If beauty history has taught us anything, it’s that makeup trends come and go, but winged liner is forever. Despite this, liquid eyeliner remains, in my opinion, one of the trickiest makeup products to master. I myself have been wearing winged liner off and on since I was in the seventh grade (humble brag), and I still hold my breath in anxiety every time I apply it. And sure, my questionable cat-eye technique could definitely take some of the blame, but the liquid eyeliners you’re using can really make or break the experience.

Much like finding a signature scent, choosing a liquid eyeliner is personal. Everyone’s needs are different—folks with hooded eyes may want a transfer-proof formula, for example, or those with oily lids may want a matte, waterproof finish. My liquid eyeliner criteria is pretty simple: I want my liner of choice to have a flexible tip that lends itself to a feline flick, and I want it to last all day without transferring to my lids. That said, my needs and preferences may be different than yours—I like a brush, you may like a pot, for example—especially if your skills are expert level.

Thankfully, there’s the perfect product out there for all of us. Keep shopping to scroll 11 of the best liquid eyeliners out there, and your most flawless cat eye is just a few flicks away.

Best liquid eyeliners at a glance

• Best liquid eyeliner: L’Oreal Paris Infallible Grip Precision Felt Eyeliner, $9
• Best luxury liquid eyeliner: Pat McGrath Labs Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner, $34
• Best drugstore liquid eyeliner: Honest Beauty Liquid Eyeliner, $13
• Best matte liquid eyeliner: Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, $19
• Best satin liquid eyeliner: Maybelline Tattoo Studio Liquid Ink Eyeliner, $8
• Best buildable liquid eyeliner: Glossier Pro Tip, $18
• Best clean liquid eyeliner: Ilia Clean Line Liquid Eyeliner, $28
• Best liquid eyeliner for oily lids: KVD Beauty Tattoo Liner, $23
• Best waterproof liquid eyeliner: NYX Epic Ink Liner, $8
• Best non-brush liquid eyeliner: Benefit Cosmetics, Roller Liner Waterproof Eyeliner, $22
• Best liquid eyeliner stamp: Kaja Wink Stamp Original Waterproof Wing Eyeliner Stamp & Pen, $29

Shop the best liquid eyeliners

Best liquid eyeliner overall: L’Oreal Paris, Infallible Grip Precision Felt Eyeliner — $9.00

Originally $12, now $9

Of all the liquid eyeliners on this list, this L’Oreal eyeliner ticks all of my boxes. I even used it on my wedding day—outside in the Miami humidity—which is really saying something. The fine felt tip delivers a razor sharp wing that’s *actually* waterproof, and lasts all day and night on me. It’s user-friendly, and perfect for drawing on subtle baby wings and artsy, graphic designs like. And after a solid three months of semi-consistent use (I did have to test the other liners on this list, natch), the liner pen has maintained all of its smooth, black pigment without getting dry and crusty. Plus, it’s so affordable!

Pros

• Waterproof
• Fine felt tip
• Doesn’t transfer
• Easy to use
• Great for bold and subtle wings
• Affordable

Cons

• None (!!)

#7

Best luxury liquid eyeliner: Pat McGrath Labs, Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner — $34.00

I love the bold matte finish on the Perma Precision Eyeliner by Pat McGrath Labs. Unlike other felt tip liners I’ve tried, the tip on this liner has some give to it, offering enough flexibility for a fluid cat eye flick. The pigmented, high-coverage formula dries down quickly, but it did transfer a bit on my oily lids, so I’d recommend setting it with a powder or using a budge-proof primer before applying it to get the most out of its waterproof formula. Some Sephora shoppers also claimed that this one dried out quickly, but that hasn’t been my experience. Just store the liner upside down to keep the felt tip saturated.

Pros

• Waterproof formula
• Flexible felt tip
• Bold color payoff
• Matte finish

Cons

• Reviewers say it dries out quickly
• Might transfer on oily lids

Best drugstore liquid eyeliner: Honest Beauty, Liquid Eyeliner — $13.00

I must admit, the Honest Beauty Liquid Eyeliner took me by surprise—the formula is richly pigmented at first stroke, and delivers a bold matte finish. And while the ink well format does have a bit of a learning curve, keeps the felt tip saturated at all times. My only gripes are the fact that the formula takes a solid 20 seconds to dry down, and that it transferred a bit on my oily lids. But given the affordable price tag, it’s nothing a little primer or shadow can’t fix.

Pros

• Inkwell doesn’t dry out
• Pigmented formula
• Matte finish
• Affordable

Cons

• Slight learning curve
• Takes time to dry down
• Transfers

Best matte liquid eyeliner: Rare Beauty, Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner — $19.00

Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner has over 1,000 vegan bristles in its flexible brush tip, making it easy to achieve a variety of liner looks—from bold graphics to precise, minimalist wings. The pen is also a bit taller than all of the other liquid eyeliners that I tried, which I found to make application even easier. What’s more, it packs serious pigment, giving me smooth and opaque matte ink that’s truly waterproof. And according to some Sephora shoppers, the budge-proof formula is great for folks with hooded lids too!

Pros

• Waterproof formula 
• Flexible brush tip
• Matte and pigmented formula
• Smooth and easy to apply
• Great for hooded lids, according to reviews

Cons

• Might get too inky

#5

Best satin liquid eyeliner: Maybelline, Tattoo Studio Liquid Ink Eyeliner — $8.00

If you’re a winged liner aficionado, you’re going to want to snag this on your next trip to the drugstore. Maybelline’s Liquid Ink Eyeliner requires some practice to master the inkwell format, but once you get it, the long-wearing formula holds up. The applicator’s precise felt tip helped me achieve a sharp, clean line, and the pigmented black shade keeps its impact throughout the day without transferring. Plus, it’s under $10—which you can’t beat! Just note that if you’re partial to a matte finish, the Tattoo Studio Liquid Ink boasts a satin look.

Pros

• Long-wearing formula
• Hooded eye friendly, according to reviews
• Doesn’t transfer
• Inkwell format doesn’t dry out
• Precise felt tip

Cons

• Wouldn’t recommend for beginners
• Comes off in flakes after day long wear

Best buildable liquid eyeliner: Glossier, Pro Tip — $18.00

The pioneers of easy no-makeup-makeup, I was expecting Glossier’s Pro Tip Liquid Liner to be as user-friendly as everything else in their lineup—and it is. The flexible brush gives you a precise line that’s perfect for a subtle cat-eye flick. The formula goes on semi-sheer which is a good thing for beginners who are nervous about going overboard with their liner, but might be a con for people who prefer a more bold, graphic look. The good news is that it’s buildable—it just takes a bit more time to get an opaque finish—and long wearing, with zero smudging or transfer.

Pros

• Flexible brush tip 
• Long-wearing formula
• Beginner-friendly
• Great for minimal liner

Cons

• Sheer formula
• Dries out quickly, according to other reviewers

Best clean liquid eyeliner: Ilia, Clean Line Liquid Eyeliner — $28.00

Ilia Clean Line Liquid Eyeliner promises an extra fine tip perfect for a precise liner look—and it totally delivers. It glides on effortlessly without skipping or tugging on my lids, and the formula is bold and pigmented with every stroke. And if you’re the type of person who likes to edit their feline flick with a cotton swab (I am), Ilia’s easy-to-remove formula makes touching up your liner easy—making this user-friendly pen a dream for beginners. The only con is that the formula might be a little too easy to remove, and requires a little help from a primer or powder to avoid transferring and smudging. I used Ilia’s skin-smoothing liquid eyeshadow as a base and that worked beautifully!

Pros

• Ultra-fine felt tip
• Pigmented formula
• Matte finish
• Beginner-friendly
• Easy to remove

Cons

• Transfers on oily lids
• Needs a primer/powder

Best liquid eyeliner for oily lids: KVD Beauty, Tattoo Liner — $23.00

If you love winged eyeliner, then you’ve probably tried the KVD Beauty Tattoo Liner. It’s been a long time best-seller for good reason—the precise brush tip offers plenty of flexibility for bold and minimal feline flicks alike. And the easy-to-use pen actually lives up to its waterproof claims, making it oily-lid friendly (though if you want it to be extra budge proof, I recommend using a primer). The only caveat in my opinion is that it takes a couple of strokes to achieve full pigment—but the buildable formula makes layering easy, and never pulls up on itself or skips while applying.

Pros

• Precise brush tip
• Doesn’t dry out quickly
• Waterproof formula
• Can be used for subtle and graphic liner looks
• Easy to use

Cons

• Needs to be built up for full pigment
• May require primer for maximum staying power

#6

Best waterproof liquid eyeliner: NYX, Epic Ink Liner — $8.00

Originally $10, now $8

This drugstore liner is said to be a more affordable dupe for the KVD Tattoo Liner…and I kind of agree. The Epic Ink Liner is just as user-friendly, has an equally precise brush tip, and a reliable waterproof formula that stays put. Dare I say that the pigment on this one is even more intense and high coverage than the KVD liner? One swipe does the trick with this one and I barely ever have to layer it. When the heat and humidity are at its peak here in Miami, I do use a primer with it as insurance.

Pros

• Dries down quickly
• Waterproof formula
• Precise brush tip
• Beginner friendly
• Pigmented formula
• Affordable

Pros

• Requires a primer on hot and humid days
• Brush tip frays if you’re not careful

#2

Best non-brush liquid eyeliner: Benefit Cosmetics, Roller Liner Waterproof Eyeliner — $22.00

In all of my liquid eyeliner research, I was beginning to think I preferred brush tip eyeliners—until I tried the Benefit Roller Liner. The felt tip tapers to an extra fine point for extra precision that’s still super flexible, and it delivers smooth strokes of pigmented (truly matte) ink. While the Sephora reviews are varied, all I can say is that this formula was incredibly long lasting on me! With no smudging, bleeding, or transferring in sight. Plus if you want to take it for a test run before getting the full size, you can always buy a mini version.

Pros

• Truly waterproof formula
• Matte finish
• Extra fine felt tip
• Very pigmented

Cons

• Dries too fast according to some reviews

And the liquid eyeliners that weren’t for me…

Freck, Lashrocket Liquid Liner $24

I had high hopes for the Freck Lashrocket Liquid Liner the moment I read that it contains lash boosting peptides (who wouldn’t be game for a liner and lash serum in one?), but truth be told, it kind of fell flat for me. On the one hand, the inkwell liner format helps keep it from drying out like some liner pens are prone to do. But the applicator’s extra long handle is awkward to hold and the stiff felt tip makes it difficult to achieve that curved cat-eye look. The ink itself is on the sheer side, and went on a bit streaky the more I tried to build it up.

Benefit Cosmetics, They’re Real! Xtreme Precision Eye Liner $24

I’m a firm believer in Benefit’s budge-proof They’re Real Mascara formula, so I was psyched to see if the brand’s Xtreme Precision Eye Liner packed the same resilient punch. And while the fine brush tip was *extremely* precise and glided on without skipping or tugging, I’m bummed to report that despite its waterproof claims, the liner didn’t wear well on me and transferred within only a few hours. I also found the ink itself to be quite sheer, and required multiple layers to get the desired color payoff.

Well People, Fresh Lines Black Liquid Eyeliner $17

I was immediately intrigued by Well People’s Fresh Lines Liquid Eyeliner for its good-for-you formula—it contains aloe vera and rosemary to help hydrate and soothe eyes. The inkwell format keeps the liner’s felt tip wet with ink so you can get those nourishing ingredients right on your lash line. The only problem is, the formula stays wet once applied which led to lots of smudging. What’s more, the black ink doesn’t bring that intense pigment I crave in my liquid liners. You can layer it to build up the pigment of course, but that only made the wet formula more difficult to work with.