Straight-up, I love expensive eyeliner.
For the better part of the past decade, winged black eyeliner has been so integral to my personal #brand that for a long time people thought I looked strange without it. Therefore, I have never been afraid to spend upward of $20 on the good stuff (mostly Kat Von D Beauty Tattoo Liner, $20).
Hell, I even went so far as to splurge $60 on Tom Ford, which is upheld as the best liquid liner on the market. But not everyone has that kind of money sitting around to regularly spend on something as seemingly inconsequential as eyeliner. (I certainly don't, and that's why being a beauty editor comes in handy.)
But are there really as many good options out there below the $10 mark? I put nine bestselling drugstore eyeliners to the test to find out which ones have quality that surpasses their price tags.
I bought the eyeliners for this experiment based on reviews from across the internet. These are the nine drugstore liquid eyeliners users consistently ranked the best.
Those reviews were compiled from beauty brand sites, Amazon, and varying beauty forums such as Reddit's MakeupAddiction and MakeupAlley.
And when I say liquid, I mean LIQUID. This review didn't include any gels, creams, or pencils.
Almay's liner felt similar to a soft felt-tip marker, but it had a bulbous tip I worried would be too large for drawing the thin, sharp lines I'm accustomed to.
I understood that tip was designed for a specific purpose, though: creating small dots for a fun and easy game of connect the dots.
Not something an eyeliner aficionado like myself *needed,* but I certainly saw its perks for someone a little less ~experienced.~
My concerns about this liner's thick applicator — and how precise it would be — were 100% valid.
Although that dotting tool came in handy for creating *straight* lines, it wasn't ideal for creating *thin* lines. Buying this eyeliner is a surefire commitment to big, bold wings — which isn't everyone's vibe.
WEAR TEST | What this liner lacked in delicate precision, it more than made up for in staying power. After a full six hours in a hot and stuffy studio, its pitch black formula looked practically the same.
There was a teensy tiny bit of transfer onto my upper eyelid, but that's something I experience even with Kat Von D liquid liner on more vigorous days. But this eyeliner is literally half the price, so color me impressed.
Here's the verdict on the Almay Eyeliner Pen.
CoverGirl's liner is an applicator-and-ink-well situation rather than a pen, which definitely raised some problems for me.
I've always found that thin applicators kept separate from the eyeliner itself tend to be flimsy, and this liner is no exception to that rule. Another thing about liquid liner kept in a well rather than in pen form? It's always way too damn wet. This was something I went in expecting of CoverGirl.
In a passing glance, CoverGirl's liner *almost* looks flawless.
Upon closer inspection, you can tell the applicator has control issues. The formula was also VERY dark and VERY wet — a fatal combination. I blinked once I thought it was dry, but it immediately transferred.
That's what all those dots and smudges were from — it was not my fault, I SWEAR.
WEAR TEST | The formula really stuck once it dried down. This photo was taken after about six hours after application, and there was almost zero difference.
I could potentially love this eyeliner were I to spend some time adjusting to its flimsy applicator, but it would definitely be a struggle. In short, CoverGirl's liner has a great formula but a bad applicator — and I require 100% quality.
Here's the verdict on the CoverGirl Get In Line Liquid Eyeliner.
E.l.f.'s felp tip was SO HUGE, I doubted I'd be able to draw my usual sharp wing with it.
It's hard to convey in photos, but just picture what those washable markers you used a kid would look like if they were twice as long and super sharp. THAT's how big this liner pen was.
I was astounded. Despite its size, this marker's tip was just thin enough, making for a shockingly precise wing base.
So far so good, right?
I thought just after application that I'd already found my winner, thanks to e.l.f.'s seamless and near flawless application experience.
But maybe we can chalk that up to a good makeup day?
WEAR TEST | After three short hours spent sitting inside and not really moving at all, the formula had already dissipated into something patchy and cloudy.
E.l.f.'s liner delivered the exact opposite experience of Covergirl's with an equally disappointing outcome.
Here's the verdict on the E.l.f. Cosmetics Intense Ink Eyeliner.
Although Essence's liner was the cheapest of the bunch, its applicator gave me the highest hopes.
This felt tip, of all nine liners, bears the most resemblance to my holy grail Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. I had no idea what I was in for formula-wise, but I thought I could at least expect an easy application.
But I could tell at first swipe that it would also be the biggest letdown.
Can you see that line? It was so watery, I barely could.
This was a BRAND NEW eyeliner — purchased online, mind you — and it was already so dry I could barely even apply it.
Applying this eyeliner made me look and feel completely incompetent. When I filled in my outline, it was barely visible. Trying to build up the coverage just made it smear around my eyelids — and it was STILL transparent.
WEAR TEST | Worse than that, it somehow managed to smear everywhere throughout the following four hours anyway.
I don't think I even need to explain why I hated this eyeliner.
Here's the verdict on the Essence Eyeliner Pen Waterproof.
I will award it a single Kat Von D nemesis, aka one Jeffree Star.
L'Oreal Infallible has a pretty standard felt tip that felt slightly sturdier than Essence's.
This pen also bore resemblance to my all-time favorite, and I had just as high hopes for it as I did Essence.
My first swipe of eyeliner was clean, dark, and easy. Thank heavens.
But when I pulled the applicator back to my inner corner to complete my wing, it had the same control issues as Essence and CoverGirl.
This wasn't a complete deal breaker — once again, this was a problem that might be solved with time and practice.
WEAR TEST | Here's the deal breaker: It only took 20 minutes for Infallible to smear and fade away.
I was rooting for you, Infallible! Close but no cigar — what's the point of wearing eyeliner if only for 20 minutes?
Here's the verdict on the L'Oreal Infallible Paints Eyeliner.
Even from far away, L'Oreal Linear's applicator looked what I can only describe as fuzzy, so I had major doubts about its precision factor.
And I was wrong about that — this applicator, though maybe too thick for those that like thin, subtle wings, was relatively easy to use once I got used to it.
What I did not anticipate was its midnight-black formula taking a record-breaking ten minutes to completely melt.
Not *only* melt, but fade, crack, and transfer, too. The applicator was extremely OK, but its formula need more than a little work.
RATING: One out of five Kat Von Ds.
Here's the verdict on the L'Oreal Linear Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner.
Once I noticed Maybelline's formula had a LOT of glitter in it, I immediately thought I'd hate it. That being said, its applicator had a promising amount of flex to it without being flimsy.
The applicator's promise for control and precision was granted. This was probably the quickest and easiest application of the bunch.
It took SECONDS.
My only wish for this formula was that it was darker.
This liner's metallic quality made it shiny, obviously, and that wasn't ideal for someone who always prefers the boldest, darkest option when it comes to makeup. The upside to this is that the coverage was buildable.
WEAR TEST | But it was worth the sacrifice of pigment, given that it didn't transfer or fade in the slightest, even after six hours of work.
I know the chef's kiss meme has been long gone, but … *chef's kiss.*
Here's the verdict on the Maybelline Master Precise Ink Metallic Liquid Liner.
NYX's applicator is the only one of its kind in the bunch — not a felt tip, but an actual brush made out of tiny little hairs. I once again feared a lack of precision.
Upon first swipe, my fears dissolved as I noted not just an easily controllable applicator, but a VERY dark formula.
My inner goth queen squealed at the thought of a budget-friendly liner THIS black.
NYX's formula, despite how wet and dark it was, dried down pretty quickly — I thought for a few hours that I might be in love.
WEAR TEST | But a formula this bold usually comes at a cost. After an hour sitting in a sunny, semi-outdoor pub, the formula creased, smeared, and faded exponentially.
Things got worse after I took this photo four hours post-application, if you can believe it.
Here's the verdict on the NYX Professional Makeup Vinyl Liquid Liner.
When I took the cap off Revlon's liner pen, my first thought was, Oh no — she thicc.
NOT what you want in an eyeliner pen.
But shockingly, it wasn't the chubby felt-tip pen that gave me issues, but rather its watery formula.
You could see my lid straight through that eyeliner. Like, what's even the point?
WEAR TEST | What *was* there on my eyelid managed to make it through six hours smudge-free, but that wasn't very much to begin with.
Surprisingly decent applicator, once again terrible formula. Sigh.
Here's the verdict on the Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen Classic.
So who wins the drugstore eyeliner battle royale? It's a TIE!
Almay and Maybelline offered two very different yet equally positive eyeliner experiences — they're both great, but be aware of what you're looking for in an eyeliner before you buy one.
Almay Eyeliner Pen is perfect for eyeliner beginners who like a little extra help or savage babes who are not afraid to wear a wing thick enough to see from space.
Maybelline Master Precise Ink Metallic Liquid Liner, on the other hand, is great for anyone with a steady hand who wants something on the smaller, softer side.
So there you have it — now go and glam, my pretties.
Because now you don't have to spend more than $10 on a bulletproof wing.
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These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
