Best Overall

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Perfect Strokes Longwear & Waterproof Gel Eyeliner

$20 at SephoraView on Rarebeauty.com$20 at Kohls.com

Type: Gel | Shades: 3 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This waterproof gel eyeliner pencil completely blew us away with its many benefits. One incredibly smooth swipe delivers an intense color payoff to the waterline, and the vivid pigment sticks around all day—no smearing or smudging. Our tester loved how well it showed up over deep brown eyeshadow. The liner is available in black, brown, and a deep burgundy hue and features a precise tip, which makes both tightlining and creating other eyeliner looks much easier. The best part? It has a built-in sharpener, so you don’t have to rummage through your makeup drawer whenever the tip dulls.

Our tester, who has sensitive eyes and wears contacts, didn’t experience any irritation or dryness wearing this eyeliner. Although the formula is long-lasting, it’s fairly easy to remove—our tester said it completely rinsed away with her typical double cleanse. 

Bianca, tester: “The application was so smooth and creamy. I was able to use one hand to apply it without using my other to pull down my lid.”

Best Waterproof

MAC Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eye Liner

View on AmazonView on Ulta$25 at Target

Type: Gel | Shades: 14 | Cruelty-Free: No

If you’re on the hunt for a waterproof eyeliner available in a wide range of colors, including neutrals and bright hues, we recommend picking up the MAC Color Excess Gel Pencil Waterproof Eyeliner. “This pencil has a gel-based formulation with a line-lock technology that allows for long-lasting wear inside the eye,” says MAC senior makeup artist, Keri Blair. Our tester said it glided on easily with light strokes, and the fine tip delivered the perfect amount of vivid pigment. 

Even after accidentally rubbing her eyes, our tester didn’t experience any major smearing, and the color payoff didn’t dull either. It’s not the easiest eyeliner to remove (but that’s standard with waterproof formulas), so you’ll need to put in some extra effort with an eye makeup remover. 

Ashley, tester: “I love how fine the tip of this eyeliner is, and it applies so smoothly. I don’t feel like it tugged at all. It just kind of glided on with light strokes.”

Best Budget

NYX Professional Makeup Retractable Vivid Rich Mechanical Eyeliner Pencil

$8

$6 at Amazon$8 at Ulta$8 at Target

Type: Pencil | Shades: 12 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Available in 12 neutral and vivid shades, the NYX eyeliner pencil delivers intense pigment and an easy application at an affordable price. Our tester, who tried the shade Truffle Diamond, said it only took one clean swipe to experience the rich chocolate brown color. While the product is buildable, you don’t really need many layers to get adequate color payoff. In terms of staying power, our tester said the pigment faded a little from her waterline by the end of the day. She also only noticed minor transfers. While its retractable feature is convenient, twisting the pencil doesn’t sharpen the tip, so it’ll probably dull over time. 

This isn’t the easiest product to remove, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In order to remove the liner fully, our tester needed to use an oil cleanser and then follow up with a double cleanse. So keep in mind you may need to work a few extra minutes into your skincare routine.  

Gabriela, tester: “My favorite thing about this product was the pigment. It was a rich chocolate brown color that I think complements every eye color and skin tone and adds a nice depth without being as intense as a black eyeliner.”

Best Long-Wear

Lancôme Le Stylo Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil

$29

$21 at Amazon$29 at Ulta$29 at Nordstrom

Type: Pencil | Shades: 8 | Cruelty-Free: No

Our tester wore the Lancôme Le Stylo Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil for over 16 hours in humidity, and it never budged, so you can trust the claim in its name. The formula also received rave reviews from our tester for its intense pigment—one layer on her waterline was all she needed to see vivid color. While not a formula dubbed a “gel” by the brand, the liner has a super creamy consistency that allows for easy, tug-free application. It’s also available in two finishes: matte and metallic.

Another major selling point? Although it’s long-lasting, the liner is super easy to remove. Our tester said it came right off her skin with a simple double cleanse. You can score this liner in nine rich shades, from black to navy to a deep eggplant purple. 

Bianca, tester: “This color payoff on this liner is stunning. I only needed one layer on the waterline to see it was there, even with my medium-deep skin. On the top of my eye, the payoff was the same!”

Best Crayon

Natasha Denona Macro Tech Eye Crayon

$24 at Sephora$24 at UltaView on Nordstrom

Type: Crayon | Shades: 3 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The Natasha Denona Macro Tech Eye Crayon is great for defining your waterline and creating a smoky eye. The buildable formula blends out easily with a makeup brush immediately after application, but then it stays in place for up to 24 hours once it dries down. Even on her waterline, our tester didn’t experience any smudging. It provides a rich pigment and texture that’s long-lasting. Our tester also found that she didn’t have to press down too hard to apply the color. 

A few wipes of a micellar water-soaked cotton pad did the trick to remove it from our tester’s eyes, so it’s definitely an easier-to-remove formula. The pencil isn’t retractable, and it doesn’t come with a sharpener, so you’ll need one on hand. 

Samantha, tester: “What I like most about this product is that the pigment is rich in color, texture, and feel. This waterline eyeliner does not feel cheap. It feels like a quality liner that you can enjoy putting on and wearing.”

Best Buildable

Kosas Soulgazer Intensifying Waterproof Gel Eyeliner

$24 at Sephora$24 at Nordstrom$24 at Nordstrom

Type: Gel | Shades: 10 | Free of: Parabens, phthalates, mineral oil| Cruelty-Free: Yes

Available in 10 shades, this buildable formula allows you to customize exactly how much color payoff you’d like. Our tester said that one layer delivers a more transparent look, but the color was more vivid and noticeable after two or three layers. While our tester said the formula provided an easy, smooth application and sat comfortably on her waterline, she did experience minor transfer onto the edges of her lashes. The twist-up liner comes with a built-in sharpener, so you don’t have to worry about the tip going dull. It also comes with a smudger to create smoky eye looks. 

Brittany, tester: “This eyeliner is like having multiple shades in one. You can create a subtle look with it or a more dramatic look.”

Best Gel Formula

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Gel Eye Liner

$23

$19 at Amazon$23 at Sephora$23 at Ulta

Type: Gel | Shades: 10 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The Stila Stay All Day Smudge & Set Waterproof Gel Eye Liner is ophthalmologist-tested, and our tester didn’t experience any irritation or dryness while wearing it. It has a creamy gel formula that doesn’t skip or tug, but instead glides on with incredible ease. While it delivers intense pigment, our tester experienced some fading near the corners of her eyes. She also said the formula moved from her waterline down to her lower lash line as the day went on and faded slightly, but she was overall pleased with its long-lasting nature. In fact, the pigment resisted tears and humidity, but it was still easy to remove with a makeup wipe. 

Over time, our tester found that the eyeliner tip dulled (a sharpener is not included), which made it more difficult to precisely apply to her waterline. 

Ashley, tester: “The gel formula glides onto my eyelid so smoothly and efficiently. The application is seamless—one swipe of the eyeliner and my eyes are glowing.”

Best Brightening

Victoria Beckham Instant Brightening Waterline Pencil

View on Neiman MarcusView on Fwrd.comView on Victoriabeckhambeauty.com

Type: Pencil| Shades: 1 | Free of: Parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, talc| Cruelty-Free: Yes

Want to look wide awake, despite only getting a few hours of sleep? Applying a flesh-colored or white eyeliner to your waterline is a legit makeup hack. On top of helping you appear more rested, the technique can be used to brighten and draw attention to your eyes. Our tester had to apply a few layers of this pencil to her waterline in order to get the color to show up the way she wanted and score that coveted brightening effect. That said, this formula isn’t designed with intense color payoff in mind. 

Our tester said the formula has a creamy yet slightly chalky consistency, and that it provided a smooth, tug-free application—an important quality for an eyeliner meant for your waterline. Another fun bonus is that it comes in really beautiful packaging, making unboxing very enjoyable. 

Samantha, tester: “I like that this product made me look a bit brighter in the face, even on those days when my sleep was not so satisfying, and I looked more tired than usual.”

Best Retractable

Clinique High Impact Gel Tech Eyeliner

$28

$27 at Amazon$28 at Ulta$28 at Target

Type: Gel| Shades: 8 | Free of: Fragrance, parabens, phthalates, sulfates| Cruelty-Free: No

Retractable eyeliner pencils are convenient choices because they eliminate the need for a sharpener (and let’s be real, those tiny tools are so easy to misplace). This Clinique pick comes in several shades, including black, beige, white, bronze, denim, pewter, and amethyst. Our tester utilized its narrow tip to deliver a precise application to her waterline. It took her about three layers to get the color payoff she wanted from the bronze pencil, and it lasted for a few hours before she noticed some fading. While the pigment migrated from her waterline to her lower lash line after a few hours, she said the pencil offered a comfortable wear that didn’t cause any irritation. 

This pencil wins big in the removal department. A facial cleanser with normal pressure completely washed it away. 

Rachel, tester: “The eyeliner was easy to remove, and it came off with no residue left behind or raccoon eyes. I washed my face with my normal face wash, with normal pressure and scrubbing, to remove my makeup, and it was washed off cleanly.”

Best Application

Laura Mercier Caviar Tightline Eyeliner

$29

$27 at Amazon$29 at Sephora$29 at Nordstrom

Type: Gel-like| Shades: 4 | Free of: parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, mineral oil| Cruelty-Free: Yes

The waterline is a delicate area, so you’ll want to invest in an eyeliner that doesn’t tug or pull while you’re applying it. And experts say a waterproof gel pencil is ideal, as it offers smudge-proof, transfer-proof, and long-wear benefits. “This eyeliner boasts 12-hour wear and 16-hour crease-proof performance while maintaining a smooth, irritation-free glide,” says Jafri. Our tester also said this creamy eyeliner glided effortlessly over her waterline, perhaps thanks in part to the formula’s moisturizing ceramides and hyaluronic acid. The fine tip made getting a precise waterline application easy, too.

It’s rather pigmented, so it’s a good option for bold color payoff—our tester only needed one layer to see the liner pop on her waterline. Something to note: Our tester experienced some color transfer to her lashes and smudging during testing, so it might not be the best choice for a humid environment or someone who needs a budge-proof formula. 

Brittany, tester: “I like how creamy and easy it is to put on and that the color is deep and intense—even though I prefer a buildable liner, this works for days/nights when I feel like a more dramatic look.”

Best Pigmented

Hourglass Waterproof Gel Eyeliner

$28 at Amazon$28 at Sephora$28 at Ulta

Type: Gel| Shades: 5 | Free of: Mineral Oil, phthalates, parabens, talc | Cruelty-Free: Yes

While some eyeliners require a few layers to really show up, our tester said the Hourglass Voyeur Waterproof Gel Eyeliner delivered intense pigment as soon as it hit her waterline. She only needed two layers of this creamy gel formula for an amazing color payoff. This liner also delivers a pleasant application. The precise tip glides over your waterline with ease and absolutely no pulling. 

Our tester experienced some fading (specifically near the inner corners of her waterline) and some transfer to her upper lash line, so it’s not the long-lasting option on our list. It also requires a strong makeup remover to fully clean the eye area. 

Ashley, tester: “I really liked the softness and pigment of this pencil. It feels nice on the eyes, and you don’t have to push or tug hard at all for the color to show. It lasted longer than other liners I’ve tested.”