The 15 Best Drugstore Waterproof Eyeliners

Best Drugstore Waterproof eyeliners: Liquids, Pencils, and Gels!

If you love a good cat-eye, or just love to make your eyes pop, having a great eyeliner is a must. More importantly, having a great waterproof eyeliner is key to your eye success.

But all eyeliners are not created equal, and even if some eyeliners claim to be waterproof, oftentimes they still end up smudging or smearing, or they are a hassle to take off at the end of the day.

What we all need is an eyeliner that stays perfectly in place all day long, and comes off easily before you go to sleep.

Luckily, you don’t have to scour internet reviews or drugstore aisles to find the perfect fit. I have picked out 15 of my favorite drugstore waterproof eyeliners for those of us looking to save a few dollars and find an eyeliner that works.

Let’s check out some of my favorites below. 

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Why Waterproof Eyeliner is the Best Eyeliner? Do you really need a waterproof Eyeliner?

If you are someone that lives somewhere humid, has watery eyes, or just tends to always smear their eyeliner, then having a waterproof eyeliner is a must-have for you.

Also if you have mature eyes, hooded eyes or deep-set eyes I highly recommend ONLY using waterproof eyeliners on your makeup looks, to prevent your eyeliner from smearing on your lids.

My general opinion is, having a waterproof eyeliner is the best option for an eyeliner, whether your eyes will get wet or not. Waterproof eyeliner gives that extra protection of anti-smearing and anti-smudging, so your looks stay locked in place!

Related Post: The complete eye makeup for Hooded Eyes Guide! (Tips and tutorial)

 Best Drugstore Waterproof Eyeliners: Liquids

When I first think of liquid eyeliner, I think of running and smearing. BUT, not liquid eyeliner has to be this way.

While it may be the toughest to find a great waterproof liquid eyeliner, I have done all of the hard work for you. Here are the best waterproof liquid eyeliners for a fraction of the price.

1. Best Drugstore Waterproof Eyeliner Overall: NYX Epic Ink Eyeliner

Price: $9 at ULTA

Best Features:

Vegan and Cruelty-Free: One great feature of this eyeliner is that it is vegan and cruelty-free! 

Multiple Shades: This eyeliner also comes in two shades, black and brown, for all of your winged looks.

Intense Pigment: This eyeliner is also intensely pigmented, so you can create a gorgeous bold look. Plus it has a beautiful smooth satin finish. 

Sharp Lines: One feature that I love about this liner, in particular, is that, once you get the hang of using it, it creates incredibly sharp and precise lines. This means even more detailed and intricate designs if you so choose! 

2.Maybelline Hyper Easy Waterproof Liquid liner

Price: $8.99 at ULTA

Best Features:

Easy to Use: As you can see in the title, this eyeliner is great if you are just starting to experiment with eyeliner. It goes on easily for those of us that have a bit of trouble achieving that perfect wing.

Lasts 24 Hours: This eyeliner claims to last for 24 hours, and I agree that it will last all day long without smudging or fading.

Diverse Looks: Finally, one key element to this eyeliner is that it can create multiple diverse looks. I really love that you can create a smokey look while this eyeliner is still wet. 

3.L’Oreal Infallible Flash Cat Eye Waterproof Eyeliner

Price: $10.99 at ULTA

Best Features:

Stencil: This eyeliner has one of my favorite features of any eyeliner: a removal stencil to achieve the perfect winged eye. If you are a newbie to the winged eye, this is a perfect way to learn!

Balanced: As I mentioned earlier, some waterproof liners are really difficult to remove at the end of the day. This eyeliner is smudge-proof, but it also comes off easily with makeup remover. 

Highly-Pigmented: One swipe is all you need for this eyeliner! It is highly pigmented so it will look extra black without a bunch of layers. 

4. Physician’s Formula Waterproof Eyeliner

Price: $11.99 Only at Ulta.com

Best Features:

Good for You: How often can you say that your eyeliner is good for you? Well, this eyeliner is made with a lash-conditioning serum that hydrates and strengthens your lashes all day long.

Made for Sensitive Skin: If you have sensitive skin, or tend to struggle with allergic reactions to makeup, this is the eyeliner for you.

It is hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, vegan, paraben-free, and gluten-free. Plus if you want it to sound even better, it is also cruelty-free!

Hooded Eyes Approved!: This eyeliner is especially loved by people with hooded eyes because it does not crease or smudge!

5.Milani The Tank Liquid Liner – Black Waterproof

Price: $10.99 at ULTA / Check price at Amazon

Best Features:

Airtight: This eyeliner is called the “liquid tank” for a reason. It is made with a special airtight container so that the eyeliner stays fresh and does not dry out!

Transfer-Free: Another amazing characteristic of this eyeliner is that it is transfer-resistant, smudge-proof, and long-lasting. 

Easy to Apply: Milani’s eyeliner is also easy to apply, without any skipping, pulling, or smudging as you draw on those perfect cat eyes. 

6. Maybelline Ultra-liner Waterproof

Best Features:

Multiple Shades: Maybelline’s eyeliner comes with both black and dark brown eyeliner so you can have the perfect liner duo.

Tapered Brush: This brush is fine for extra precision, and it allows you to control how much product you want on the brush. 

Smudge-Proof: This liner is also great because it is smudge-proof, and it won’t fade or flake after wear. Plus, it is designed specifically to be contact lens safe and ideal for sensitive skin. 

7. E.L.F Cosmetics Waterproof eyeliner pen

Price: $6 at ULTA / Check price on Amazon

Best Features:


Affordable: While everything on this list is affordable, elf is truly the epitome of incredibly affordable products that still work well. This eyeliner can be purchased for about the same price as a small coffee, and it still works amazingly.


Clean: This eyeliner is also free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and other nasty chemicals that you do not want anywhere near your eyes.


Smooth Application: This eyeliner goes on smoothly without any creasing or fading! It is also precise in application. 

8. Essence Waterproof Eyeliner

Price: $2.99 at ULTA

Best Features: 

Precise Application: This eyeliner pen is designed with an extra-fine tip, so you can get incredibly detailed with this pen. This pen is especially great for doing the inner corner of your eyes. 

Long-Lasting: Another great feature of this eyeliner is that it is made with a long-lasting formula, and customers agree. Most did not even bring a mirror to touch up their eyeliner all day. 

No Smudging: In addition to this eyeliner lasting all day, it also does not smudge, even after a full day of wear. If you are someone who tends to always smudge their eyeliner, this is the pen for you!

 Best drugstore Waterproof Pencil Eyeliners

Now that we have looked at some of my favorite liquid eyeliners, we get to move on to a few of my favorite pencil eyeliners. One reason that I love pencil eyeliners is because they are great for a more natural look.

Plus they are less messy if you know how to use them correctly and usually more smearproof if we set them with eyeshadow or powder!

9. Maybelline lasting drama gel pencil

Price: $8.99 at ULTA / Check price on Amazon

Best Features:

Highly-Pigmented: Maybelline’s eye pencil comes in two shades (sleek onyx and glazed toffee) and both of these shades have a rich color without using multiple layers!

All Day Wear: This pencil is also formulated for all-day wear without smudging or fading, so you don’t have to worry about constantly reapplying your eyeliner all day.

10. NYX Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner

Price: $8 at ULTA / Check price on Amazon

Best Features:

Variety of Colors: If you are looking for an eyeliner with a wide variety of colors, this is the pencil for you. NYX’s pencil comes in 16 different shades, and it varies from a simple black to an electric blue. 

Metallic Finish: Unlike some of the satin finishes that we have looked at previously, this pencil has a gorgeous metallic finish. 

Smooth Application: This eyeliner also goes on smooth and feels creamy. It also doesn’t crumble or crease during application.

11.L’Oreal Infallible Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner

Price: $8.99 at ULTA / Check Price on Amazon

Best Features:

Variety of Shades: Unlike the NYX pencil above, this pencil also has a variety of shades, but in more neutral and subtle colors.

 24-Hour Wear: This pencil is called “Pro-Last” for a reason.

I love that it stays on all day long, without smudging, smearing, or fading!

Glides on Easily: Finally, this pencil glides on easily without skipping or pulling on your eyes!

12. Pacifica Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner

Price: $11 at ULTA

Best Features:

Clean Formula: Unlike some eyeliners that are made with nasty chemicals, Pacifica prides itself in creating clean eyeliners. Their eyeliner is free of talc, parabens, mineral oil, and phthalates.

Plus it is vegan and cruelty-free.

Easy-Glide: Pacifica’s eyeliner also goes on easily and precisely.

Sometimes pencils are difficult to create precise and clean lines, but many customers love that this pencil is easy to sharpen and creates sharp lines!

Natural Look: Some of the eyeliners we have looked at create a bold and daring look. If you are looking for a more natural and subtle eyeliner, this is the one for you.

It doesn’t go on extremely dark, so if you want a subtle pop of this, Pacifica has you covered!

13. REVLON Colorstay Waterproof Eyeliner

Price: $8.99 at ULTA / Check price on Amazon

Best Features:

Built-In Sharpener: One awesome feature of this eyeliner pencil is that it has a built-in sharpener! It also has a built-in smudger if you want to create more diffused looks. 

24-Hours Wear: This is another eyeliner that is long-lasting and won’t fade throughout the day.

10 Versatile Shades: This eyeliner comes in ten gorgeous shades with a mix of neutral shades and a few bright colors.

Best Drugstore Waterproof Gel Eyeliners

One reason why I love gel eyeliners is because you can create solid color without extensive layering.

Gel eyeliners are especially great if you enjoy bold and dramatic looks without the messiness that a liquid liner might make. 

14. Maybelline Waterproof Gel Eyeliner

Price: $9.99 at ULTA / Check Price on Amazon

Best Features:

Oil-Free Formula: If you suffer from oily lids, this is a great option. This gel liner is made with an oil-free formula that will hold your liner in place!

Smudge-Free: This liner will also stay in place all day without smudging! Many customers rave that once this liner is on, it stays on. 

Brush Included: This gel liner also comes with a brush, so need to worry about making a separate purchase.

15. MORPHE Waterproof Gel Eyeliner

Price: $9 only at ULTA.com

Best Features:

Soft Application: This liner goes on gently without tugging or pulling on your lid. Plus, there are no skips in this application!

Little Goes a Long Way: So many customers love that this eyeliner is highly pigmented, and so you only need a little bit of product to create a bold and daring look!

Great for Sensitive Skin: This gel liner is also great for people with sensitive skin. It does not cause skin irritation for many customers that used this product, and it also doesn’t cause your eyes to water as some liners do during application.

Conclusion on the Best Drugstore Waterproof Eyeliners

My All-time Favorite Drugstore Waterproof Eyeliner is this one from NYX, It’s the one that I use EVERYDAY on my problematic Hooded eyes, and I love that is so THIN and PRECISE and it really last all day!

One of the best things about buying drugstore products is that you can try out a few different products to find the one that is the best fit for you.

I hope that you were able to add a few favorite waterproof eyeliners to your cart, whether they be liquid liners, pencils, or gel liners. No more smudging and smearing with these waterproof liners!

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• 7 Best Eyeliners for Hooded Eyes/ Droppy Eyelids! (Products and FULL TUTORIAL)
  
• The Ultimate Guide on How to Apply Eyeliner Like a Pro! (Step by Step tutorial)
  
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the 15 Best Drugstore Waterproof Eyeliners