Every bride-to-be has a “This absolutely cannot go wrong” moment for their wedding, and for me, that’s hair and makeup. Between uncooperative bridesmaids, drunk guests, greedy venues, and tardy vendors, I refuse to add smudged eyeliner to my list of potential disasters.
I’ve heard too many horror stories of brides hating their wedding photos because they couldn’t stand how their makeup artist and hair stylist made them look. But, after three disappointing bridal makeup trials (sorry, but y’all made me look ghastly), I decided to take matters into my hands. I’m doing my own makeup, which means I’ll be obsessively researching and testing beauty products until the big day—starting with the best long-lasting eyeliners.
The Eyeliners That Failed My Bridal Stress Test
I started by testing a few fan-favorite formulas, like the $25 Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner and the $24 Stila Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. Unfortunately, neither passed my test. If you can’t survive my two-hour commute, New York City subway’s grime, and a full eight-hour workday—and still look identical when I get home—you’re not the one for me. (It’s worth noting that I always set my makeup with Ben Nye Final Seal to keep it from budging.) Sadly, by 6 p.m., both had faded into soft gray smudges, and raccoon eyes are not invited to my wedding.
So I pivoted to another fan-favorite: the NYX Professional Makeup Epic Wear Liquid Liner.
Reviewers were adamant about one thing—skip the pencil and the pen. The real magic, they said, is in the brush-tip version. I was skeptical about that. For one, brush applicators demand a much steadier hand than pens. And two, you’re telling me an $11 eyeliner can outperform the $25 ones I just tried? I wasn’t buying it.
The Best Long-Lasting Eyeliner is Just $11
However, the NYX Professional Makeup Epic Wear Liquid Liner shut me up good. I put it through my aforementioned test.
Kimberly Gedeon
I wore the NYX Professional Makeup Epic Wear Liquid Liner during my commute to and from the office, and it surprisingly held up.
Somehow, by the end of the day, it still looked the same after taking off to catch a train on the Long Island Railroad, running up the subway steps to avoid being late, walking from room to room for meetings and calls, and doing the same commute on the way home. I was flabbergasted. The internet was right—this eyeliner is the best on the market for longevity.
My only gripe is that I wish they offered a pen option as long-lasting as their brush. I struggled to make sure each wing looked the same on both sides. Instead of looking like twin sisters, they looked more like cousins. That’s no big deal, though. That can be fixed with more practice.
Kimberly Gedeon
Getting the wing just right will require more practice, but it’s worth it for finally discovering long-lasting eyeliner.
I’ve finally found my holy grail eyeliner that I’ll be wearing for my wedding, but now I need to do the same with mascara, foundation, bronzer, lippies, and more. Help!
Kimberly Gedeon is a tech commerce editor at Hearst Magazines, where she explores the latest in consumer tech, from laptops and phones to smart glasses and smart home devices.With more than a decade of journalism experience, including bylines at Laptop Mag, Mashable, and Tom’s Guide, she brings sharp insight and hands-on expertise to every review. Outside of testing gadgets, Kimberly can be found gaming on her Asus ROG Ally X, binging reality TV (Love Island, anyone?), or obsessing over the latest skincare tech trends. You can find Kimberly’s work in Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and more.
