I confess… I LOVE EYELINER! Especially in shades of teal, taupe, and gold. But you knew that, right? I feel like the most obvious favorite of mine is teal eyeliner, because it adds just the right amount of oomph whether it’s paired with no eyeshadow, neutral eyeshadow, or bold eyeshadow! I like eyeliners that have pretty good pigmentation in a single stroke or can be built-up to full intensity in two layers or so, don’t tug on the lash line but don’t slide around easily, and preferably, not a total nightmare to remove.

1. Sephora Contour Eye Pencil ($9.00) | These are my most reached for eyeliners; they come in a huge assortment of colors, wear well, remove without a lot of work (but still stay on when you need them to), and glide on without tugging. I love Flirting Game in particular as it is a nice alternative to black and brown.

Where to Buy:  Sephora

2. Milani Liquid Eye Pencil ($6.99) | These are really fun, pigmented shades that go on well and last awhile. I only wish the shade range was larger!

Where to Buy:  Drugstore.com

3. MAC Chromagraphic Pencil ($16.00) | It’s an intensely pigmented, long-wearing matte eyeliner formula. Some shades are not safe for the eyes (it is a PRO product), so take care in selecting, but the black and flesh-toned shades are great basics.

Where to Buy: MAC

4. Stila Smudge Stick ($20.00) | It’s a twist-up, fine eyeliner that comes in a variety of shades. They apply well and give you a lot of control with good longevity and color payoff. Mint Julep is one I use often.

Where to Buy:  Sephora, ULTA, Beauty.com

5. Sephora Contour Matte Gel Eyeliner ($14.00) | This is a richly pigmented, matte formula that glides on easily and wears well. They have some fun, bright shades to choose from!

Where to Buy:  Sephora

6. MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner ($16.00) | For sparkling, shimmery eyeliner with deeper base shades, this is a fun formula. I love Undercurrent and Lord It Up!

Where to Buy: Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s

7. MAC Pro Longwear Fluidline ($16.00) | I’m so glad MAC revamped and released additional shades in the Fluidline family, because now there are a ton of colors and finishes to select from. I find the pearl and matte finishes are the best-performing, while anything that gets really sparkly/glittery is going to be sheerer. Blue Peep and Brassy are favorites.

Where to Buy: Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s

8. Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Hyperliner ($15.00) | This is still one of my favorite eyeliner formulas, and I wish they’d come out with more shades! Spark of Envy is my all-time favorite.

Where to Buy:  Beauty.com

9. Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Crayon ($25.00) | This one is still on the list with a caveat… it is said that they are working on repackaging or reformulation as recent releases (including newly made batches of long-existing shades) have gone awry (very dry), but when they were manufactured more consistently, they are fantastic. Here’s hoping they get it all sorted out ASAP, as it is one of the longer-lasting eyeliners, particularly for the waterline.

Where to Buy:  Sephora

10. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes ($19.00) | Lots of shade, good wear and pigmentation, and a creamy enough consistency that it doesn’t tug on the lash line–what’s not to love?

Where to Buy:  Sephora

11. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil ($19.00) | This was one of the first eyeliner formulas I fell in love with, and I still really like it. Some shades are absolutely fantastic–really pigmented in a single stroke, long-wearing, and creamy–but most shades have more buildable coverage, which I find works just fine for real-life application (I tend to apply in short strokes, back and forth motions). Some of my favorite shades are Deep End, Junkie, and Mushroom. Honey is my all-time favorite, but it was discontinued!

Where to Buy:  Sephora, ULTA, Beauty.com

12. L’Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner ($8.99) | There aren’t too many shades available, but the ones that are available are amazing. These are incredibly rich in pigment, long-wearing, and easy to apply. I am obsessed with True Teal!

Where to Buy:  ULTA