15 Best Smudgeproof Eyeliners That Won’t Smear or Run

If you’re new to eyeliner (welcome!), you’ve gotta try this super-slim pencil from Shiseido that makes drawing lines ridiculously easy, even if you don’t have a steady hand. “You can create a beautiful wing shape just by using this one pencil,” says makeup artist Stella Tu. “I also love that it’s a twist-up liner that you never have to sharpen.” Try this tight-lining tip from makeup artist Gilbert Soliz if you’re a liner novice: Wiggle the eyeliner between the root of your lashes instead of trying to stick the liner into your eyes; it’ll give you a dark line with less room for error (and tears).

THE REVIEWS: “This is a great, highly pigmented eyeliner that draws a nice fine line,” writes one tester. “It’s good for those who don't want heavy eyeliner.”

You don’t have to spend major $$$ for a smooth, waterproof eyeliner, and this drugstore liner from NYX proves it (I mean, just look at the 45,000+ five-star reviews). This brush-tip liner—which also comes in brown—creates pigmented cat eyes, flicks, and swoops that never look patchy or watery, and the formula itself dries down to a smudge-proof finish for an eight-hour work day. Did I mention it’s less than $10 too? Love it.

THE REVIEWS: “When my favorite high-end eyeliners got way too expensive, I decided to give this cheaper option a try, and it honestly applies darker and stays longer than either of them,” writes one tester in a review. “You can apply this in the morning, and it stays on all day. If it ever gets discontinued. I will legitimately cry, lol.”

This waterproof eyeliner from Chanel has that ~magic Goldilocks effect~: It’s creamy enough to glide on your waterline without skipping, but it also somehow stays put all day long without smearing or transferring. It has a thin, pointed tip that twists up (aka no sharpening; hallelujah), so you can easily trace your waterlines without catching on or gunking up your lashes.

THE REVIEWS: “This eyeliner glides smoothly when I tightline my upper lash line and is easy to create winged lines on my hooded eyes,” writes one reviewer. “I also have sensitive eyes, and this is comfortable on my eyes all day long.”

Whether you wear contacts, have allergies, or you start tearing up and itching as soon as you do your makeup, you have to try this clean, waterproof liner from Kulfi. The gel tip is creamy and smooth, so you won’t need to tug on the sensitive skin around your eyes to draw it on. And if you tend to rub at your eyes during the day (hey, pollen szn), you’ll be happy to know that this liner straight up doesn’t budge once it sets, so no need to worry about raccoon eyes.

THE REVIEWS: “Eye makeup, in general, tends to irritate my sensitive eyes, but I've had no issues using this one and plan to purchase more colors now that I know it’s okay for sensitive eyes,” writes one tester. “I also just love how smooth this eyeliner applies and how long it stays on.”

This waterproof eyeliner is completely sweat-proof and oil-proof—and I say this from experience. When I first moved to New York City, my once-combo skin became oiler than ever, and the eyeliners I used to rely on were suddenly slipping around my lids by noon. But then this ol’ faithful popped back into my life, and it’s been the only smudge-proof eyeliner that stays put after a day of constantly blotting my face. Still, if you think you need more staying power, try patting a glitter primer over your lids first (it’s extra sticky and heavy duty, say makeup artist Brittany Whitfield) to make your liner stay matte longer.

THE REVIEWS: According to a tester, “I have oily skin, and that doesn’t seem to mess with the durability of this eyeliner. It stays until I remove it. The color is a nice solid black too and isn’t patchy. Plus, the fine brush tip gives me some control to get the shape I want.”

My main requirement for a smudge-proof pencil eyeliner? It can't skip. Which is why I will never, ever, be without this soft, creamy, cult-favorite eyeliner from Urban Decay. It’s a staple in beauty editors' and makeup artists’ kits alike. And Soliz agrees: “This formula glides on with ease and allows you to smudge it out, but it also stays put.” It really does live up to its name (and hype).

THE REVIEWS: “After sweating more than I’d like to admit for hours at a beautiful outdoor wedding, this product DID NOT BUDGE!” writes one tester. “If that’s what you’re looking for, look no further. It’s creamy, glides on nicely, and has great pigment that lasts!”

Both makeup artists Sean Harris and Tu love these Makeup by Mario pencils for creating a smokey eye that lasts. The dual-ended eyeliner has a creamy liner on one end (that comes in five shades from black and brown to teal and purple) and a smudge brush on the other end for softening lines. Once the liner sets in about 45 seconds, it won’t move. Tu also notes that the color is “super pigmented, and the formula is creamy, making it great for tightlining the lash line.” And if you smoke it out a little too much for your liking, you can always dip an angled Q-tip in micellar water and sharpen or shorten the line.

THE REVIEWS: “This is the creamiest and smoothest crayon liner I’ve ever tried,” writes one tester. “I watched a video on Mario’s YouTube about how to get a smudged wing with this liner, and it literally took me 10 seconds to get the perfect smudged wing that would normally take me 5-10 minutes.”

Have you ever seen a wing as strong as Ariana Grande’s? Don’t think so, which is why it’s no surprise that her makeup line would include the best smudge-proof eyeliner for creating ‘em yourself. This liquid liner has an ultra-pointy felt tip that gives you a lot of control and precision to make your lines extra sharp and clean. And because it’s so pigmented, you don’t need to retrace a bunch of times just to get a bold finish. If you do make a mistake, just dip a flat eyeliner brush in micellar water and run it underneath the wing to clean up any jagged lines.

THE REVIEWS: “I love super precise, sharp wings, and I’m quite picky with them, but using this product felt effortless and easy,” writes one reviewer. “This liner creates beautiful wings without drying out too fast or smearing.”

I’m not exaggerating when I say the second you draw on this eyeliner, it doesn’t move (when I first swatched it on the back of my hand, I was stuck sporting a black line all. day. long.). So if you’ve got hooded eyes, you don’t have to worry about this eyeliner transferring to your crease or smudging along your lower lash line. But despite its dry-down time, the formula is still surprisingly creamy and smooth, meaning you can still have an easy-to-apply eyeliner that won’t shift because of your eye shape.

THE REVIEWS: “This is one of the best eye pencils I've ever tried,” one tester writes. “It goes on smoothly, it's easy to apply, and it stays on all day without smudging and giving the raccoon look.”

This MAC liquid liner has the O.G. brush-in-pot packaging, and there’s a reason why it’s so popular: It’s phenomenal at drawing thick lines with deep, saturated color. Like, if you’re trying to disguise the band of your false eyelashes, you’ll be able to do it with one swipe of this pigmented formula. Just note that you won’t be able to remove it with basic face wash at the end of the day—it’s seriously waterproof, so you’ll need to wipe it off with a cotton round or Q-tip soaked in oil-based makeup remover or a cleansing balm.

THE REVIEWS: “I've been trying to find an eyeliner that is actually waterproof and can stay in place when I get super sweaty during 12-hour shifts,” writes one reviewer. “THIS BAD BOY IS THE BEST. It didn't budge whatsoever while at work or even during a nap!”

I wore this waterproof eyeliner the night I was moving away from my best friends—which included uncontrollable sobbing in the bathroom—and even still, my liner didn’t budge at all. Seriously, the second you swipe on that line, it won’t move or smudge, regardless of the sweat, oil, rain, or trauma-level hysterics you may endure.

THE REVIEWS: “Every other liner—whether waterproof or not, whether liquid, gel, pencil, or crayon—will end up messy by the end of the day,” writes one reviewer. “Stila’s eyeliner doesn’t do that. It will stay all day if you’re skiing, walking to and from work on a rainy day, or experiencing humidity in the south. I even applied it before a 12-hour trans-pacific flight, and my wings looked just as good when I landed.”

Take one look at Danessa Myrick’s Instagram, and you’ll see why she’s a legit master at colorful makeup. Her Colorfix formula is a multi-use product for eyes, lips, and cheeks, but it’s especially excellent as a smudge-proof colored eyeliner. Even the brightest of shades, like yellow, pink, orange, red, and blue, will show up opaque and bold on every single skin tone (seriously, check them out here). Squeeze a drop onto a plate, napkin, whatever—not your hand, since these can stain— dip in an eyeliner brush, then start drawing.

THE REVIEWS: According to one tester, “I LOVE this product and am so impressed. My longest wear was 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. in the hot sun and then sweating profusely dancing at a club. The liner looked exactly the same when I took my makeup off after all that time, heat, and sweat.”

If you love a bold liquid eyeliner look but haven’t quite mastered the flick of the wrist (literally), draw your lines with this v pigmented gel eyeliner from Inglot and an angled eyeliner brush. Whitfield raves about this Inglot liner, noting how incredible the formula is for creating dark, black lines—though if you’re into other colors, they’ve got dozens ranging from bright yellow to shimmery blue to bold green. And thankfully, this formula is still easy to wipe off with a pointed Q-tip soaked in micellar water if you need to clean up your lines.

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer writes, “My favorite eyeliner ever. It's easy to apply with a brush, goes on like butter, and stays in place. I keep trying other eyeliner, but I'm not sure why, because I always come back to this one. It's perfect for building, or keeping it simple.”

This Rare Beauty eyeliner has truly everything you need for the perfect graphic eyeliner: (1) a matte finish that won’t smear throughout the day, (2) a flexible brush tip that can be pushed down for even thicker lines, and (3) a highly pigmented formula that doesn’t require you t retrace your line multiple times. Because it’s so versatile, you can play around with different graphic-eye looks, like Kat’s Euphoria makeup look (which has been dubbed “Siren Eyes” on TikTok, fyi).

THE REVIEWS: “This is one of the best liquid liners I have used in a while,” one review reads. “The tip is perfect for allowing total control, and there is no skipping when drawing on the liner. It also doesn’t budge during the day, even on my extremely oily eyelids.”

I will never forget the first time I used a liquid eyeliner pen; my whole world was changed. But not all are created equal (and I’ve tried my share of dry, watery, bleeding formulas). Thankfully, this one from Pat McGrath is *chef’s kiss.* The formula is on the drier side, so it doesn’t transfer onto your upper lid when you’re lining your lash line, and also dries down to a smooth, matte finish that won’t flake or smear throughout the day.

THE REVIEWS: “I have tried every liquid liner out there, and this is the best,” one review reads. “It doesn’t run or smudge even after a long shift. A lot of liquid pens I’ve tried dry up after a week, but this pen is still going strong after six months.”