Okay, Hear Me Out: These Gel Eyeliners Do. Not. Smudge.

Choose your formula

The choice between gel and liquid eyeliner ultimately depends on what kind of eyeliner look you’re going for and which consistency you prefer. Liquid eyeliner is typically used for precise, bold lines, whereas gel eyeliner can be used to blend or build up product. I may be biased, but if you don’t necessarily have the precision and skill of a pro makeup artist (which, like, who does?!), gel eyeliner is wayyyy more forgiving if that’s what you’re in the market for (which, like, who isn’t?!).

Determine what eye look you’re going for

And for the fun part: It’s time to pick your eye look. Other than the obvious color choice, you should also consider if you want a shimmer, satin, or matte formula. And for the not-so-obvious decision: It’s important to consider how fast the liner will dry down. If you’re going for a precise winged line, you want a liner that’ll dry almost immediately upon application so that it doesn’t budge. However, if you’re going for a smokey look, you want your liner to be super creamy and allow for a minute or two of leeway before it sets so you can blend it appropriately.

Siena Gagliano is a contributing beauty editor at Cosmopolitan and has two years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle news. She’s an expert at researching and writing beauty stories, like the top eyelash curlers and why hair gel on your eyebrows is the ultimate beauty hack and feels especially knowledgable on gel eyeliners thanks to years of trying to find the best one for the perfect smokey eye. She regularly tests and analyzes gel eyeliners on herself for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top makeup artists to assess new brands and products.

Ruby Buddemeyer was the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan for nearly three years and has five years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and celebrity news across print and digital, including the best skincare fridges and best travel hair dryers on the market. Her gel eyeliner picks were based on product reviews and ratings.