7 Lasting Waterproof Eyeliners

We've all been there, ladies. You leave the house on a humid summer day looking fresh as a daisy, but within a few hours, your eyeliner goes rogue and migrates south. The good news: Gorgeous peepers and sultry days don't have to be mutually exclusive. To help you avoid the dreaded raccoon eyes, chemists at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute put several waterproof eyeliners to the test to find the ones that resisted water and stayed put all

 

Stays All Day

The Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner ($20, stilacosmetics.com or sephora.com) didn't smudge or smear when wet, and testers gave it high marks for defining their eyes and lasting all day. They also raved about the felt tip pen-like applicator, saying it was sharp and "gave great definition, especially for the bottom lash line." In black.
Pros:

• Very good at resisting water — after testers splashed their faces, we saw very little smudging or smearing
• Stayed put all day in at-home evaluations
• Goes on smoothly
• Testers said it defined their eyes

Cons:

• Testers found it somewhat tough to remove

Defines Eyes

Looking for a liner that defines your eyes and can go the distance? Consider the Napoleon Perdis Neo Noir Liquid Liner ($20, zappos.com). It earned top scores from consumers for its ability to go on smoothly and last all day. They also liked its fine handle and solid tip, which was "firm enough to apply a thick line smoothly" — "even the bottom lash line looked well defined." In black.
Pros:

• Good at resisting water — after testers splashed their faces, we saw just a bit of smudging and smearing
• Stayed put all day in at-home evaluations
• Goes on smoothly
• Testers said it defined their eyes

Easy to Remove

The retractable Stýli-Style Line and Seal 24 Twist ($6.50, stylistyle.com) doesn't need to be sharpened, which was a big plus for our panel of consumers. It also slides on easily and shouldn't stray during the day. "It stayed on even though my eyes were watery," one tester said. Plus it's a cinch to remove at the end of the day. In black, black brown, brown quartz, carbon black, diamond, emerald, extreme black, lapis, sparkling black, topaz, and turquoise.
Pros:

• Good at resisting water — after testers splashed their faces, we saw just a bit of smudging and smearing
• Stayed put all day in at-home evaluations
• Goes on smoothly
• Very easy to remove
• Testers said it defined their eyes

Resists Water

Although some testers didn't like the thick tip of the Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen ($14, pixibeauty.com) and said it was clumsy to use, the liner did earn rave reviews for going on smoothly and lasting all day. In black tulip, deep plum, black noir, black blue, black cocoa, and true teal.
Pros:

• Very good at resisting water — after testers splashed their faces, we saw very little smudging or smearing
• Should last all day
• Goes on smoothly
• Testers said it defined their eyes

Cons:

• Some testers said the pencil's tip was too thick, and they ended up applying too much liner
• May be somewhat tough to remove

Long-Lasting

Testers loved how the Wet n Wild H20 Proof Liquid Eye Liner ($4, at drugstores) defined their eyes and stayed in place all day. However, they found the makeup difficult to remove at night — even with eye-makeup remover. In ultra black, black brown, smoky, and espresso.
Pros:

• Very good at resisting water — after testers splashed their faces, we saw very little smudging or smearing
• Stayed put all day in at-home evaluations
• Testers said it defined their eyes

Cons:

• Our testers had difficulty removing it

Very Smooth

Our testers liked the Sephora Collection Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner ($12, sephora.com) so much that most said they'd use it instead of their current eyeliner — and for good reason. It's easy to use, and in tests, only smudged a bit after all-day wear and exposure to water. In silver, purple, blue, green, olive, brown, glitter black, matte brown black, matte charcoal, glitter copper, glitter purple, matte moss, slate, teal, turquoise, glitter green, shimmer navy, shimmer electric blue, matte deep plum, glitter gray, and shimmer bronze.
Pros:

• Good at resisting water — after testers splashed their faces, we just saw a little smudging and smearing
• Should last all day
• Goes on smoothly
• Easy to remove
• Testers said it defined their eyes

Get the Look Without the Mess

Testers raved about the pointed tip of the e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen ($1, eyeslipsface.com), saying "it goes exactly where you want it" and gives "the look of liquid without the mess." However, some found the liner tough to apply and blend. In coffee, black, midnight, ash, and plum.
Pros:

• Good at resisting water — after testers splashed their faces, we just saw a little smudging and smearing
• Should last all day
• Easy to remove
• Testers said it defined their eyes

Read more: Best Waterproof Eyeliners - Reviews of Waterproof Eyeliner - Good Housekeeping