5 Long-Lasting Eyeliners

A woman may feel naked without mascara, but it’s eyeliner that brightens and gives the eyes shape. However, any eyeliner wearer will agree your biggest dread is looking in the mirror to find the kohl liner is not where you placed it hours earlier. Either the product has dripped down so the eye appears saggy, or the line has smudged, resulting in raccoon eyes. In humid weather this slide-off is even more apparent. To save you the dreaded touchups—who are we kidding, complete re-dos—I’ve tested the best long-lasting formulas to see just what they’ll make it through. Sweat, humidity and—yes I admit—a good night’s sleep didn’t stand a chance. 

NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner ($24, sephora.com)
Texture: This gentle pencil (which, by the way, isn’t dubbed as waterproof) glides on smoothly and effortlessly. The thicker tip creates a full line in one swipe—no need to dot the lash line and slide over.

Longevity: Not only is the pencil application perfect for a beginner, it doesn’t require any touchups. With a coat on the top lash line and another on the waterline, the color never even budged. The waterline is notorious for smudges because the eye can tear. I don’t know if I’d recommend jumping in the Atlantic, because it’s not waterproof, but it’s a great alternative for someone who wants lasting color but wants the option to fix application mistakes without stripping the eye completely and starting over.

Grade: B. Because it’s not waterproof, the formula isn’t as resilient as others. That aside, the color lasts all day and application is smooth.

Sephora Collection Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner ($13, sephora.com)
Texture: This no-smudge pencil applies smooth and straight. The thin formula (and thin tip) allow you to keep the application light with only one coat. Or you can take it even further and use the sponge on the opposite side to blur the smooth line. When I applied to the waterline, I got this perfectly thin line that was almost naked to the eye, albeit for the brightening of the whites of the eye.

Longevity: The formula doesn’t budge, and I put it through the ringer. I chose to test it on a 90 degree, 70 percent humidity day. From just walking to the grocery store five blocks down the road, my face was drenched in sweat. My foundation may have slid off (finding a real waterproof formula is my biggest hunt yet!), but my liner didn’t move at all. Next came the run. Six miles and a shower later, it was still in that same straight line. And while I dreaded removal at the end of the night (if sweat and a shower didn’t touch it, what are the odds of a drugstore makeup remover?), the product slid off with a few swipes of a face wipe.

Grade: A. Not only did it survive through sweat and water, but it was easy to apply and remove. This liner has officially entered my daily lineup.

Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon ($25, sephora.com)
Texture: Pencil formulas can produce jagged lines. That’s why many require two coats to get that perfect application. Marc Jacobs answered our pencil problem woes with a gel (known for being ultra smooth) in a pencil applicator. One swipe and my lash lines were done. Unlike other waterproof versions, the product doesn’t set immediately, so you can achieve the smudged liner look that’s been all over the runway. Or let the product sit for 10 seconds and it’ll set.

Longevity: Any beauty writer will tell you makeup’s number one rule: Always remove before hitting the hay. But for the sake of this experiment, I wore the gel eye crayon all day and all night. The product kept to the lash lines, but appeared slightly less pigmented later in the day. In the morning, I awoke to slightly more smudged eyeliner. For a long night (or sleepover), this is your pick, but prepare to be more Taylor Momsen than Taylor Swift.

Grade: B. The full pigment didn’t last 12 hours, but the product didn’t smudge. For a softer look, this liner is your go-to.

Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Push-Up Liner ($24, sephora.com)Texture: First, there was They’re Real Mascara that every beauty editor swears by (myself included). Then the brand followed suit with the They’re Real! Push-Up Liner. The gel liner is genus. With a thin angled tip, you can easily hug the lash line. And unlike a pencil formula, it dries almost instantly without smudging.

Longevity: You get the appearance and lifespan of a liquid liner without the tricky application. The pigment is slightly less rich than a liquid, but it makes it through the day just as well. The waterproof formula is so strong, I had trouble taking it off. Enter the brand’s They’re Real Remover. After dabbing the remover on a cotton ball, the liner slid off in two swipes. Using a run of the mill remover on my first try, it took minutes to remove. Now that’s waterproof.

Grade: I give it an A for longevity, but because you need to purchase a remover just to get it off, I give it a B overall. Love the product, hate the extra price tag.

Dolce & Gabbana Intense Liquid Eyeliner ($34.50, nordstrom.com)
Texture: Most liquid formulas apply smoother than pencils, but because they’re slicker they’re also harder to navigate. Start in the middle of the lash line, moving to the outer corner and then start at the inner corner and work your way out. Because the liner is so smooth, it’s almost impossible to get one straight line across the eye in one swoop. And since it dries almost instantly, I kept Q-tips handy, just in case.

Longevity: Liquid liners have a stronger pigment than pencil or gel, so it’s no surprise it made it through the day and night. Aside from the precision of a liquid liner, a key perk is that it never budges. Even with the summer humidity, my skin tends to be dry and itchy. As much as I try to avoid touching my face it happens often, and that includes rubbing my eyes. After literally swiping my finger along my lash line, the liner was still intact…perfectly.

Grade: A. But keep in mind, the tricky application takes a while to master

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