Finding an eyeliner that stays put—even when you use it to line the waterlines (inner rims) of your eyes)—is something I’m STILL on the lookout for, despite trying, oh, DOZENS and DOZENS of eyeliners over the past few years via my job.
And so is reader R., who writes:
“I’ve been on the hunt for a stay-put eyeliner for quite some time, but I can’t find anything that stays on the waterline. Using a primer helps it stay in place on the lower lid, but does nothing for the waterline. Will the YSL stand up? Or is this a common problem with liners and I’m just doomed? Nothing ruins a sexy smokey eye like ‘coon eyes.”
The YSL numbers she’s referring to—YSL Dessin Du Regard Long-Lasting Eye Pencils—are definitely favourites of mine, but are they waterline material? I’m not sure, even though I’ve been really happy with their performance (could be because I ALSO use primer all the way around the eye before I apply, which will definitely help increase your mileage).
Anyway, that’s why I took to Twitter to ask some of the beauty editors, bloggers, makeup artists and brand reps out there what THEY think are the best long-lasting eyeliners:
Beauty editor Andrea Lavinthal from Real Beauty (@andrealavinthal): I layer powder shadow over MAC Fluidline. Waterproof liner works too
Beauty editor Jill D. from 29 Secrets (@29secrets): re:Good liner- Bobbi Brown Gel All.The.Way. Close second: Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes pencil. And a great cheapie: Annabelle!
Makeup artist and beauty blogger Andrea Claire (@AClaireBeauty) I love MAC powerpoint liner- it doesn’t smudge. Grey Utility is a great colour. some people reco MAC’s Smolder but it bleeds.
Beauty blogger and makeup artist Joy David-Tilberg from Makeup Junkie (@MakeupJunkieJDT) ones that have worked for me MUFE Aqua Eyes, Urban Decay 24/7 liners, and M.A.C. Power Point pencils
Beauty blogger Akisa from BeautySwatch (@BeautySwatch): Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes has worked well for me
Beauty PR pro Marissa Bushe (@Mbushe) I swear by Joe Fresh liquid eyeliner. It’s easy to use, feels like a felt tip pen and lasts! love it so much! (not a client) [Editor's note: I haven't tried this one, so not sure of the consistency, but make sure you don't use a liquid liner in the waterline. Liquid liners are amazingly long-lasting but too liquid for that sensitive area... and your optometrist will NOT be happy!]
Natalie from Toronto’s GEE Beauty (@geebeauty): try our GEE Beauty khol eyeliners. Chocolate is our favorite. Soft for the waterline, and smudge proof on us for sure
Vancouver’s Noir Lash Lounge (@noirlashlounge) Stila Smudge Pot – everything else tends to run =(
Max & Mia Organics (@maxmiaorganics) try the Jane Iredale eye pencil-its one of the best!
To these I’ll add a few more of my faves (besides the YSL): Lise Watier (just the waterproof kind though), Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof and Benefit’s BADgal waterproof liner.
Okay, now over to you:
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MUFE Aqua Eyes and Urban Decay are great eyeliners.
I am just trying a new liner from Stila which is really long-lasting and comes in six colours I believe.
Got any recommendations for a long-lasting eyeliner that isn’t a pencil? One of those push/twist rather than a pencil or pen style?
I definitely need to get a new one right away.
Hi Donna, you mean like a liquid liner? Of the old school brush kind, one of the best I’ve used is Revlon’s (it has a good brush). But for the push/twist kind – I’ve tried ones from Chanel, Dior, YSL etc. They seem to work okay…no smudging… but I remember they faded quite quickly.
Also have you tried gel liner? ie. the kind that comes in a pot that you apply with a brush? Bobbi Brown’s (as Jill mentioned above) are amazing!
Where do I find the Bobbi Brown liner? It’s restricted from shipping to Canada on both the Bobbi Brown site and Sephora.
Thanks for the shout out! Great list of liners – will have to check out Chanel’s liner!
Great idea for a post~ I enjoyed reading through the list of other liners! keep up the great work~
Thanks A!
Thanks for the great ideas, Michelle!
I have a MAC pot in a smokey silvery grey shade, and I remember it lasting a long time … I just didn’t like how I had to apply it. It took a lot of practice
Maybe I’ll try them out again. If you had to pick between the MAC and the Bobbi Brown one, which would you choose?
I use a wet to dry eyeliner in black ebony by Laura Mercier.
With the right applicator tool, it works like a *swoon* dream, but the name of the brush eludes me…it gets right up in the waterline, and glides effortlessy along the bottom lash line. I find the raccoon eyes don’t take effect as long as I make sure to dust transluscent powder under my eyes.
Oooh will have to check out – I don’t have much from Laura Mercier but whatever I have tried has been of excellent quality. Good tip re: the translucent powder.
@Gimped – I don’t know if I use one or the other enough to really say either way… but I think if I had to pick I’d probably go with the Bobbi Brown gel liner since beauty editor extraordinaire Jill D. (who I quote in the post) raves so much about it. She knows her stuff!
Use indian kajal it is really dark and smooth its the best for the water-line. I believe Guerlain has one too available at sephora, or you can find brands from india that are less expensive. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P234632&categoryId=B70
http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/products/kajal.htm
Also I’ve tried jane iredale for some reason it irritated my eyes and it is really hard to sharpen. With kajal there is no sharpening needed and it contains natural ingredients most of the time.
@pria: thanks for the tip! I searched Sephora for “indian kajal” and found this one. Any thoughts? Better pricepoint than the Guerlain one for sure.
Stila Kajal Eye Liner
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P114407&categoryId=B70
Any idea where I can get Indian brands without ordering online? I’m in the GTA.
If youre looking for the classic and authentic kajal, Biotique is a brand that sells the organic kind, it $13 and we sell at at The Transformation Studio and can mail it out to you.
Never buy things the super cheap kajal at south asian indian grocery stores because they have lead in it, very dangerous).
@Gimped: If your in the downtown area try gerrard street where they have all the indian shops, there might be a store there that sells them, even south asian grocery stores have them sometimes. I know ordering online is a hassle, hope you find them!
I’ve spent so much money on finding the right eyeliner that doesn’t give my raccoon eyes, it’s ridiculous. After many years, I’ve FINALLY settled on two: Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (not for water lining though) and Shu Uemura Painting Liner (works for water lining).
MAC, Bobbi Brown, Chanel, and Stila, all smudged on me.
Thanks for the recos – haven’t tried anything from Kat Von D’s line yet save the concealer (kind of meh about it). I loooove anything Shu Uemura!
@Pria – I looooove the Guerlain kohl eyeliner. For some reason I didn’t think it was coming back this year – but if it is, that’s great news! I love it but it does smudge on me though
What works for me is to line my waterline with dark eyeshadow, either dark brown, blue or purple and then line with your favorite eyeliner. It stays put all day and night and no smudge. For day look I use Smashbox double ended eye brightener and then use my eyeliner or sometimes with the right brush just apply dark eyeshadow, bye, bye racoon eyes!
You use eyeshadow on the waterline? Ouchie! Doesn’t the powder get in your eyes?
Hi Michelle,
Not at all all, I use Benefit and Lancome eyeshodows and they’re so silky that honestly they feel creamy. Plus I love the look and gives a bit of light to my eyes.
I will have to try it then!
I swear by Smashbox’s Jet Set eyeliner. It’s in a pot, so if you’re comfortable using a brush, this is the way to go! As long as you let it set, it won’t budge.
http://www.smashbox.com/JET-SET-WATERPROOF-EYE-LINER
You can get it at Ulta & Sephora & etc, but QVC sometimes has good deals on it too. I think I paid $40 for 2 pots and a brush last year.
Thanks, Joanna! I’ll take a peek at this one, too. Still trying to find the right liner for me. The MAC stuff didn’t last on my lower lid/waterline, which is disappointing since I can’t return it. This hunt is insane; my makeup bag is FULL of once-only used liner prodz. I have to go back to products that are carried by Sephora so I know I can return it if I’m not happy.
Oh no – which M.A.C liner did you buy?
The Fluidline pot. Another thing: I stopped by the MAC counter at The Bay the other day to ask about brushes … and the chicky told me the Fluidline stuff is NOT for the waterline. Bah?? I don’t know what to think anymore.
I think some people use the gel liners (in the pots) for the waterline with a tiny angled brush—when I had my makeup done during TIFF in September, that’s what the Murale makeup artist used.
BUT I think you do have to be pretty skilled to do this… and personally I’m not sure it’s the best thing for your eyes (a liner would glide more and be less irritating).
The other thing I noticed from the person who recommended Fluidline (Andrea) – she puts powder on top to set. This obviously wouldn’t work for the waterline… but if you’re using anywhere else maybe try that.
So do you have any other liners that might work for the waterline instead? Maybe try a cheapie one – like Annabelle as per Jill D.’s recommendation…
Hey Michelle
I was using an angled brush to apply the Fluidline and it still didn’t hold on. And I won’t be trying the powder on top idea — great idea if it works, but my eyes itch just thinking about it.
I’ve tried other cheapies: Avon (their regular line AND their Mark line), Maybeline, CoverGirl, Almay … I’ll try the Annabelle one and see how that works out, then head to Sephora and start playing there.
I don’t understand why this is so difficult. Waterproof should be waterproof, no? No matter where you apply it.
Yeah you don’t want to put powder anywhere near the inner lids of your eyes… yikes!
Janine from Beautygeeks reports that the Carmindy for Sally Hansen eyeliner is a close dupe to the MUFE ones so there’s another cheap-ish one to try.
And I share your frustration! I think if you put these liners anywhere else – on your cheeks for instance, they would absolutely not budge. The problem is that your eyes are constantly producing tears… I’ve had makeup artists tell me that because of that, none of them will last more than a few hours, no matter how ‘long-lasting’ they promise to be.
Also – I recently did some testing with Rimmel and CoverGirl regular liners and they were not good. Smear City. So having the label say ‘long-lasting’ or waterproof at least helps a little bit. Just keep your expectations low
Thanks Joanna! I believe I have this product somewhere – good to know it’s a keeper. And great tip about letting it set – I sometimes forget to do that.
I stumbled upon this site today when ‘researching’ Kevin Murphy hair powder/ products and have spent the rest of the day reading- really really great. I even had to stay an hour and 44 minutes after work ended to catch up on stuff I needed to do. Made later by reading about Hilary’s brown eye make up (tomorrow’s project)! Now, I love Bobbi Brown. I bought a cake eyeliner when I was 16… in 1996 and still have it. The brush is in pretty good nick as well (though not really for very thin lines but hey, not bad). However, the gel pots dried up so quickly. I bought 3 and all are crispy and barely useful any more. Its very sad. So, y’know, be warned.
Haha sorry to take away from you getting your work done!
I love Bobbi as well… now I need to go check if MY gel pots are dried up as well because I haven’t used them lately. (Let’s just say that I have a lot of makeup in my stash…)
How long did you have them before you noticed they dried out?
Just an update on my search: tried MUFE Aqua Eyes … and it flaked like crazy. It stayed on my lids, but started flaking off my waterline about 10 mins after I applied it, if that. I’ve never seen an eyeliner flake before, but this one did. It’s a shame though — it goes on so nicely.
Oh noes! I can’t comment on this one as I hadn’t personally tried it, just heard the raves from people I mentioned in this post. Too bad… it was on my list of things to buy at Sephora for Xmas. I’m going to ask Andrea Claire to see if she has any tips for the flaking. She’s a makeup artist so hopefully she will know!
Sorry you are having such a hard time with your liner search Gimped!!
Oops! That was Joy not Andrea. Asking her instead!
Okay – I got two Twitter opinions for you.
Janine (from BeautyGeeks) says it could be a wonky batch. Apparently MUFE liners tend to dry out if they’re not capped properly. I know you just bought yours so you might want to go back to the store and see if they can exchange it for you… perhaps it was an open one they sold you, who knows.
Joy says she hasn’t experienced flaking and suggests going over the line a few times… are you doing that? Because if you are you might want to try Janine’s advice and just draw the line once – SHE says it flakes if you try to go over it once set.
So there’s some difference of opinion here but maybe try what you *aren’t* doing and see if that helps. And if not, I’d go back to the store. Hope that helps Gimped!
Thanks for the advice, Michelle! I did go over the area more than once, but it’s because one swipe across the waterline barely deposited anything. But I didn’t let it set before going over it again so who knows. GREAT for the lids, though — only one swipe required.
I think I’m just going to return it and try a different product. Thanks to this post I have a lot of options to try out
Will keep you posted on my search!
Another update.
Benefit BADgal Waterproof: no go. I had my brows done at the Brow Bar last night and gave this a whirl when I was there. I ran errands in the mall for maybe 45 mins and the liner had already failed me. No raccoon eyes though, it just disappeared like so many do (why does this happen btw?) So sad for this Benefit queen …
Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Hyperliner in Tommy Jet: not bad. I’m testing it out today. Highly pigmented, goes on very nicely … It’s been on for a little over 5 hours and I have a bit of ‘coon eyes happening but nothing too disastrous. So far it’s the best one I’ve found — it’s actually lasted A LOT longer than anything else I’ve tried — but I’m still going to keep looking for “the one.” It’ll do if I can’t find something else, but it’s still not perfect. A little bit of ‘coon eyes is still too much. It needs to STAY PUT!!
BTW, the guy that helped me at Sephora also suggested the “set the liner with powder” trick. He suggested the Black 4 shadow from MUFE because it’s matte and highly pigmented — glittery shadows are a no no as they will DEF irritate the eye, or so he says. Anyway, I’m still not keen on the idea, but if I really can’t find anything that works I will likely try it out.
Up next: Urban Decay 24/7 … IF it’s in stock
Agree – BadGal is not the best. I haven’t tried Tarina Tarantino.
The Sephora guy suggested setting your liner with powder IN YOUR EYE? I def wouldn’t do that for the waterlines, yikes! (At least he’s right about the sparkles)
I haven’t used my new Urban Decay liners extensively but so far think they’re pretty good. Thank you for the testing results Gimped!
Another update … and hopefully the last one!!
Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero … I think we have a winner!! I had been to Sephora a few times to find this but they were sold out every time — I guess that was a testament to how well it works. I’ve used it once so far and it lasted nearly all day, so using it in the evening when I should really be rockin’ the look should work fine … she says, crossing her fingers and hoping her search is over.
This is so weird – I’ve been using that exact same one as well and I really like it. Urban Decay just had a media event and I have a video coming up featuring their products, so I’ve been trialling their stuff for the past week or two. They have some really good stuff!
Yeah, it’s pretty good. It does smudge easily I find though, but I can deal with that. I might check out the other colours they have; I need a brown for daily wear.
I know this is an old post but I want to pitch it anyways since I just recently found my HG eyeliner that I’ve been searching for years. here it is – prestige eye liners. I’ve practically given up on eyeliners and turned myself to liquid since all the eyeliners and gel liners I’ve tried transfers to my under eye area. I have to blame creamy concealers for the most part of it coz they are too emollient, which in turn melts the eyeliner on my upper lid when I blink. I’ve tried most of the brands mentioned by the above comments and they only stay well when I use a liquid concealer. But if I use creamier concealers such as bobbi brown, the balm and the like, my eyeliner transfers like crazy… (UD Zero is the worst of all)… luckily, prestige eyeliner was able to withstand all types of concealers and doesn’t melt. it glides on so easily too… and do i have to mention cheap as well? this is the only eyeliner i have used up and will be repurchasing…
Thanks for another reco!! But … where can I find it? Is it avail in Canada?
Also, which eyeliner? Their website lists a few different ones.
Gimped! I just discovered another waterproof liner, from Yves Rocher, that I mentioned in today’s editor’s picks video. It works really well and is only $12! http://beautyeditor.ca/2011/04/15/video-my-top-5-editors-picks-of-the-week-new-skincare-oil-controlling-primer-and-super-cheap-waterproof-liners-that-work/
Sweet!! I’m on it!!
Hey Michelle
I grabbed one of these last week … but it was only $5.99. Did I buy the wrong one???
Hey – I know this is a super old comment, still catching up. Just double-checked the press release and it says $12. Does your liner say waterproof on the label?
vv Hey Michelle. This is the stuff I bought: http://www.yvesrocher.ca/control/makeup/eye-pencils-liners/waterproof-eye-pencil/?cmSrc=Category
I must have bought it when it was on sale or something, cuz the website says $12 … Now I will run back home to make sure I bought the waterproof one!!
That’s the one! How are you finding it?
The colour is super intense, but it starts to travel and smudge after about an hour
Too bad, cuz there are some fun colours avail!
I’m starting to wonder if it’s my application that’s making the mess, and not the products I’m using. Is there a “special way” to prep and/or apply liner to waterlines and keep it there? Even the UD one I tried (and thought was “the one”) traveled and smudged after a while. Not TOTALLY terrible ‘coon eyes, but there was definitely something there.
I talked to a makeup artist about this and even waterproof ones will eventually smudge, just because of your tears. The only other thing I can suggest is setting it with powder (either a matching colour or a translucent powder)… although this is something I don’t do because I’m a contact lens wearer. But if you were very careful about not getting it in your eye then theoretically it should help. I would put the translucent powder on your lower lid underneath the liner as well, that will help create a barrier to stop it smearing down.
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