I never thought I would ever say this . . .but I haven’t been in the mood to shop for makeup lately. I bought some new concealer and powder recently and I indulged in some new skincare (which I will get to in another post because thats a whooooole other thing) but for the most part I’m really really happy with a lot of my products and if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, ya know?

That being said, that doesn’t mean I don’t have something to tell you guys about. If I’m so happy with my products that I don’t want to experiment that must mean they are serious holy grail status, and deserve to be shared.

I’m not going to talk about ALL of them at the same time, because we would be here for way too long and you would get bored and then I would feel sad and nobody wins in that scenario. So for now let’s focus on something that’s a staple in pretty much everyones makeup wardrobe - black eyeliner.

The quality of your eyeliner can seriously make or break your face of the day. If it’s hard to apply, doesn’t wear well, isn’t opaque enough, flakes off, smears, smudges, runs when your eyes water or commits some other makeup atrocity, then it’s going to put a damper on your whole makeup look. So needless to say finding the best black eyeliner to get the job done is pretty high on the makeup priorities list.

These are my absolute favorite black eyeliners in liquid, pencil and gel form, what they are best for and how long they stay on without moving around into undesired territories.

Liquid Eyeliner: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner Pen

Good For: Winged Eyeliner that lasts all day. It’s also super easy to apply because liquid liner pens make it like you’re just drawing on your lid with a thin marker, so if you’re new to the winged eyeliner game or you like to get the job done quick and dirty, then this is for you.

Finish: The finish on this liner is semi-matte. It’s not like vinyl shiny the way some liquid liners are but the light definitely bounces off it a bit.

Wear Time: Basically your entire life. Just kidding but it’s very long wearing. Seriously once you put it on, you can be pretty certain that it’s not going anywhere. It’s the ONLY black eyeliner that won’t transfer or run now matter how long I wear it. The only time I run into problems with it moving even a little is if it legitimately gets soaking wet.

Gel Eyeliner: Anastasia Beverly Hills Creme Color in Jet

Good For: If you’re a little more advanced with your winged liner application you can gets THE sharpest lines with this. You can also do a smokey wing, a smokey lash line, a dark waterline, tight lining. . .it’s quite the multi-tasker. So if you’re looking for one product that can fit a lot of your needs then this is it. Also, if you like the way Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade applies, then you will love this. It has that same smooth silky texture that glides on without skipping and blends super easily.

Finish: Super Matte and insanely dark. It might actually be darker than UD perversion which I didn’t think was even possible.

Wear Time: All damn day. Once it sets, it doesn’t budge. The only time I noticed it moving is when I had an especially long day and I was wearing it on the top lash line, my lids got greasy and there was a tiny bit of transfer. Other than that, this stuff doesn’t move. The only con is, it’s super hard to get off when you WANT it to come off. I recommend my coconut oil remover method, it has worked the best for me so far with this formula.

Eyeliner Pencils: Urban Decay 24/7 Pencils in Perversion & Black Velvet

Good For: Easy every day definition. Soft liner on the top lash line. Baby winged liner for daytime. Smudged lash line. Tight lining and waterline.

Finish: Both are matte, but black velvet is super matte and perversion is just mostly matte. Perversion is insanely dark, and black velvet is dark but has a hint of grayness to it, so it can lend a softer look.

Wear Time: Again, all day. Are you seeing a pattern here? I don’t mess around with eyeliner that smudges off halfway through the day. That’s just not acceptable. The only time this migrates a little is if my eyes get extremely watery or if my face gets super sweaty, but even then it’s usually very mild and can be cleaned up really easily.

And those, my friends are my choices for best black eyeliner in liquid, pencil and gel form. Do you have a holy grail black eyeliner? Leave me a comment and let me know what it is!