Dupes: Everyday Pencil Eyeliners

I’m somewhat of an eyeliner junky. I’ve been wearing eyeliner since about 7th grade and if I only have 2 minutes to get ready before I leave, I almost always pick up an eyeliner and mascara. Since I’ve been wearing the stuff for about 12 years now I have come across both good and bad liners. I’ve assembled a list of my top high-end and drugstore liners in colors everyone should own: black, brown and nude.

The Blacks
This is my absolute must have. I never go without it, and am always on the hunt for the darkest black I can find. I look for the inky blackness that is in a liquid liner but in the pencil form. The two that make the cut are Urban Decay Perversion (0.04 oz, $19) and Milani Liquifeye in Black (0.04oz, $5.97). Urban Decay liners are very smooth, pigmented and creamy. Everyone seems to go on and on about Zero, but to me that’s not a true black. Perversion is much richer and stays put on the waterline. The Milani liner, just like the name suggests, is literally a liquid liner in side of the pencil. It’s crazy how soft, smooth and dark this liner is. I keep wanting to pick up some of the colorful ones, but my drugstores always seem to be out of stock.

The Browns
For days when I want to look like I didn’t try very hard, I reach for my brown liner. I also like to use brown pencil liner in my waterline for a darkening effect that isn’t as intense as black. My top two picks are Urban Decay Whiskey (0.04 oz, $19) and Prestige Spiced (0.034oz, $3.99). Both are warm toned browns that give just enough definition to lightly thicken the lashline. The Prestige liner isn’t quite as soft, but its very pigmented and isn’t hard like liners from the 90s.

The Nudes
As a person who suffers from insomnia, nude eyeliners are basically my best friend. If you wake up with redness in your eyes or just look like death, a nude eyeliner will instantly make you appear more alive and awake. If you have smaller eyes, it can also help your eyes look a bit larger. My favorite nude liners are Stila Topaz (0.04 oz, $18) and Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude (0.042oz, $4.49). These aren’t exact dupes; Topaz is peach toned and Rimmel is yellow toned. Both are extremely creamy and last a long time in the waterline. I think the Rimmel liner lasts a bit longer because of its waterproof formula. Depending on your skintone and eye color, one may be better suited to you.

Photos of Products and Swatches Below!