Whether you’re just branching out into winged liner or one viral TikTok away from becoming a celebrity MUA, the best eyeliners are key to nailing that look that keeps coming to you in your dreams (you know the one). The cream of the crop includes precise liquid liners, velvety gel eyeliners, and even pots of plush pigment paired with precision-driven brushes. Although each pick has its perks, they all share the goal of making your eye makeup come alive and staying put from your first swipe to bedtime cleanse without creasing, smudging, or transferring. To narrow down the best of the best, we chatted with editors, makeup artists, and even board-certified dermatologists about their favorite eyeliners, what makes them so good, and why you might be the next one to fall in love.
Our Top Picks
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: Kulfi Beauty Underlined Kajal Eyeliner
Why it’s worth it: The 2024 Best of Beauty-winning Kulfi Beauty Underlined Kajal Eyeliner draws inspiration from kajal—a buttery, richly pigmented eyeliner traditionally cooked up with natural ingredients in kitchens across South Asian households and worn for centuries to ward off the evil eye. Kulfi brings the practice into the present day with this smudge-proof color that glides skillfully onto lids and waterlines. You get a solid 20 seconds of easy-blending playtime before it sets firmly in place. Makeup artist Amrita Mehta is among its many fans, giving kudos to the vibrant shades ideal for tightlining or “smudging out into an all-over color or smoky eye look.”
Tester feedback: “Just a few quick strokes are all I need to define my eyes with Kulfi’s pigmented eyeliner (no wonder it’s an Allure Best of Beauty Award-winning formula),” commerce writer Jennifer Hussein says. Hussein has a special trick to wick away smudge-causing moisture. “A quick tip: For a longer-lasting, budge-proof look, I wipe my waterline with a Q-tip, then swipe on this liner, and finally use a black eye shadow powder as a tinted setting powder of sorts. It never fails to keep smudging at bay.”
Finish: shimmer, matte | Shades: 8 | Waterproof: yes
Best Waterproof: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
Why it’s worth it: Ask any Allure editor about eyeliners, and chances are they’ll tell you a felt-tip liquid liner is an essential—namely Stila’s Best of Beauty-winning Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. Depending on the pressure and how you angle your hand as you apply, this liner can oscillate with sharp wings and silky swaths seamlessly. You can count on this waterproof formula to never skip, bleed, or tug, and lend a matte finish that keeps you company from dawn to dusk. Grab this star in a classic, jet-black or warm brown for a more natural look.
Tester feedback: “I don’t have the steadiest hand, but I’ve found the relatively firm brush of Stila’s liquid liner to be especially forgiving,” says Allure contributing editor Deanna Pai. “It never skips or drags on my lid as I’m drawing, and the color truly doesn’t budge once it sets.”
Key ingredients: liquid | Shades: 2 | Waterproof: yes
Best Precision: Chanel Le Liner de Chanel Liquid Eyeliner
Why it’s worth it: Chanel is synonymous with luxury, and Chanel’s Le Liner de Chanel Liquid Eyeliner is synonymous with: “Oh my god, your eyeliner looks amazing.” The water-resistant formula is latex-based for a firm grip, ensuring that deep, saturated pigment stays put and stays pretty. You can get super precise with your lines, thanks to a tapered tip that narrows to a thumbtack-level point. Of course, this liner comes in a classic, rich black, but we especially love the uniquely dark oxblood shade—Rouge Noir (a.k.a. “Red Black”). Wear it on a bare lid with a bit of mascara, or layer it with a smokey eye for a sultry nighttime vibe.
Tester feedback: “My days of thick, forgiving winged eyeliner are long behind me, so I’m all about precision and control with my eyeliner formulas these days,” says commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. “Chanel’s Le Liner de Chanel has a fine tip applicator that’s quite stiff compared to others I’ve tried, which I find to be ideal for keeping my lines tight and clean. The formula is definitely a liquid but not so loose that it’s runny and stressful—I love dragging my fingertip along the outer wing to slightly soften the tip—and this eyeliner has just enough viscosity that I can safely manipulate the wing with my fingers without fear that I’m going to end up with inky fingerprints all over my face. You can do a lot with this eyeliner which really helps justify the price tag, IMO.”
