Eyeliner looks best when it’s applied with precision and stays put throughout the day. That probably explains why these eight pencil-style eyeliners reign supreme. Many of these popular liners come with built-in sharpeners, and none of them skimp on pigmentation. Top eyeliners excel at defining the eyes and making lashes look lush. They can also make your eye color pop when you use a little strategic color selection.
Brown eyes stand out with brown, black, or deep navy liners. Try purple or plum shades for green eyes and warm brown tones for blue eyes. Hazel peepers tend to pop when lined with purple or bronze. It’s always fun to play around with striking shades that make a statement regardless of the color of your eyes. No matter what looks you create, pencils that glide on smoothly and stay put all day are always in style.
Check out these eight on-point eyeliners for pencil fans.
1. CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner
Price: About $4.75
Wear Duration: Not specified
Colors: Black Onyx, Charcoal, Espresso, Grey Khaki, Midnight Blue, Hunter Green, Deep Burgundy
CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner is an eyeliner that you never need to sharpen because it cleverly contains a self-sharpener.1 When you roll the product by twisting the lower half of the eyeliner pen, the tip of the liner passes through the built-in sharpener. The result is eyeliner that stays sharp for precise application. This eyeliner is water-resistant, and you can blend it using the handy blending tip that’s attached to the bottom of the applicator. The Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner from CoverGirl comes in seven colors and is ophthalmologist tested.
2. Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer Eyeliner
Price: About $5.99
Wear Duration: Up to 10 hours
Colors: Rich Brown, Deep Ocean, Noir, Blackest Black, Starlit Black, Earl Gray
Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer Eyeliner is a waterproof eyeliner that’s formulated to last for as many as 10 hours of continuous wear.2 This liner has a built-in smudger for easy blending and a sharpener that keeps the line precise. The shades have finishes that range from creamy mattes to high metallics that are all richly pigmented. You can create subtle, no-makeup looks with this product and high-fashion dramatic looks, too. This eyeliner is waterproof. It’s made to stay perfectly in place throughout gym workouts, days at the beach, steamy dates, or long hours at work. You can make your eyes pop with one of their intense six shades.
3. Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner
Price: About $6.99
Wear Duration: Up to 16 Hours
Colors: Black, Black Brown, Charcoal, Black Violet, Jade, Sapphire, Teal
Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner comes in seven shades, ranging from daringly vibrant to seductively subdued.3 This waterproof formula is meant to stay on for as long as 16 hours without fading or smudging. The included sharpener makes sure your eyeliner’s look stays on point. The rich, intense colors glide on with ease and precision. There’s a built-in smudging tool that allows you to blend your eyeliner like a pro. Plus, Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner comes with a pull-out sharpener. To use the sharpener, simply pull it out, and then twist it over the tip.
4. CoverGirl Queen Collection Eye Liner
Price: About $6.00
Wear Duration: Not specified
Colors: Black Onyx, Charcoal, Espresso
CoverGirl’s Queen Collection was created by actress and rapper Queen Latifah, and it’s designed with eyeliner colors that pop when they’re applied to dark skin tones. The Queen Collection Eye Liner is water-resistant and comes with a soft smudging tool and self-sharpener.4 The pencil goes on smoothly and stays sharp for precise lining. It has a high-pigment formulation, so a little goes a long way. You can use this pencil to create looks that range from subtle to dramatic.
5. Neutrogena Nourishing Eyeliner Pencil
Price: About $9.99
Wear Duration: All day
Colors: Cosmic Black, Spiced Chocolate, Brushed Pewter, Twilight Blue
Neutrogena Nourishing Eyeliner Pencil defines your eyes while nourishing the delicate eye area at the same time. This pencil contains rainforest shea butter and white olive oil to provide subtle moisturization.5 It comes in vibrant shades with built-in sharpeners, so you can get your line as fine or bold as you’d like. This eyeliner contains light-diffusing elements that make the whites of the eyes appear brighter. The result is an instant pick-me-up for your eyes. Each Neutrogena Nourishing Eyeliner Pencil comes with a contoured smudging sponge that lets you blend for a smoky-eye look. Plus, the packaging is made from recycled materials.
6. L’Oréal Paris Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner
Price: About $9.99
Wear Duration: Up to 16 hours
Colors: Black, Black Brown, Brown, Carbon Black, Navy, Slate, White
L’Oréal Paris offers a long-lasting eyeliner with a built-in sharpener and smudging tool. Infallible Never Fail eyeliners have a formulation that goes on creamy and then stays put for up to 16 hours.6 This eyeliner is free of phthalates, parabens, and aluminum. The smudging tool is made from a rubber-like material that blends the liner for a smoky effect. This eyeliner is a retractable pencil type. With a 16-hour wear duration, you can plan to put on this product in the morning and not need to touch up your eyeliner all day.
7. Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner
Price: About $4.99
Wear Duration: Long-lasting wear
Colors: Black, Sparkling Black, Brown, Nude, Deep Blue
Rimmel might have named this product Scandaleyes because the intensity of the color is meant to be shocking. Not only is this product waterproof, but it’s also designed to stand up to sweat, heat, and humidity without smudging or fading.7 It’s been dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested and shown to be safe for even sensitive eyes. Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner has a creamy consistency that goes on smoothly. You’ll need to use your own sharpener or smudging tool with this kohl eyeliner, but with its affordable price, it’s worth it.
8. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eye Pencil
Price: About $21.00
Wear Duration: 24/7
Colors: Abyss, Alkaline, Asphyxia, Bourbon, Chaos, Corrupt, Cuff, Double Life, Deep End, Delinquent, Demolition, Desperation, Electric, Empire, Ether, Freak, Goldmine, Heartless, Hustle, Invasion, Junkie, LSD, Lucky, Loaded, Mainline, Mildew, Mushroom, OVERDRIVE, Oil Slick, Perversion, Psychedelic Sister, Roach, Rockstar, Sabbath, Scorch, Smog, Smoke, Stash, Torch, Underground, Uzi, Vice, Whiskey, Woodstock, Yeyo, Zero
Urban Decay offers almost 50 colors for you to choose from in their 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eye Pencil line. These vibrant hues come in a range of finishes, including metallic and matte.
Formulated with 50 percent moisturizing ingredients, including jojoba oil and vitamin E, this eyeliner glides on and stays blendable for 30 seconds after you apply it.8 After that, it dries to a non-smearing, stay-put finish. Use Urban Decay’s Grindhouse sharpener to keep your eye pencils sharp. All Urban Decay products are 100 percent cruelty-free.