practise in applying eyeliner so it’s OK what kind of applicator I use. Brush and felt tips are great from my point of view. I like matte sometimes glossy. The waterproof eyeliner I currently love are from FM cosmetics liquid liner (felt tip, carbon black — though this sometimes smudges because I have oily lids), The Face Shop Extreme Liquid eye pen (felt tip, super smudge-, waterproof and 24hours), and from Korea Levelage (brush, super black, waterproof eyeliner that dries relative fast). 🙂