The best gel eyeliners bridge the gap between liquid liners and their crayon counterparts, swapping the crumbling, smudging, and creasing for a smooth, pigmented, and long-lasting line every time. Gel eyeliners go on super creamy, giving you time to blend, blur, and fine-tune your vibe before setting into place for hours of no-budge wear, meaning lots of room for play without risking those dreaded raccoon eyes. Take your pick between pencils and pots, mattes and metallics, blacks and brights—no matter what, you’re in for a treat. We tapped makeup artists and editors to get the low down on their favorites and what makes the best gel eyeliners so dang good. Scroll on, swipe on, and thank us later.
Our Top Gel Eyeliners
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: Kulfi Beauty Underlined Kajal Eyeliner
Why it’s worth it: Kulfi Beauty’s Underlined Kajal Eyeliner is super pigmented, super smooth, super Best of Beauty-winning, and super no-budge—via a formula inspired by the rich, gleamy hues of South Asian textiles. Makeup artist Amrita Mehta is among the gel pencil’s many devotees, telling Allure that the vitamin E- and aloe vera-enriched liner “glides on with ease but will set and stay in place after 30 seconds or so,” giving you just enough time to smudge and blend before locking in for the long haul. You can use this liner on your lids, artfully smudging with a brush or clean finger, or your waterline for a more sultry, nighttime look.
Tester feedback: “Just a few quick strokes are all I need to define my eyes with Kulfi’s pigmented eyeliner (no wonder it’s an Allure Best of Beauty Award-winning formula),” commerce writer Jen Hussein says. “A quick tip: for a longer-lasting, budge-proof look, I wipe my waterline with a Q-tip, then swipe on this liner, and finally use a black eye shadow powder as a tinted setting powder of sorts. It never fails to keep smudging at bay.”
Shades: 8 | Finish: matte | Waterproof? yes
Best Black: Pat McGrath Labs PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil
Why it’s worth it: A deep black, blendable liner that actually stays put on your waterline? Basically a unicorn. That’s why Pat McGrath Labs PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil is such a keeper. You can count on this formula for eight hours of wear, no dragging as you sweep it across your lid or line, and plenty of depth all the while (opt for a soft matte or smooth metallic finish). The magic happens when it dries down to a liquid-like finish, meaning you can rock sharply angled swaths of pigment or a messy-chic smoky swipe sans smudging.
Tester feedback: “Tightlining is probably the number one trick I learned over the years that completely transformed my eye makeup routine. My eyes are big and round, so adding a bit of black liner to my upper waterline makes my lashes look thicker, and my eyes look a bit more narrowed and less doe-like,” says commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. “I’ve tried my fair share of liners, and the Pat McGrath Labs PermaGel liners are, unsurprisingly, the gold standard. It’s miraculous how long they last against my very watery eyes, and they’re so versatile that I can easily execute a range of looks with just one pencil. I’m using Extreme Black in the photos above because ILD (I love drama), but Blk Coffee is also a great option for a more natural finish.”
Shades: 5 | Finish: pearlescent, matte | Waterproof? no
Best Pot: Jones Road Gel Liner
Why it’s worth it: Uncap your inner artist with the effortlessly-pro pot of Jones Road’s Gel Liner. Unlike the twist-ups or felt tips in your makeup pouch, this liner is housed in a little glass pot, best paired with an angled, firm-bristle brush (sold separately) for ultimate control. Use the brush’s edge for a fine, lash-hugging line, or flip to the flat side to lay down bold, graphic strokes—perfect for hooded lids. Because this water-resistant gel is so juicy, make sure the lid is screwed on super tight during and after use so it doesn’t dry out.
Tester feedback: “If you’re a gel liner newbie, this could be the one for you,” says content director Kara McGrath. “The formula is so creamy that it makes it almost impossible to mess up, especially if you use the brand’s ultra-thin brush to apply it. I like adding a thin line of the Brown shade to my upper lids on days when I want to add just a little bit more oomph to my everyday makeup look.”