If you’re yet to have noticed the creative eyeliner trend crop up on TikTok, or IRL at your local bar on a Saturday night, where have you been?! Bold liquid eyeliner looks are cutting across beauty culture in a way that few trends manage to, especially the graphic eyeliner look.
The secret to getting your liner right starts with choosing the right product. Even if you favour the classic cat-eye, you need a liquid liner pen that has a reliable brush and a long-lasting, opaque formula. Read on for my faves…
What are the best on-trend liquid eyeliner looks to try?
A playful yet cool departure from your classic flick, the graphic liner movement is made for makeup minimalists and Euphoria devotees alike.
Take double winged eyeliner (also known as fishtail liner), for example. The look simply involves adding a second wing of liner below the first, with a small gap between the two, to elongate the eyes and add flair to a day-to-day makeup look.
See Euphoria makeup designer Doniella Davy’s double winged eyeliner tutorial for tips.
What about a more simple eyeliner look?
Two eyeliner flicks sounding a little ambitious for busy AMs? Why not experiment with negative space or banana liner; a 60s inspired technique whereby a floating curve of eyeliner is drawn just above the crease of the eyelid.
Reverse liner, on the other hand, turns your traditional cat eye upside down, drawing a line and wing along the bottom lid instead of the top lid. Nikki Makeup’s Instagram feed makes for the ultimate graphic eyeliner moodboard if you’re in need of further inspo – her famous clients include Yara Shahidi and Kim Kardashian.
How do I choose a liquid liner?
When it comes to choosing a liner to work with when going graphic, a precise, highly pigmented liquid option will achieve the cleanest result. Waterproof formulas keep your look in situ for longer, particularly if you’re drawing near the tear ducts, and an eyeliner pen or very fine brush delivers ultimate control and a sharp finish.
6 of the best liquid eyeliners
The following six liquid liners nail graphic looks with flying colours.
1. Rimmel London Wonder Ink Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
This neat felt tip liner will serve you well in every sense; it’s oh-so-affordable and creates a crisp, deep black line with ease. The tip is fine enough to draw a negative space curve or wing without smudging – try dotting the outline first then joining the dots – and once the liner has dried you’re left with an elegant matte finish, plus impressive staying power.
The makers of the first eyeliner I ever owned (Rimmel Soft Kajal was a school bag staple for many of us millennials) are still hitting the mark.
2. KVD Beauty Tattoo Liner
Heard the one about the liquid eyeliner that stayed flawlessly in place even after a car crash? Several years ago, one reviewer famously posted her Tattoo Liner feedback on the KVD Beauty website, declaring that “I was in a car accident and my eyeliner didn’t budge.” A viral frenzy ensued (you’ll be happy to know that the poster wasn’t seriously injured), and the liner very quickly made history for all the right reasons.
So yes, Tattoo Liner is waterproof and going nowhere (literally, and in a wider sense!). The felt tip is ultra-fine yet still offers enough flexibility to draw a smooth curve or wing and the even consistency minimises the risk of smudging.
3. NYX Epic Ink Liner
This is the most versatile liquid liner pen of the lot and one that I rebuy time and time again. Not that the reorders are that frequent, I must add; if you’re fed up with your felt tip liners drying up after a month or so, Epic Ink is sure to impress.
The nib works for skinny and dramatic lines alike (just apply a little more pressure and lean the tip against your lid for a thicker line) and the payoff is intense and glossy.
It’s long-lasting, rarely needs touch-ups, and melts away easily at the end of the day with a flannel and some warm water.
4. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
If you want to make graphic liner pop even more, coloured eyeliner adds an edge; see Dior’s SS22 reverse white liner for monochromatic inspo or Rihanna’s red reverse cat eye for a real statement.
Enter this cult liquid liner pen, available in an array of jewel-like shades that deliver punchy colour – trust me, there’s no wishy-washy lines here.
The nib is harder than most, which comes in handy for creating a neat negative space look, plus you can easily dot the liner very close to the lashline to create the illusion of thicker eyelashes. Just hold the lid taut with your little finger if you’re aiming for a thicker line to avoid dragging.
5. L’Oréal Paris Flash Winged Eyeliner
The teeny tiny triangular stencil in the cap of this felt tip eyeliner takes the wobble out of drawing sharp, even wings and it certainly makes for easy makeup application on the move. How useful the stencil is depends on your eye shape (it can be tricky to manoeuvre on hooded eyes), but the graduated lid also lends itself to geometric graphic liner looks.
Formula-wise, it’s opaque black, glides on smoothly and dries fast, although it might require a little top up come sunset.
6. Pat McGrath Perma Precision Liquid Liner
It’s undeniably boujee, but this backstage favourite really does deliver. The flexible but not-too-bendy nib draws a jet-black matte line with very little pressure and it can be layered for even more intensity or to create thicker lines without bleeding or flaking.
It’s water, humidity and life-proof, and just the thing for creating reverse eyeliner at the inner corner of the lower lids – it certainly won’t run for the hills as soon as you leave the house. The fine tip allows for slick freehand designs too if you’ve got a steady hand and creative streak.
Good luck!
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