With new years resolutions in full swing, we knew exactly what to put our liners up against this month. We worked with the teams at Orangetheory in Altrincham and Myprotein to make sure that we're the sassiest squad as we find out which is the best liquid eyeliner when pitted against a (v sweaty) HIIT class.
HQ Tests: Liquid Eyeliners
The Test: How will liquid eyeliner last through an exercise class?
The Score: We'll be rating every single eyeliner out of five for the below, with a final score out of 20:
Instagrammable packaging
Ease of application
Pigmentation
Longevity
Best Liquid Eyeliner 2019
- BBB London Ultra Fine Liquid Eye Liner
- benefit Roller Liner
- NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner
- Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner - Oblique
- L'Oréal Paris Tattoo Signature 24HR Liquid Eyeliner
- Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner Black
- Ardell Lash Boostier Liquid Eyeliner
- Eyeko Eye Do Eyeliner
1. BBB London Ultra Fine Liquid Eye Liner
What BBB London Say: "The super-fine tip glides smoothly along the lid without dragging the skin, allowing you to create buildable lines for dramatic effect. Water-resistant and long-lasting, the liquid eyeliner ensures a bold, wide-awake look with a sophisticated matte finish."
Why We Picked It: The guys at BBB London are one of our go-to eye makeup brands, so of course they were one of the first people we thought of when we considered liquid eyeliner brands.
A brush and pot applicator, this is perfect for precision and both thick and thin lines, so we wanna see how it'll stand up against Orangetheory's sweatiest class.
Price: £18
2. Benefit Roller Liner
What Benefit Say: "Featuring a precision felt tip for mistake-free application, the quick-drying, waterproof eyeliner glides on effortlessly in one easy sweep to create smooth, continuous lines for a makeup look as dramatic as desired."
Why We Picked It: We're already converts to the original Roller Liner Mascara, so how will the eyeliner version work in our estimations?
A felt tip with a precise nib, this liquid matte formula - AKA Benefit Cosmetics's brand new eyeliner - has had some good reviews already, but we're determined to put it to the test.
Price: £18.50
3. NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner
What NYX Professional Makeup Say: "Delivering solid, matte, long-lasting colour, the waterproof liner is smudge-resistant and features a slender brush tip that can be controlled by simply pressing down more firmly, helping to create the perfect wing even when you’re short on time."
Why We Picked It: With a makeup bag full of NYX Professional Makeup products, adding a liquid eyeliner onto our list was a bit of a no-brainer.
This contender for best eyeliner is a felt tip applicator, with a longwearing and highly-pigmented formula - but how will it do?
Price: £9
4. Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner - Oblique
What Illamasqua Say: "With a smooth, water-resistant formula, the liner applies effortlessly to deliver intense colour with ultimate staying power."
Why We Picked It: Of course, Illamasqua is our go-to for professional quality makeup we we wanna treat ourselves, but will their gel liner stay on for as long as the others?
The warm brown shade is the perf' alternative to black, and we used the Illamasqua Angled Eyeliner Brush to apply it in a sharp line.
Price: £21
5. L'Oréal Paris Tattoo Signature 24HR Liquid Eyeliner
What L'Oréal Say: "Featuring a flexible felt tip applicator, the liner glides on effortlessly without skipping or pulling; it delivers waterproof, intense black colour that won't fade or smudge. Create cat eye flicks and bold lines with ultimate precision and control."
Why We Picked It: Eyeliner that'll hang around like a tattoo, but will come off with simple swipe of cleanser? Consider us interested, L'Oréal.
Promising high pigment opaque black that we can control easily with a felt tip nib, this could really be a contender for best eyeliner.
Price: £6.99
6. Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner Black
What Maybelline Say: "A waterproof and smudge-resistant eyeliner with an exclusive tip for mistake-free application. Gliding on effortlessly without dragging or skipping, the ultra-thin 0.4mm brush creates the most defined line in just one stroke."
Why We Picked It: Safe for sensitive eyes but not holding back on the quality, this super precise felt applicator eyeliner by Maybelline looks right up our street.
Made to be worn all day, will this last through an entire gym class?
Price: £5.99
7. Ardell Lash Boostier Liquid Eyeliner
What Ardell Say: "Combining the benefits of a liner and lash serum in one, the nourishing formula delivers bold, long-wearing colour, whilst promoting the appearance of stronger, thicker lashes."
Why We Picked It: We love their demi wispies false eyelashes, but we wanted to branch out. The Lash Boostier liner by Ardell promises to condition the roots of our lashes while keeping our eye makeup on point.
Will this thick, opaque formula be the perfect combination of skincare and substance?
Price: £8.99
8. Eyeko Eye Do Eyeliner
What Eyeko Say: "The waterproof eyeliner glides effortlessly across the eyes in one simple sweep, allowing you to create subtle, thin lines or dramatic cat eyes. Expect professional, controlled application and superior colour pay-off."
Why We Picked It: Promising Alexa Chung-approved cateye flicks, this slim felt eyeliner by Eyeko had to make it onto our list of best liquid liner contenders.
Price: £16
Orangetheory fitness class
Wearing the new Myprotein Seamless clothing range.
Our Orangetheory workout consisted of a mix of HIIT workouts. The run/row class was split in two: for one half we swapped between rowing machines and running on treadmills, for the other half we did floor work, which was a mix of weight-based arm moves and cardio reps.
You can get the 411 on their site here.
Liquid Eyeliner Reviews
BBB London Eyeliner Review
Instagrammable PackagingSleek and - very importantly - won't be obvious when you cover it in liquid eyeliner, this packaging is super luxe, but won't stand out in my (v crowded) makeup collection.
3/5
Ease of ApplicationIt's super easy to get a highly pigmented finish from this liner, however as I don't use liquid too often I found it pretty tricky to apply, and if you smudge it, that's it! I reckon if I practice a bit more, I'll find it a lot easier to use.
3/5
PigmentationBlacker than black - exactly what I wanted
5/5
LongevityIt barely moved even though I burned well over 700 calories in an hour - pretty impressive.
5/5
Total: 16/20
Benefit Eyeliner Review
Instagrammable PackagingJust like the packaging for Roller Lash Mascara, but in liner form - I love! The retro pink screw top is super pretty, and it looks cute as part of my makeup collection.
5/5
Ease of ApplicationSuper slim and easy to hold, this applied easily. However, I think I'll get the mini Roller Liner next time as sometimes it was a bit difficult to deal with the long length of the packaging.
4/5
PigmentationSuper black in one application.
5/5
LongevityIt didn't smudge at all - massive thumbs up from me.
5/5
Total: 19/20
NYX Professional Makeup Eyeliner Review
Instagrammable PackagingA simple black pen eyeliner, everything you need, but definitely not going to make the 'gram any time soon.
2/5
Ease of ApplicationA bit shorter in length than the Benefit eyeliner, this NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner was easy to apply in its pen formula, and dried super quickly too.
5/5
PigmentationTook a couple of layers to make it super opaque, but once it was on it looked perfect.
4/5
LongevityIt's no surprise that the Orangetheory workout put this to the test, and it did go a little grey, however it's faded evenly so doesn't look odd at all.
4/5
Total: 15/20
Illamasqua Eyeliner Review
Instagrammable PackagingLove the super luxe pot, but it might be a bit tricky to tell which colour is which from first glance if you have more than one!
4/5
Ease of ApplicationI'm pretty good at using gel eyeliner, so just give me an angled makeup brush and I'm good to go, but I do appreciate that this could be pretty tricky to use if you're not used to the formula.
3/5
PigmentationLike with all gel eyeliner, this is a really customisable product - it can be applied pretty sheer, but you can slowly build up coverage to make it just how you want it. Because of this, I wouldn't say it's the most pigmented thing ever,
3/5
LongevityGel formulas are pretty malleable before they dry, but once this was on it was totally in place and didn't wear at all.
5/5
Total: 15/20
L'Oreal Eyeliner Review
Instagrammable PackagingLove the mix of black and gold, and the gothic font is a nice touch, different to all the other ones we've been testing today.
4/5
Ease of ApplicationI'm glad I got this one in our hunt to find the best liquid eyeliner as it was super easy to apply without any smudges.
5/5
PigmentationLike the NYX Professional Makeup eyeliner, it took a couple of layers to get a true black, but once applied it was really pigmented.
4/5
LongevityThere was a slight bit of cracking on the wings, but otherwise it stayed in place and I'm really happy with how this eyeliner lasted.
4/5
Total: 17/20
Maybelline Eyeliner Review
Instagrammable PackagingA slimline pen applicator, this is a simple but cute pen to keep in with the rest of my makeup collection.
3/5
Ease of ApplicationA very 'wet' formulation, if you're not careful you could easily smudge it, but once it's on this liner was in place.
4/5
PigmentationSuper black, and really opaque when layered up.
4/5
LongevityNo smudging, but definitely went a bit grey in areas.
4/5
Total: 15/20
Ardell Eyeliner Review
Tested by Em from @emmuirfit
Instagrammable PackagingSlightly thicker to hold than the other liquid liners, this Ardell eyeliner is a simple pen applicator.
4/5
Ease of ApplicationI loved that I could get a super fine line with this, and it applied really black in one layer.
5/5
PigmentationNo complaints here, I didn't need to keep layering up as it was black from the first swipe.
5/5
LongevityIt didn't smudge at all, so I'm very impressed! I can't vouch for the lash boosting serum as it's the first time I've used it, but fingers crossed I see a difference.
5/5
Total: 19/20
Eyeko Eyeliner Review
Tested by Michelle from @michelle_makeup1
Instagrammable PackagingCute handwritten message on the packaging and a pretty box too? I love!
5/5
Ease of ApplicationThe super liquid formula made for an easy application without needing to drag it across the eyes - just be careful not to smudge.
5/5
PigmentationOpaque and black - can't ask for any more.
5/5
LongevityDidn't move at all, even when Orangetheory put it through its paces!
5/5
Total: 20/20
And the winner is...
EyekoWe've awarded the prize of best liquid eyeliner to Eyeko, thanks to its super pigmented and easy to apply formula that lasted the whole Orangetheory fitness class without a problem.
However, massive shout out to the Ardell Beauty and Benefit liners which also held their own in the gym, and come at different price points too.
Again, a massive thank you to both Orangetheory and Myprotein who helped make sure we really put the best liquid liners to the test...
Shop the best liquid eyeliner edit
Now you know the best liquid eyeliner to withstand anything, it’s time to add to bag
Shop Liquid Eyeliner
–
Continue reading our Beauty on Trial archives
Best Glitter Eyeshadow | Best Hair Oil | Best Black Lipstick
Related Articles
