Whether for defining, tight-lining, or smudging, pencil eyeliners are one of the most versatile, multi-purpose eye products out there. While liquid, cream, and gel eyeliners tend to be better formulas for creating more precise lines, like cat-eyes, french-flicks, and wings, kohl and pencil liners give you the ability to add definition to your upper and lower lashline, apply on the lid for a smokey eye effect, rim your waterline for a smoldering look, and well, the list of look options goes on and on. Pencil liners, however, often get a bad rap for smearing, burning, and fading throughout the day, resulting in an unwanted raccoon vibe, but with the right long-wearing and budge-proof product at hand, none these beauty mishaps have to be an issue.
Of course, pencil eyeliners also tend to be “frowned upon” for their juvenile (and kind of nostalgic) associations. Smearing stark black eyeliner all over your top and button lash lines is practically a rite of passage, and is almost certainly a trend coveted by those in junior high and high school experimenting with makeup for the first time. But pencil liner isn’t just for tweens—if you pick the right formula and master your technique, that is. Ahead, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite, totally grown-up pencil eyeliners to try out for yourself.
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