As a makeup artist, I’ve always had a soft spot for Stila’s liners because of their history, but this one disappointed us. I tested it on myself and a few clients, and almost every pen dried out far too quickly — sometimes within just a couple of weeks.

One of the women in our test group opened hers brand new and it already felt dry and scratchy. The felt tip dulls very quickly, which makes precise lines harder, especially for more mature eyes that need gentleness. We also found that while it goes on beautifully at first, it doesn’t hold up on the waterline or on oily lids.

A couple of women noticed it smudged into their fine lines, which is frustrating when you expect a clean look. The formula is hard to get flowing sometimes, requiring too much shaking and pressure. Several of us agreed that for the price, it just doesn’t deliver the reliability it promises. Removal was another headache — it left behind residue, even after good makeup remover.

In short, the color is striking at first swipe, but its inconsistency made it the most disappointing of all the liners we tested.

I was excited to test this one, given all the hype around Jones Road, but our group had very mixed experiences. My own pencil arrived slightly dry, and two other women reported the same thing — almost crumbly texture straight out of the packaging. When it worked, the pigment was rich, but it dragged more than we’d expect from a gel formula.

A couple of women in their 40s and 50s noticed it tugged uncomfortably on their lids, which isn’t ideal for delicate skin. On oily eyelids, it transferred within a few hours, leaving shadowy smudges under the eyes. One tester described it as feeling more like a wax crayon than a creamy gel, which sums it up perfectly. The pigment payoff wasn’t always consistent — one shade looked strong, another looked dull and patchy.

The wear time was unpredictable too: sometimes it lasted most of the day, other times it faded halfway through. If you catch a “good” batch, it’s decent, but the inconsistency across our test group made it frustrating.

Overall, this liner promises a lot but doesn’t always deliver.

We loved the story behind this brand, and the eyeliner definitely has a gorgeous creamy glide. But after testing it with a handful of women of different ages, we found it has one key weakness: you must let it set. If you blink too quickly or apply too much, it smudges before it has time to dry down.

On me, it transferred onto my upper lid, and two of the women in their 30s and 50s said the same thing. Because it’s so soft and buttery, it wears more like a traditional kajal than a long-wear gel. It’s beautiful for a smoky look, but not reliable for sharp wings or precise definition.

One woman in our group rolled the pencil up too far and the tip snapped off, which wasted product. On oily lids, the longevity wasn’t great — it needed touching up within hours.

The colors are lovely, but not always as bold as advertised. All of us agreed it’s comfortable to wear, but you can’t expect bulletproof performance.

This liner is one I’ve used in my kit for years, and it’s still one of the most reliable. That said, during our group test, a few downsides came up. While it glides on beautifully, it doesn’t always last the full 24 hours as promised — especially not on the waterline. On humid days or oilier eyelids, several of us noticed smudging after only a few hours.

The pencil is so soft that sharpening it becomes a bit wasteful, as chunks break off. One woman over 60 pointed out that the creamy formula sometimes migrates into fine lines. Some shades don’t wear as well as others — the darker colors hold better, while lighter or metallic shades fade more quickly.

Another issue is that it’s not great for very precise looks; it’s better for smoky, blended styles. For the price, you do expect stronger consistency across shades. Overall, still a staple in many kits, but not flawless.

This was the budget option in our test, and while it impressed in some ways, it has its quirks. The pencil is very soft, which makes application easy, but it also breaks more easily than we’d like. Sharpening wastes a fair amount of product, which frustrated a couple of the women.

On the waterline, it didn’t last as long as the higher-end liners — fading within a few hours. In hot weather, one woman in our test group noticed it smudged under her lower lashes. It’s also less precise than you’d expect, so you have to go slow to get clean lines.

The packaging feels a little flimsy, with caps that can crack or slip off in a makeup bag. Removal requires some extra effort, which surprised us for a drugstore liner.

On the positive side, the pigmentation is strong, but mistakes are harder to correct. Overall, it’s a great value, but it won’t replace a high-end gel liner for performance.

This liner has been around forever, and many makeup artists (myself included) consider it a classic.

Main problem? You need a separate brush, which isn’t convenient for touch-ups or travel. Precision depends heavily on the brush, and not everyone has the right one on hand.

Removal takes a bit more effort, especially compared to softer cream sticks. While long-wearing, it didn’t always hold on the waterline as well as pencils. Some shades came out a little less pigmented, needing layering.

At this price point, you expect more consistency in freshness and texture. Still, when the pot is new, it’s one of the most beautiful finishes you can get.

This stick version is designed for convenience, and while I like it for travel, it’s not without issues.

In our test group, a few of us noticed that the tip dulls quickly, meaning frequent sharpening. Sharpening wastes product, which stings a bit given the price. On more mature eyelids, the texture sometimes dragged slightly.

Longevity isn’t as strong as the gel pot — it tended to crease or fade after 5–6 hours. Oily lids especially showed transfer to the crease. While creamy, it’s not as richly pigmented as some competitors. Two women in the group found it smudged into their fine lines during a long day.

The formula feels comfortable, but it’s not ideal for ultra-sharp lines. Overall, it’s decent for everyday wear, but not the most dependable option in this lineup.

This liner came across as dependable but not as bulletproof as advertised. A few of us in the test group noticed it smudged under heat or humidity, despite the “24HR” claim.

The pencil itself is soft, but that also means it can snap while sharpening. Pigmentation varied a bit — some shades looked bold, others needed layering.

Removal was harder than expected for a pencil, leaving behind residue. While it glides easily when fresh, the tip can tug if it gets dull. One woman in her late 40s said it didn’t last long on her waterline.

The packaging looks simple but doesn’t feel very luxe for the price point. Precision isn’t its strength; it leans more toward softer, smoky looks. It’s a solid everyday liner, but not a standout in durability.

This retractable liner is convenient, but our group found some trade-offs. The twist mechanism was unreliable on one of the testers’ pencils, making it hard to get more product out. Because it’s retractable, you lose precision once the tip wears down — no way to sharpen it.

The texture is creamy, but a little too much so, which led to smudging by midday. Longevity wasn’t as impressive as we hoped, especially compared to other waterproof formulas. The matte finish sometimes looked patchy rather than inky black.

Removing it required a bit of scrubbing, which isn’t ideal for sensitive eyes. The product also seemed to run out quicker than pencils you can sharpen. For the price, some of the women expected more staying power.

Overall, it delivers strong pigment but feels less reliable than it should for its category.