Most liquid liners land in two categories: felt tips or brush tips. If you don't have the steadiest of hands or feel like a beginner, all experts agree to opt for the fine felt tip brush so you have better control when outlining your eye. Brush tips have bristles that can leave to stray lines or a messy wing if you don't have control of how to use it. If you’re just now dipping your toes into the world of liquid eyeliners, it can be intimidating (to say the least). When most of us think of liquid eyeliner, we think of a bold, precise, perfectly manicured cat-eye. But according to the pros, you can employ liquid eyeliner to create a variety of everyday looks, from simple to dramatic. Eight hours later, at bedtime, it still looked intact—just a hint faded at the tail. We took a micellar water-soaked pad and it lifted cleanly after a few firm passes. This budget liner covers all the bases: long-lasting, knife-like sharpness (for a flawless cat-eye), and easy removal. Kirin Bhatty is a makeup artist in Los Angeles. You can find her work in numerous fashion editorials and on many red carpets, and her celebrity clientele includes Tessa Thompson, Freida Pinto, and Kaya Scodelario. Next, you’ll want to consider the applicator, which varies from product to product. The two most common materials are built-in bristles (like the Tarte Maneater Liquid Eyeliner) or a felt tip (like the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner). Either can come with a firm tip or a soft tip construction. Both can be great for achieving a multitude of looks, so choosing between the two is more of a personal preference. “I love a pointed brush or firm felt tip,” says Lottie. The firmer the tip, the more precise the line (just note it’s more challenging to keep it bump-free). Dreadon, on the other hand, says, “I always prefer a longer soft tip, either a bristle or felt.” These soft, flexible trips tend to be better for beginners because they are easier to control and make smooth and seamless lines with less effort.

Gilbert Soliz is a makeup artist based in Los Angeles, CA. He’s worked with celebrities like Kim Petras, Paris Hilton, and Indya Moore, and has been featured in music videos, on red carpet, and in editorial. Lottie is a bi-coastal makeup artist who’s worked with a variety of brands for editorial and red carpet moments. Her client list includes Rihanna, Drew Barrymore, Halsey, Christina Ricci, Alexandra Daddario, and more. She’s also worked with top beauty brands like Shiseido, Beautyblender, Urban Decay, and more. Brittany Whitfieldis a makeup artist, groomer, and licensed esthetician based in New York, NY who has worked with celebrities like Carly Rae Jepsen, Queen Latifah, and Jesse Williams. She’s also the co-founder of W.T.F. Dumbo, a photo studio in Brooklyn, NY. Full disclosure: We prepped the look with an eyeshadow primer, but we’re happy to report the color did last all day without fading. Hands down, we’d go with McGrath’s creation for any big makeup moment. It also sits well over glittery eye shadow and doesn't bleed one bit. Removal was a little messy, but with a dose of baby oil, we were able to get it all off.It does leave a lasting vivid pigment for hours, which is ideal for creating big makeup moments. Our tester wore it for five hours to an event and the shade didn’t falter at all. However, if you touch and rub at it, it does smudge. Removal is more timely than most. It smears around quite a bit, so be sure to have lots of oil-based remover and cotton pads handy. Greenberg says the best way to apply eyeliner is to outline where you want your liner to go. She recommends placing very small dots — one in the inner corner on the top lash line, one in the middle of the lop lash line, and another on the outer corner on the top lash line — while your eye is open looking at a mirror.

Against our reviewer’s skin, it felt lightweight and invisible. It dried almost instantly with no bleeding. Throughout the workday, we forgot we were even wearing anything at all. “I even rubbed at my eye a few times, forgetting it was on,” says our tester. Still, when she glanced in the mirror, her cat-eye appeared untouched. It was pretty impressive that there was no budging—it was almost tattoo-like. Sean Harris is a makeup artist based in Los Angeles, CA and has worked on campaigns for Adidas, Ivy Park, KNC Beauty, and Bailey’s Irish Cream, as well as with celebrities including Laura Harrier, Justine Skye, and Gabby Douglas. Our reviewer wore hers all day—even on a run. “It’s almost like it didn't want to come off,” she added. When it came time to wash it off a few hours later, we applied a thin layer of cleansing balm and it melted right off. If you want your eyeliner to last all day, you should try a formula that’s intended to be waterproof or water-resistant. Typically, these eyeliners are made to withstand sweat, oil, and water, so they’re the least likely to smudge throughout the day. Just remember that you’ll need to use an oil-based makeup remover to remove it, which will help prevent any harsh scrubbing or irritation. Consider your skill levelAs consumers ourselves, we realize that there are so many liquid eyeliner options on the market—from drugstore to luxury brands. They all seem so similar, with their pointed tips in their pen-like tubes. So how do you differentiate one from the next? I'll admit, I don't have the most—how do I put it— inspirational eyeliner collection. Sure, I might have a pretty good range of formulas to suit my mood and my vibe (a liquid eyeliner for when I'm feeling fancy, a pencil for when I want a smokey eye, and a gel pot for when I'm bored and have 30 minutes to spare). But as far as the colors? Fifty shades of gray pretty much sums it up. However, lately I've been feeling inspired to make some changes to all my usuals and experiment with ~colored eyeliner~.

You’ll likely want a few eyeliners in your arsenal depending on the various eye looks you’re attempting to create. I recommend getting a pencil eyeliner for your upper and lower waterline and for soft smudge-y looks, a liquid pen eyeliner for easy winged liner, and a colorful gel eyeliner for graphic eyes and playing around with bright hues. The staying power is something else. Since the formula feels thinner than others, we weren't sure it would hang on all day, but it did—12 hours to be exact. Not only did our cat-eye remain uninterrupted, but there was also zero color fade. Removal was painless. It took just a few swipes of an oil cleanser (and there was very minimal smearing). One thing to note: This product does not smudge. Even when we went in with a cotton pad and (somewhat vigorously) rubbed at it, the lines did not spread out or blur. It stayed exactly in place until it was removed. What I love most about liquid eyeliner is the ability to create ultra-sharp lines, which is the same reason many of the pros love the formula. “Personally I work a lot with graphic eyeliner shapes so I like to use liquid eyeliner for added precision,” says pro makeup artist and content creator Jonet Williamson. “It also glides on much easier than most pencil liners, making it really comfortable to use on my clients. No tugging or dragging.”