69 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.
LLR Avatar

Thanks for the Essence gel tip. I finally remembered to pick one up, and I like it a lot. I had gotten away from gel liners and cat eyes. The gels seemed like they dry out so fast, and eyes are now developing hoods due to age I guess. So now I’m practicing modifying application technique on weekends. And if the liner has to be tossed, at least it was cheap!

Ashlynn Cueto | The Crimson Cardigan Avatar

My all-time favorite eyeliner is The Balm Schwing Liquid Eyeliner. It has the perfect tip, and it creates such a dark, smooth line. Even I, with my shaky nervous hands, can create a pretty decent winged liner. I feel like Schwing is such an underrated product, and I almost never hear anyone talking about it. For me, it’s my go-to, hands down.

Erica Avatar

I just used up Marc Jacobs Highliner in Brown Out. Otherwise I use MAC Teddy, Rimmel Scandaleyes in Brown #3 or Sonia Kashuk Iced Coffee. I rarely wear black. It is most likely a not so flat bronzey brown type eyeliner

Deborah S. Avatar

I don’t have a go to eye liner as I don’t use one often enough. I have really hooded eyes and so I don’t line my eyes. My lashes are still really thick and I don’t have issues with spaces or my tight line being very pale against my lids, etc. so I rarely tight line. If anything I use a L’Oréal Silkissime pencil eye liner and use that in my water line or lower lash line. I also like the Sephora brand pencil eye liners and they are reasonably priced. The Marc Jacobs liners last really well on the water line, are comfortable to use and come in beautiful colors but I have to say for the price point they seem to dry out really quickly so I haven’t repurchased.

Taylor Avatar

I have been loving applying gel eyeliner recently – Maybelline Eye Studio gel liner in Blackest Black with an angled eyeliner brush. My go-to pencils are MAC Costa Riche (yummy warm brown) or Tarte’s Smoldereyes purple pencil (can’t remember the name).

Anne Avatar

They’re all go-to favorites for my green eyes (just depends on color, finish and time):
Pencil:
Chanel Stylo Pencil – Noir Intense (very black matte), Ebene (soft black matte), Cassis (dark purple matte)
YSL Pencil – #5 (medium plum satin)
MUFE Aqua Eyes Pencil – 4L (red-plum satin)
EL Double Wear Graphite Pencil (true charcoal gray matte)
Cream/Brush:
YSL Cream Eyeliner – Black Cherry (black w/ slight red duochrome satin)
LM Cream Eyeliner- Violet (dark matte)
LM Caviar Sticks – Tuxedo Black (very black matte), Plum (dark matte), Twilight (medium taupe/gray matte)

Mariella Avatar

I agree with you about the MJ Fineliner. My first was a mini points perk and I thought it was the regular MJ liner and was so disappointed….til I tried it as a tightliner and then I was sold on it. I was going to wait til a VIB event to buy the full size but loved it so much and used it so often that I couldn’t bring myself to wait and went out and got the full size about 3 weeks later.

Abby Avatar

Marc jacobs fineliner in truffle(d) to tight line and Sephora collection contour inner rim liner in wide eyed for my water line!! I only ever tightline and I love the skinny fineliner to do so. They make it so easy.

Shannon. N Avatar

For waterline: Colourpop creme gel liner (the one in the pot!) In swerve ! If I pat some matte black shadow ontop to set it. It will last up to 9/10 hours on my waterline! By the end of the night, I still have almost all of it on my waterline!

For upperlashline: Kat von D tattoo liner! I have severely hooded eyes, and this liner is SO fine, and precise that I can get SO close to the lashline!!!

Coloured liner: Avon gel pencil liner! The one I have is a shimmery teal, and it’s AMAZING. so creamy, and lasts forever!!!

Jane Avatar

My two go-to are Stila’s stay all day waterproof liner and MUFE’s ink liner. I also love Lancome’s Artliner and Marc Jacobs’ Precision Pen, but the higher price point is a deterrent, sadly.

Jackie Avatar

Urban Decay Demolition, Sephora Tiramisu, and Sephora 5th Avenue for everyday, more natural-looking eye looks. For nights out or more casual/fun occasions, I favor black, purple, and green eyeliners from Urban Decay and Sephora.

janine Avatar

I don’t wear a lot of eyeliner but when I do I have Marc Jacobs highliner in odessea,lunatic and an old Lancôme medium brown pencil.

I love to waterline Mac Pro Longwear Waterproof Colour Stick in Creme Filled (a beige with gold sparkles) which I do a lot as gives me a fresh eyed look. Friday I got Mac Rapidblack Penutimate liner pen in black as I recently mastered false eye lashes and it seems to require eyeliner.

I used to have several BB gel liners but they dried up.

Thanks for all the questions and input I’m looking forward to trying some of you’all’s favorites.

StillSheryl Avatar

I am looking for a great tightliner, presently. I loved Too Faced Three Way. It was the best. I could go up from underneath and tightline from the bottom up. I loved it. So of course they d/c’d it. My favorite make-up guru from Ulta recommended Stila and while I love the actual product, the felt tip is too soft for a good “from underneath” tightline.

Sheila Avatar

I always tightline my upper lash line with the Maybelline Master Precise Skinny Waterproof Gel Liner. I smudge black or brown eyeshadow on my upper lash line and brown on my lower lash line for my daytime eye look. For a more dramatic eye look, I use Inglot Gel Liner #77. It’s so smooth and doesn’t skip on my lids.

Amy S Avatar

Warm/neutral fair skin, olive green eyes:

Urban Decay Stash (exactly matches my eyes)
Urban Decay Ether (sheer violet)
Butter London Twigged (gold taupe)
Butter London Earl Gray (soft shimmery gray)

I don’t wear black eyeliner, ever

I have a few others but those are my favorites; depends what I’m wearing.

bibi Avatar

Elizabeth Arden’s Smoky Eyes Powder Pencil in Black, Gunmetal, & Violet- I have used EA’s pencils for 30+ years (yes, I am THAT old) and can say they’re truly oldies but a goodies! Stays put all day & does not bother my contact lenses! Effortlessly smokes out but does NOT creep into my undereye resulting in the dreaded panda/blackeye look.

Pamela Avatar

For a wing; Kat Von D Tattoo liner in “Trooper”
For tightline/waterline; Colour pop creme gel liner in “Swerve”. These both are my ride or die eyeliners. They are absolutely perfect.

Brenda Avatar

Ummm yeah same answer as the lipstick one from yesterday, depends on what eye look I’m wearing. Currently, I’ve been using UD zero on my upper lash line that I smudge and create a kitten flick with using an angled eyeliner brush. Then from there it’s which one compliments my look. UD corrupt, freak, chaos, voodoo, roach, junkie, deep end, asphyxia and Woodstock. Colourpop prance, cry baby, get paid. Stila deep burgundy and blue fin.

Adriana Avatar

For the top lashes Calligraphie de Chanel long wear intense creme eyeliner in black, on the lower lashes Bobbi Brown Rich Brown eyeshadow. On the top waterline I use Chanel Stylo Yeux Intense waterproof long lasting eyeliner pencil in espresso. All these are very long lasting and they don’t irritate my eyes.

d. Avatar

Tom Ford’s High Definition liner mechanical pencil in Ebony – applies smoothly and lasts as long as I need it to on my oily lids. The staying power was so good I dared to try it on my lower lash line (extremely dangerous territory for me) with impeccable results!

Gamze Avatar

Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Eyeliner in 25 different shades. I have very, very hooded eyes and no eyeliner seemed to stick on my upper lashline until I tried gel eyeliners.

Emese Avatar

I only use eyeliner on my waterline and I’m still looking for one that stays put. I use these three now:
Bare Minerals Round the Clock 11pm;
Inglot Kohl pencil in Black
MAC Technakohl in Graphblack.

Want to try: MAC Modern Twist Kajal in Long Espresso and some other black ones from MAC, maybe from the Powerpoint line.

Nikki J. Avatar

Urban Decay Naked 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencil in Zero/Whiskey. I tend to wear Whiskey on my upper lash line and Zero on my waterline.

Angie Avatar

eye of horus has been such a go-to for me lately. i love smokey black, scarab, and nubian brown especially

for colouring in the waterline, i’m reaching most for nars black moon and kaliste and chanel stylo yeux in eros (this is a red, and i love it so much i have 6 backups)

my liquid liner of choice have always been and will always be makeup forever ink liner (this is very underrated for such fantastic quality)

Bonnie Avatar

Lord & Berry Kajal Stick Oriental in Black. It’s a thick twist-up crayon that somehow maintains its point…maybe the cap is shaped to keep the point? It’s great. It’s like the gel pencil eyeliners I love so much by NYX, UD etc, but it’s thicker and I love using it on my top lid. Stays put, goes on smooth.

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!