EYELINER 101: The Best Liquid, Pencil, and Gel/Cream Eye Liners [Comprehensive Shopping Guide]

This post is for anyone who has previously asked me the question, "What eyeliners are the best?"As many of you very well know, my favorite makeup products to try are foundations, eyeliners, and nail polishes. So it should come to no surprise that this comprehensive shopping guide is thorough, with lots of options! I love variety, whether it is in finish, color, or texture.. don't we all? I hope you find the reviews helpful, text breakdowns of Top 3 at the end! Enjoy :)



Eyeliners Reviewed:
Lancome Artliner in Noir
Maybelline Line Stiletto Liquid Liner
MUFE Aqua Liner Waterproof Liquid in Navy
Stila Sparkle Liquid Liner in Electric [and for those asking, the Stila All-Day Pen liner smudges on me]
Lancome Waterproof Artliner in Beach Bum
Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner in Woodstock
Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Waterproof Pencils
Lancome Kohl in Love Pencils in Chocolate Affair, Deepwater Blue, and Jade Crush
Chanel Stylo Yeux Long-Lasting Waterproof Pencil in Rose Platine [DCed]
MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner Pencil in Undercurrent
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil in 8
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black Ink
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
YSL Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils in Gold [LE]
Inglot AMC Matte Eye Liner Gels in 90 and 77

Makeup Worn:
YSL Teint Touche Eclat Foundation
Cle de Peau Powder Foundation in O20
Cle de Peau Eyebrow Pencil in Natural Grey
Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Ave Princess
Burberry Eye Shadow in Dark Sable
MAC Eyeshadows - Blanc Type and Era
Lancome Color Design Infinite 24H Eye Shadows - Tremendous Turquoise & Boundless Blue
Lancome Artliner in Noir and Hypnose Drama WP Mascara
Tom Ford Lip Colour Shine Lipstick in Quiver

Nails:
Zoya Pixie Dust in Vespa

Tank:
Soft Joie from HauteLook

YSL Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils in Deep Black and Sea Black Review, Photos, Swatches

The one and only eyeliner I am faithful to is Lancome's Artliner, a liquid formula with a smooth felt tip applicator. YSL's newest Effet Faux Cils cream liners, however, are officially my favorite cream eye liners.

Clinique's cream liner is smooth, long-lasting, and very affordable. Shu Uemura's wears very well on my eyes but you must order online through their website. This new YSL formula is most similar to SU's, if case you were curious. Bobbi Brown's is excellent for the lids but a little too creamy for the waterline. MAC's gel liner is also very popular and even though it's not a cream, I still consider gel and cream liners as part of the same category. I find that MAC's gel formula is a little better for oily lids, which I do not have, but the YSL Effet Faux Cils cream liner is the creme of the crop. The texture is a little more dense and incredibly pigmented. I like my black liners to be jet black! The Effet Faux Cils cream liners dry down firmly (but not uncomfortably so) and last all day on my slightly hooded eyes. For the price, however, Clinique takes the cake. 

These liners are clearly richly pigmented, right? The consistency of your lines will be noticeably more matte in finish. This bodes better for those with oily lids and for those who simply do not prefer glossy eyeliner. The Lancome Artliner has a very glossy finish, which I love, but it's nice to mix it up once in a while. I used the black one in my YSL Holiday 2011 Tutorial so you'll be able to see it in action next week!

Bottom Line: YSL did a great job with these liners and I will definitely purchase the brown one.

This review contains sample products sent for consideration by PR but the post is not sponsored and opinions expressed are based strictly on my own experiences.