Best Eyeliners: Top Picks & Buying Guide

Compare the best eyeliner side by side. Browse 411 in-depth reviews, head-to-head comparisons and guides to find your perfect match. Updated regula...

Eyeliner defines your eyes like nothing else, but the formula has to keep up with your day. We compare pencil, gel, liquid, and kohl eyeliners on pigment, precision, smudge resistance, and how they wear on oily lids or waterlines. Our reviews cover waterproof options that survive humidity and tears, plus gentle formulas for sensitive eyes.

We test application too, because a great liner is useless if it drags or skips. Our guides explain tightlining, winged liner techniques, and which formulas suit hooded or monolids. Browse our eyeliner comparisons to find liners that stay sharp from morning to midnight.

We also test how eyeliners perform as eyeshadow bases, a popular technique for smoky eyes. Our reviews include a waterline-specific rating, since many liners claim waterproof wear but disappear within hours. For beginners, we recommend which formats are most forgiving and which pencil types double as smudgers. We also compare sharpeners and note which liners work with standard sharpeners versus needing their own.