Between mask-wearing and Zoom meetings (with the convenient option to turn your camera off or a skin-smoothing filter on), the urge to wear a full face of makeup is fleeting. But if you still want to achieve a wide-awake look with minimal steps, a quick flick of eyeliner can be just the thing to refresh tired-looking eyes. Finding one that you can easily glide along your upper or lower lash line without smudging often involves some trial and error. So we asked professional makeup artists to share their top picks, from foolproof pencils to liquid pens that even a novice could use.
Whether you’re a fan of graphic lines, winged looks or classic strokes, these are the best eyeliners for every skill level and preference. Perfect for wearing alone or pairing with your favorite mascara, these liners will give youreye areaa major lift.
- Best Liquid Liner For Beginners Or Shaky Hands: Maybelline Curvitude Eyeliner
- Best Drugstore Eyeliner: NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Waterproof Eyeliner
- Best Liquid Liner For Graphic And Cat Eye Looks: Armani Eyes to Kill Lacquered Liquid Liner
- Best Waterproof Pencil For Any Skill Level: Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil
- Best Kohl For Creating Smoky Eyes: Kufli Beauty Underlined Kajal Liner
- Best Natural Option For Sensitive Eyes: Antonym Eyeliner
- Best Pencil That Goes On Like A Liquid: Lancôme Drama-Liqui Pencil Eyeliner
- Best Eyeliner For Waterline: Patrick Ta Major Dimension Precision Gel Eyeliner
- Best Drugstore Liquid Eyeliner: Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner
- Best Gel For A Fashion-Forward Effect: Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon
Best Liquid Liner For Beginners Or Shaky Hands
A Novice-Friendly Pick
Maybelline Curvitude Liner
This budget liner (it’s only $7!) has the most clever applicator: it’s bent at an angle to contour to the shape of your eyes, which makes it easy to draw on and flick up the tips of your lines. Just hold it like a regular pen and trace it along your lash lines, working above your lids, not below. As one five-star Amazon reviewer put it, the hooked design “allows for closer and smoother application. Thanks to whoever came up with this idea.”
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Best Drugstore Eyeliner
A High-Performance Eye Pencil
NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Waterproof Eyeliner
A handful of drugstore eyeliners perform just as well as options at MAC and Sephora, including this waterproof formula from NYX. It’s available in various colors and finishes, goes on smoothly and has super staying power. But it’s still pretty forgiving, so if you mess up while lining your eyelids, it won’t be the end of the world or your makeup look.
Best Liquid Liner For Graphic and Cat-Eye Looks
An Eyeliner For Wielding Your Artistic Muscle
Armani Eyes to Kill Lacquered Liquid Liner
“A lot of black liquid liners tend to look dull, and not like a true black when they dry,” says celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose, who finds this satin-y finish liquid defies the norm. The small, barrel-like applicator can be maneuvered quickly as well, making it ideal for creating tapered lines and “the perfect wings at the outer corners,” he says. Another plus: “The formula is long-wearing but easy to take off.”
Best Waterproof Pencil For Any Skill Level
An Eyeliner That Doesn’t Budge
Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil
If you have oily skin, touch your eyes a lot or end up crying, this budge-proof pencil will not turn into a runny mess on you. That’s saying a lot considering the formula is also “rich with intense pigment,” says Los Angeles-based makeup artist Fiona Stiles. “The shades have great payoff, and you have a good amount of play time before they set.”
Best Kohl For Creating Smoky Eyes
An Eyeliner With Intense Color Payoff
Kulfi Beauty Underlined Kajal Eyeliner
This is one of the smoothest, creamiest, longest-lasting and insanely pigmented kajal kohl eyeliners on the market, and comes highly recommended for creating a quick smoky eye. For precise application, makeup pros recommend applying the formula with an eyeliner brush and smudging it in within 20 seconds.
Best Natural Option For Sensitive Eyes
An Eco-Friendly Option
Antonym Eye Pencil Noir
If wearing liner irritates your eyes, this eco-friendly pencil is for you, according to Stiles. It’s preservative-free, formulated with healing oils (marula, jojoba) and safe for rimming the inner waterlines. Plus, it has “terrific staying power,” says Stiles, which make this pick her “perfect daily go-to liner, with the added benefit of being Ecocert certified.”
Best Pencil That Goes On Like A Liquid
An Eyeliner That Offers The Best Of Both Worlds
Lancôme Drama-Liqui Pencil Eyeliner
This long-wear pencil is a makeup unicorn—it delivers the ease of a pencil (meaning it doesn’t set too quickly), but the pigment is “so intense that it has a liquid-like effect,” says Barose. The rich formula comes in spectrum of shades: the cobalt blue (Cote D’Azur) and shimmery green (Foret Enchantee) are among the best Barose has found anywhere.
Best Eyeliner For Waterline
A Smooth Operator
Patrick Ta Major Dimension Precision Gel Eyeliner
The lower lash line tends to be sensitive, so it’s best to use a formula that glides on smoothly in this area—with minimum tugging, which typically causes the eyes to water. Enter the Major Dimension Precision Eyeliner from Patrick Ta: It’s available in four creamy shades including black, “which will intensify every look,” says Ta. The fact it has the staying power of a liquid liner is a bonus.
Best Drugstore Liquid Liner
A Fan Favorite
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner
For fine detail work—like etching into the inner corners of eyes or along lower lash lines—this drugstore liquid liner has a flawless design. Its super skinny tip and tiny wand applicator allow you to move in closely and rest your thumb under your eye for steady, razor-sharp lines every time. Plus it has over 6,000 rave reviews on Amazon.
Best Gel For A Fashion-Forward Effect
A Liner That Glides On Like A Dream
Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon
The complaint with most colored pencils is that they’re too stiff and drag across the skin, creating an uneven line. Not this ultra-smooth, waterproof gel, which is super malleable and glides on a like a dream. It’s a favorite of Stiles, who also praises its “great range of colors.” When all the days spent at home start to blur into the next, she says, these shades “add a little fun to your daily routine.”