The best pencil eyeliners for amazing definition (that we guarantee won't budge)
A good pencil eyeliner is an essential part of any well-stocked makeup bag. While Liquid eyeliners are great for cat-eye flicks and Sixties-style drama, the versatility of an eyeliner pencil allows you to create everything from flawless smoky eyes to smudgy grunge liner with just one tool. Think of them like colouring pencils, and go ahead and get creative.
The best formulas offer smudgeability (if it's not a word, it should be) on application, but stay put all day long once you've achieved a look you're happy with. Your eyeliner pencil should be soft enough that you can apply it without tugging on your eyelids, but firm enough to be sharpened into a fine point. Or, if sharpening is a hassle you could do without, plump for one of the retractable eyeliner pencils on offer like this one from NYX.
For those looking for a blast of colour, the best eyeliner pencil for a range of shades is a super comfortable jojoba oil and vitamin E-infused formula from Urban Decay that comes in 50 different colours. There's also MAC's Pro Longwear Eye Liner which is the best eyeliner pencil for definition. It's available on Look Fantastic for £16.50 and has been used by professional MUAs backstage for years to draw along the tight-line (i.e. your upper waterline which, when defined, will make your eyelashes appear thicker, fuller and more fluttery).
Scroll down for more of the very best pencil eyeliners out there, from the ones to splurge on to the ones you can grab for the price of a sandwich. You're welcome.
Best eyeliner pencil for range of colours
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, £17, Urban Decay
Available in 50 - yes, 50 - shades ranging from classic black to metallic turquoise, this creamy liner features jojoba oil, vitamin E and cottonseed oil to ensure ultra-comfortable wear.
Best eyeliner pencil for beginners
Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner, £21, Bobbi Brown
With its innovative gel formula, this liner offers saturated colour and great staying power as well as a skinny, twist-up applicator for precision application.
Best eyeliner pencil for the waterline
Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner, £18.70, John Lewis
Easy to apply, long-lasting and available in a whole host of great hues, this eyeliner does just about everything, and has a retractable tip so that you don’t need to worry about sharpening.
Best eyeliner pencil for definition
MAC Pro Longwear Eye Liner, £16.50, Look Fantastic
If you want to tightline (that is, apply eyeliner to your upper waterline to make your eyelashes appear thicker, fuller and more fluttery) then this is the best eyeliner pencil to buy. It has been used for years backstage by makeup artists for that exact reason, scoring points for its creamy formula, smooth texture and no-smudge ability.
Best eyeliner pencil for sensitive eyes
Nars High-Pigment Longwear Eyeliner, £19, Space NK
This eyeliner comes in a range of both matte and metallic shades, perfect for pepping up your eye make-up. Glamour’s fave is the chocolatey brown Last Frontier.
Best eyeliner pencil for a smokey eye
Charlotte Tilbury Rock’N’Kohl Eyeliner, £19, Cult Beauty
Waterproof and long-lasting with foolproof application, this eyeliner is as good for a feline flick as a smudgy smoky eye. Keep well-sharpened for great definition.
Best eyeliner pencil for oily lids
Pat McGrath PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil, £23, Net-A-Porter
For a smoky eye that simply will not budge, this eyeliner will be the last one standing at any party. A game-changer.
Best eyeliner pencil: drugstore
Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil, £2.99, Boots
A steal, price-wise, and a great option for those who like to buff eyeliner into the roots of their lashes for the perfect smoky eye.
