The Perfect Liquid Eyeliner That Never, Ever Smudges

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

When it comes to my beauty routine, I’m pretty basic; concealer, mascara, a red lip, and liquid liner are my only real everyday essentials. I also don’t like to spend a lot of money on my makeup, which explains why most of my favorite beauty products come from the drugstore.

Except for one: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, which at $22 costs more than my favorite cheapie concealer, lipstick, and mascara combined. But I’ll never stop repurchasing it, because it’s the only eyeliner I have ever tried — ever — that doesn’t migrate onto my upper lids by lunchtime.

And trust me, I’ve done my research. Over the years, I’ve test-driven dozens of drugstore and designer liquid and pencil eyeliners, both waterproof and not. Every single one has wound up transferring onto my top lids except for Stila’s, which somehow manages to stay put through stressful 14-hour workdays, music festivals in 90-degree desert heat, and even treadmill workouts. (Yes, I sometimes wear makeup to the gym. Deal with it.)

It’s also easy to apply, which liquid eyeliner, by definition, is not. And it’s easy to remove with just face wash and water, which waterproof eyeliner, by definition, is not. Basically, the stuff defies both expectation and explanation, and if you love a good cat-eye, you need it in your life.