Have You Checked Out These 7 Best Drugstore Eyeliners That Every Fashionista Needs?

The 7 Long-Lasting Eyeliners EVERY Fashionista Needs!

Have you ever been standing in the makeup aisle in a store, staring blankly at the eyeliner section wondering to yourself which one is the best drugstore eyeliner? Today we are going to show you 7 of the most pigmented, longest-lasting eyeliners that every fashionista needs to have in her makeup bag.

"Eyeliner has the ability to work wonders for your look. It can enhance the natural color of your eyes and even change their entire shape. It can be a soft and pretty touch for a day out with friends or a glamorous and sophisticated statement for a night out on the town." -Ogle School of Hair, Skin, Nails.

What Is an Eyeliner, What Does It Do, and Why Do You Need One?

Eyeliner is a makeup product that puts highly pigmented color around the eye to adorn and finish your makeup look. Eyeliners are used to spotlight or even change the look of the eye. It is almost an optical illusion when used properly. Due to the sensitive nature of the eye, eyeliners need to be extremely thoughtfully formulated with ingredients that are resistant to mold, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms growth. Eyeliners also need to be able to deliver highly-pigmented products in a well-controlled manner. Eyeliners are also put through Quality Assurance and Good Manufacturing Practices to protect customers and assure their products are not harmful.

Commonly Used Ingredients in an Eyeliner:

• Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer

• Carbomer

• Color Additives

• Dimethicone

• Fragrance

• Glycerin

• Magnesium Silicate

• Mineral Oil

• PEG-6 Sorbitan Oleate

• Polysorbate 20

• Propylene Glycol

Eyeliner Styles

There are many different ways to apply eyeliner, along with many different eyeliner products. The way you apply the product will depend on whether you are using a liquid eyeliner, eyeliner pencil (otherwise known as a pencil liner or just a pencil.), a gel liner, or even waterproof eyeliner. Each one has pros and cons for what your style goal is.

Liquid Liner:

Liquid eyeliner is a good choice for a steady-handed beginner or seasoned liner pro. Carefully draw the product along the base of your eye using short, small, strokes near your eyelashes. Liquid eyeliner is a great choice to create the perfect cat-eye look.

Eyeliner Pencil:

This is the easiest/fix-proof product you can pick besides an ultra-fine tip felt eyeliner pen. With a pencil, you can draw as you would with a pencil rather than "painting," your eyes. Pencil liners require sharpening over time and tend to "dry out," if not stored properly.

Gel Liner:

This is a great option if you are changing your look frequently. It is great for creating a smoky eye look or making precision style accurate lines. Gel liners are also wonderful as they are highly pigmented and you usually do not have to apply multiple layers.

1. Maybelline New York Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner, Blackest Black, 0.05 fl. oz.

About the Product:

Price: $5.69

Maybelline is a worldwide beauty industry-leading company that creates beauty store products for drugstore prices. The New York Line Stilletto liquid eyeliner boasts all of the benefits of a liquid liner, without the problematic liquid liner issues. You can expect no spills or slip-ups with this liner! The “hyper easy brush tip,” is even able to contour to the shape of your eye. Maybelline thought up a hexagon-shaped grip point so your hands won’t slip as with other liners. This is one of the best drugstore eyeliners on the market and even will be smudge, heat, and wear-resistant for 24 hours. Maybelline has always made it its goal to formulate innovative, cost-conscious products that make applying your makeup fun and easy.

What People Are Saying:

Shannon Chastain "This eyeliner is absolutely fabulous. However, there is a design flaw in the packaging. If you are not perfectly careful when putting the lid back on, the bristles lose their shape. No amount of straightening will fix it. And that makes this product useless. It's a real shame because it looks great on, it goes on very well and stays on." – Amazon reviews.

Mel83 "Pretty much the most perfect liner I have ever used." "This is my new favorite liquid eyeliner…I've tried so many brands (many higher-end) but this one is by far the easiest to use and the best. It doesn't tug or skip when used properly and resists running when my eyes water. My eyelids are slightly "crepy" and have fine lines and slight wrinkles which tend to mess me up when using liquid eyeliner on my top lid, but this one actually works well for me. My biggest problem with most liners is that when I make an eyeliner "wing", the corners of my eyes tend to water and the wing melts away and looks atrocious. This eyeliner isn't 100% meltproof, but it does so much better than the previous eyeliners I've tried. Also, I haven't had any issue with it caking, cracking, or flaking. This is a fantastic eyeliner for precision wings and details and at an excellent price point. I only wish more colors would be made…like bright blue or vibrant green. I would buy every single color!" – Amazon reviews.

Pro Tip: To make your liquid liner last longer, use a primer and setting spray on your eyelid. The primer and setting spray combination will amplify and hold your look drastically.

2. REVLON ColorStay Skinny Liquid Eyeliner, Waterproof, Smudgeproof, Longwearing Eye Makeup with Ultra-Fine Tip, Black Out (301)

About the Product:

Price: $4.83

The Revlon ColorStay Skinny Liquid eyeliner is a waterproof, 10-hour wear liner with all the perks of a liquid liner and none of the mess. No more slipping and struggling to apply your liner. Revlon created an extremely fine tip for this liner. Coming in at only 0.1mm you can create the perfect cat eye, every time. This liquid liner will cover all of your needs from the classic cat-eye to a simple lash-look enhancement. The Revlon ColorStay Skinny Liquid Eyeliner comes in 4 beautiful and highly pigmented shades:

• Black Out

• Mahogany

• Flame

• Green Spark

• Navy Shock

The ColorStay liner is easy to use. Enjoy thin, fine lines that will not start flaking, smearing, or smudging for 10 hours. This eyeliner is tested by Ophthalmologists to ensure the formulation of the product is non-irritating, suitable for contact lens wearers, and even safe for the most sensitive eyes.

Revlon is a leader in everything cosmetics. Their products are currently being sold in well over 100 countries. Revlon created the breakthrough “ColorStay,” a non-transferring makeup line.

“Legal Disclaimer: CALIFORNIA WARNING: This product may be subject to Prop 65 rules and regulations. – www.P65Warnings.ca.gov” – Amazon product listing

What People Are Saying:

Liz Zélandais Top Contributor: Makeup TOP 1000 REVIEWER 5.0 out of 5 stars Best brown eyeliner for precision and flow Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2019 Color: 303 Mahogany Flame Verified Purchase

“For some reason, black pen eyeliners seem to generally flow well, while brown doesn't. Black is too stark for my coloring, and I was completely disenchanted with multiple brands of brown that were dry, flaky, and/or like trying to apply with a fat crayon. (Sometimes when the same brand in black worked great.) Then I found the Revlon ColorStay Mahogany Flame. LOVE IT! Here's why:

1) It's not a pen, but it has the flow and precision of one. The tip of the brush is just right–the point allows you to make a barely visible thin line, but if you load the brush with product, you can get a nice bold effect. 2) The color is GORGEOUS. It's almost a copper color. Subtle but strong. 3) It lasts. I tend to have oily skin, so some eyeliners will pretty much just melt off shortly after application. When I come home from work 10 hours after I applied this eyeliner, it's still there. 4) Super affordable! This is SO inexpensive, and if you want to save even more, you can get it through Subscribe & Save.

Cons: 1) If you get this in your eye, it stings. That's pretty typical of most cosmetics–they don't belong IN your eye. But when you're working this close to the eye, it's going to happen once in a while. So just a word of caution. (If you found this review helpful, I'd really appreciate it if you would click the "Helpful" button. Thanks so much for reading! Liz)”-Amazon reviews.

Pro Tip: Measure out where you want your eyeliner to be. You should start at the edge of your nostril, measuring across your face up past your eye, to the end of your eyebrow. That will be the line that you draw your liner on. You can even mark where to put your eyeliner on with a white or nude liner.

3. Rimmel Exaggerate Felt Tip Eye Liner, Black, 0.08 Fl Oz

About the Product:

Price: $5.53

The Rimmel Exaggerate Felt-tip Eye Liner is the perfect drugstore eyeliner combination of a pencil and a felt tip liner. This liner goes on evenly, smoothly, and easily so you don’t have to worry about slip-ups. Rimmel created this eyeliner to have an exquisite, soft, fine tip for control and longevity. It has every benefit you could desire, even being waterproof. With a 16-hour wear time, you are getting the best band for your buck. Designed with a super-easy twist tube, you never need to sharpen a liner pencil again. When you apply Rimmel Exaggerate Felt-Tip eyeliner you will notice that it has an extremely rich and long-lasting color. Able to be used for every look this will become a staple in your makeup bag. Rimmel even formulated the first non-toxic mascara and made it its mission to lead the affordable beauty industry in safe products.

“RIMMEL QUALITY: Try Rimmel quality beauty products if you've liked those from L'Oréal, Maybelline, Revlon, NYX, e.l.f., Almay, Prestige, Julep, Lush, Milani, Clinique, MAC, Sonia Kashuk, Neutrogena, Physician's Formula, Glossier, Sephora & bareMinerals.” -Rimmel

What People Are Saying:

Angela G ♡5.0 out of 5 stars I can’t live without this 🤷🏻‍♀️ Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2019

Size: 1 Count (Pack of 1) Color: BlackVerified Purchase

"I have purchased this product more than once, it’s my favorite eyeliner. It isn’t glossy it mattes up when dried, it’s easy to apply and wing out, I even use it to diffuse the black if I’m going for Smokey and it looks amazing. I recommend it for the price, honestly a great deal. I set my makeup with a setting spray including my eyes, I work 11 hours a day and my eyes aren’t runny or smudged. I use a bit and work my way with the felt tip, I’ve only used it on my top lid as eyeliner, not on my waterline, I recommend it ❤️.”-Amazon reviews

4. NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Mechanical Eyeliner Pencil, Black

About the Product:

Price: $6.50

Introducing the cutting edge in mechanical liners, Nyx created a moisturizing and highly-pigmented eyeliner that delivers a matte, full coverage, waterproof finish. The easy twist-up design allows you to ditch the pencil sharpener. Nyx Professional makeup formulated a pencil that wears like a liquid. Retractable and easily stored, you do not need to worry about this liner drying out within a week as some pencils can. This liner is smudge, flake, and heatproof. No more sweating and having the lovely liner you spent 20 minutes on running into your eyes.

Nyx believes in cruelty-free cosmetics. “WE BELIEVE ANIMALS BELONG IN OUR ARMS – NOT IN A LAB. Compassion for living beings is at the core of our brand, which is why NYX Professional Makeup is certified by PETA as cruelty-free. This means we do not test our products or ingredients on animals, nor do we ask anyone to test on our behalf. CRUELTY-FREE DEFINED: Products (and their ingredients) which are not tested on animals.” –Nyx Professional Makeup website.

The NYX Professional Makeup Mechanical liner is waterproof, highly pigmented, and comes in an amazing 13 different colors.

• -Golden Olive

• -Aqua Green

• -Gypsy Blue

• -Deep Blue

• -Purple

• -Deep Purple

• -Brown

• -Bronze

• -Gold

• -White

• -Silver

• -Gray

• -Black

What People Are Saying:

Johanna Epley 5.0 out of 5 stars Goes on so smoothly! Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2018 Color: Brown Verified Purchase

"As I've gotten older (I'm 35 now), I've noticed that the skin on my eyelids is a bit looser than it used to be and the eye pencils I used to use pull more and don't go on as smoothly as they used to. The NYX mechanical eye pencils (but not their regular eye pencils) go on as smooth as silk! I like that it goes on thick/wide, but if you want something precise, this isn't it. It doesn't smudge easily and truly stays on all day. I did have one pencil that only twisted out about 1/8 inch before the mechanism got stuck (I had to throw it out), but with the low cost and high performance, it didn't bother me much. I'm used to using MAC and Clinique pencils ($18+), so if I have an occasional dud with this brand, it's still totally worth it!” -Amazon reviews

5. COVERGIRL Perfect Blend Eyeliner Pencil, Basic Black, Eyeliner Pencil with Blending Tip For Precise or Smudged Look, 1 Count

About the Product:

Price: $3.03

Covergirl Perfect Blend Eye Pencil gives you all the precision and control that you could desire from a liner pencil. From defined lines to a soft, sultry look you can accomplish every look with this eyeliner. They took their fabulous “classic,” style eyeliner and gave it the ability to be wearable, smudgeable, but still, water-resistant. Great for every makeup look. Covergirl is known around the world for its high-quality, low-cost products. You can have a designer makeup store look for drugstore liner prices.

What People Are Saying:

Sharyl Felice 5.0 out of 5 stars The good ol' eyeliner you've always loved Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018 Color: BLACK BROWN Size: 1 Count (Pack of 1)Verified Purchase

“Not sure if you've noticed but you can't find these in the drug stores anymore. The new ones are weird. They go on way too dark, are not smooth to apply and the smudge thingy is rubber instead of spongy like this one. Oh, and most of them are like a twistable crayons which I did not find to be a plus. This is the good old one you've used for years so if you're unhappy with the eyeliner pencils you're finding in the stores now, you'll be happy to be back with this one. Don't know why they tried to change it. It didn't need any improvement. The color was as expected and it applies wonderfully and lasts all day. This is definitely one of those things where "Don't fix it if it ain't broke" applies.”-Amazon reviews

6. Maybelline Eyestudio Master Precise All Day Liquid Eyeliner, Matte Black, 0.034 Ounce

About the Product:

Price: $6.45

Maybelline has been around since modern makeup was invented. They have delivered once again a perfect product. This long-wear, waterproof liner has an ultra-controllable tip that allows for easy application. No matter what look you are going for from the perfect cat-eye to full coverage, smoky look, or even take on a beautiful winged look. The Maybelline Eyestudio Master Precise All Day liner won the 2013 Allure Best Of Beauty award. This eyeliner has been through every testing process available on the market. Ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested. Wearable by anyone and everyone, even those with sensitive eyes. With the Eyestudio Master Precision liner, you will get 12 hours of waterproof liner protection.

What People Are Saying:

Christi Top Contributor: Eye Makeup 5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2020 Color: 110 BLACK Size: 1 Count (Pack of 1)Verified Purchase

“Love this!!! Most seem to dry out in a few weeks or so. I've been using this for months and still works perfectly! I like a very thin eyeliner line and this works perfectly. On special occasions when I wear my eyeliner thick it also works very well. Overall great eyeliner!!! Of course, it's not 100% waterproof but it doesn't smear as bad as others. I am a mail carrier and in 90° weather for 6+ hrs and I don't look like I have raccoon eyes with this eyeliner! Highly recommend.”-Amazon review.

7. Maybelline Hyper Easy Liquid Pen No-Skip Eyeliner, Satin Finish, Waterproof Formula, Eye Liner Makeup, Pitch Black, 0.018 Fl; Oz

About the Product:

Price: $6.63

Maybelline New York has done it again with a phenomenal "Hyper Easy," liquid liner pen. With this revolutionary drugstore eyeliner, you get a great bang for your buck and a product that will rival the beauty eyeliners. Maybelline has long been a favorite by makeup artists who value products that live up to their name. Maybelline New York has been around for over 50 years. The ultra-fine tip was added to conform to your eye during the application process. this liner is easy for everyone to use. A whopping 24-hour wear time and extreme pigmentation leave this liner a must-have in your makeup bag. Tested and safe for sensitive eyes, and contact lens wearers.

What People Are Saying:

Ali -4.0 out of 5 stars It goes on nicely and is good for beginners Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2020 Verified Purchase

"I really like this eyeliner. I have MS and I have tremors in my hand so when putting on an eyeliner I look for one that's easy to put on and if I make a mistake if I can clean it up easily. My one fault is closing it. I find it difficult to close it because of the design. Otherwise, I think it's pretty amazing so far."-Amazon reviews.

Eyeliner can sometimes be a daunting task. There are slip-ups, messes, and wobbly lines that happen to the best makeup artists. From formulas that are waterproof and long-lasting, these 7 of the best drugstore eyeliners are a must-have for every fashionista looking to amplify her look! You can feel free to get creative and try your hand with each type of liner to find the one that is perfect for you.