The Hit List: Best Liner for the Waterline
What’s the Best Waterline Eyeliner…?
What brand/product wins this category? Any particular reason it wins?
What’s the Best Waterline Eyeliner…?
What brand/product wins this category? Any particular reason it wins?
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
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!
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!
I think MACs pearlglides are fantastic! Those things are super pigmented and they do not budge at all!
I second this! they are not safe for waterline but i tried it and loved it! Unfortunately Feline does not stay on my waterline but i did like that it was a true black!
I heard that Wet N’ Wild has this AWESOME Liquid eyeliner. Cheap and works like a charm!
“Cheap,” indeed! It burned my (non-sensitive) eyes just using is as a regular liner, much less on the waterline. How can you tell it “works like a charm” if you’ve only “heard” but never tried it?
i really like MAC feline power kohl for the waterline, but if its particularly windy or my eyes are watery, it goes away. for color on the waterline, urban decay 24/7 liners are fantastic!
For me its MUFE’s Aqua Eyes Pencils. Love these pencils, they are waterproof, long-lasting, and not too soft.
I agree! I like the MUFE pencils much more than the UD ones.
I also agree…MUFE aqua eyes don’t budge!!! Love them!!!
Agreed on the MUFE Aqua Eyes times 100! I can cry while wearing it and my waterline doesn’t smudge. Comes off easily with makeup wipes and/or cleanser
MAC LIQUID LAST
ive tried all kinds of waterproof liners and ones with great reviews likes stila kajal, urban decay 24/7, coastal scents gel liner, clinique cream liner, anna sui waterproof, nars liners
NONE of them stayed, my eyes are the absolute worst for waterline lining, and even though liquid last is probably not safe for the waterline, it’s the only one that doesn’t budge wheras all those other ones fade and smudge and goop up in the corners of my eyes, even when i set them with shadow
Evelyn
Have you tried Bobbi Brown Gel Liners? Especially the shimmer ones! They are fab for the waterline. I was the same as you with MAC, UD 24/7, Clarins, YSL, they all disappeared, but nothing has lasted as well as BB. They are very comfortable too.
MAC 209 brush is great for the waterline too. I semi close my eyes & pull the brush across & it lines the top & bottom waterline.
FAB!!!
Zero all the way baby! <3
MAC feline!!! <3
UD 24/7 has absolutely NO competition
Mac Technakhol in Graphblack and Brownborder!
Lise Watier (not sure if it’s available in the US since it’s a Canadian brand) – her liners are awesome, super soft and non-irritating for the water line. They last the longest of any I’ve ever tried, and come in gorgeous seasonal colours.
All of her products are pretty amazing, actually; I would highly recommend them!
I agree. My favourite colour is Fauve for the waterline – not too harsh
MAC FELINE!
I’m UD 24/7 til I die but for the waterline, I think MUFE has them beat.
UD 24/7 liners take the prize. Not a day goes by that i don’t use zero or the new dark brown color, Corrupt. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!
Loreal HIP khol, in black and Burgundy.
MAC Fluidline, Feline, Smolder, Chanel Khol Graphite agoes away in my waterline
I haven´t tried MAC Liquidlast liner, I will take a note in my wishlist
I like to use a smudgepot on the waterline 🙂 It really doesn’t fade! I know the urban decay ones sometimes melt off when I go to work (I work in a restaurant) and it DOES NOT look cute at all! 🙁 Kinda embarrassing actually lol!
STila Eye Kajal. NO CONTEST.
This gave me raccoon eyes when I used it.
Same here. I used it once and never again.
24/7 doesnt stay on too long…the loreal liquid pncil was good, but the one that stays put the longest is the black stila smudge pot on my waterline!!!
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero!
If I line my waterline I want something really pigmented & intense. I like using soft kohl pencils, I like using cheap maybelline liners (the red ones), warming them up with a lighter like scott barnes is showing in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtGB3G_zyW4
I think its a great way to soften up any hard kohl pencil.
My waterline is like Evelyns and NOTHING will stay. I have tried all the pencils and the best is MAC feline. I have even tried fluidline and other gel liners but those irritate my eyes so I have to use pencil.
revlon colorstay pencil liner . love this stuffff
Loreal HIP Creme Eyeliner…that’s the only one that doesn’t budge on me at all…for 8 hours or more…
The only one I can get to stay is MAC’s Greasepaint Stick.
tecknokohl in black works for me. smolder and feline
Urban decay 24/7. Towards the end of the day, they do fade a little but u can still see some color. Its awesome!
Christine….you didnt tell us which is your favorite.
Urban Decay 24/7! The best! But I’ve just bought the HIP metallic liners, so I will have to try them and see if they’re as good as the UD 24/7 liners.
none! no liner stays on my waterline for more that an hour! i’ve tried so many, and ive tried setting it as well with shadow.
Urban Decay 24/7 liners
Prescriptives softliner in Jet. I’ve stocked up since they are closing down! 🙁
I got an email from them today announcing that they will have a new online ordering system in January 2010 where you can save your custom blend recipe and reorder your makeup. Why would they send an email out like this? Are some of their products still going to be available?
I actually love using gel liners on the waterline. MAC, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox… which ever one is to hand really. I feel they all work just as well for me.
MUFE aqua eyes and then setting it with a black eye shadow, it lasts all day!
i have used urban decay and mac waterproof pencils and they still smear on me even with setting :/
I have tried all of the above and more, from ALL kinds of brands and I can say, hands down, the best waterproof liner for the waterline is Revlon Colorstay eyeliner…amazing stuff and AFFORDABLE!
I like MAC smolder but it does smear under my waterline about half way through the day.
I wear hard contacts and have sensitive eyes so i am the AUTHORITY on this one. BAR NONE? MUFE aqua liner and Urban Decay 24/7. TRUST ME!
MAC Feline! Smolder smeared all over the place for me. I want to try urban decay zero since Ive heard good things about it…
Revlon ColorStay eyeliner – black. For some reason the brown isnt as intense as the black, but the black applies very dark and lasts for hours.
I like U/D 24/7 Glide on liner in zero because it is waterproof and smudge proof making it perfect rainy water and allergy season friendly. I like that it is black and has no sparkles or shimmer.
bobbi brown gel liner or prestige total intensity!
My favorite pencil eyeliner EVER because it does NOT budge on my waterline whatsoever is the entire prestige total intensity line. The colors are soo pretty too; they all have black undertones which I really like.
I have to agree the prestige total intensity and the MUFE aqua eyes are the best!!! But the total intensity in deepest black is blacker than the MUFE and a fraction of the cost
Still haven’t found the perfect one =[
MAC Fluidline and Urban Decay 24/7 liners that have no glitter or shimmer. As well Gosh Let’s Twist eye liners. They’re waterproof and come in lots of colors.
I love MAC’s kohl power pencil in feline because it’s so black and intense. I have heard of several stories where feline smudges like crazy because of how smooth it is so every now and then I’ll use black eyeshadow to set it. I have tried out the brown 24/7 UD liner that came with the Book of Shadows 2 set and I quite liked it a lot as it didn’t budge was was fairly intense in colour.
Prestige Eyeliner! Cheap and works like UD!
Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes all the way!!!
The best eyeliner for my waterline out of all the eyeliners i tried is
BeYu Soft Liner for eyes more
its a Germany brand but its the only liner the last in my waterline for a long period time because i have really teary sensitive eyes and i tried eyeliners from MAC, Make Up For Ever, The Body Shop.
Really love it.
urban decay 24/7, especially in Zero!
i have the MUFE aqua eyes which is maybe my 2nd favorite but i still feel like it would smudge under my eyes. and i have MACs Feline eye kohl, i wanted to like it so much, but it smudges SO bad on the water line! its terrible! its great for a smokey eye.. and smolder eye kohl is alright, def better than feline. but UD ALL DAY!
MAC Feline…just discovered it and will never be without it! :0)
When it comes to intensity, MAC Feline is the winner hands down. But in terms of long wear.. I’m still looking. ;]
MAC Feline. I was under a lot of pressure last night and it did not run a bit! Lasted a whole four hours. Sweet.
stila kajal, mac feline, ud 24/7 in zero
MUFE OL! This is the only one that doesnt make eyes panda like!
Revlon Colorstay in Black always stays on my waterline. Espescially if I set it with black eyeshadow.
Ive been using MAC Feline set with Carbon and sometimes it stays a while sometimes not so much. I guess it depends on my eyes that day. I want to try the Stila Kajal though, keep hearing good things about it.
Smolder!!
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner is the best!
LOVE Urban Decay (try the new gold there) smooth, smudgeable and waterproof!
I like MAC’s Powerpoint liner and Revlon’s Colorstay.
MAC liquidlast! it’s the only thing that lasts on my waterline
Honestly I love UD 24/7 Liners and Styli Style Line and Seal 24/7 liners.
i realize this is an old post but would you say clinique’s cream liner is waterline appropriate christine?
The best waterline eyeliner I have found is Milian Liquid eye eyeliner. Its Great !