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Ever since I started getting into skincare and makeup back in 2017, out of all the makeup steps, eyeliner is the most challenging one for me! I think I can speak for many of us. Because of that, some people don’t use eyeliner at all. But the truth is, there’s no such thing as being “bad” at makeup. It’s all about practice!!
For a few years, I used the Too Faced Better Than Sex liquid eyeliner. I was very intimidated by most pens and brush tips on the market. The felt tip of the pens that I tried were way too thick, and I did not consider myself “skilled” enough to use brush tip applicators. Although the Too Faced eyeliner’s felt tip was very precise, the formula didn’t work for me. It wasn’t “waterproof”.
My eyes get watery throughout the day, and even when I set the eyeliner with powder, it still didn’t last. I would always come home with slight smudges under my wing.
Back in January, I went out with a friend. At one point, I started laughing really hard and my eyes got watery. Lo and behold, my wing was gone. I also tried the Milani liquid eyeliner, but unfortunately, it wasn’t waterproof for my eyes. My last eyeliner purchase at Sephora was the Aqua liquid eyeliner. Supposedly, this eyeliner is used by the US swimming team. Although the formula was awesome, the applicator on the pen was faulty. Every time I used it, there was a little ball on the tip that I had to take off. If this isn’t enough, the pigment dried out after only a few uses, even if I shook it before opening.
But, I wasn’t going to give up! I scoured Reddit’s beauty threads on “the best waterproof eyeliner” and the NYX Epic Wear Liquid Liner seemed to be the most mentioned. This specific eyeliner is also meant to be used on the body. My impetus to get it only continued to build up even more when I watched a few Youtube videos that talked about how amazing it was.
After doing this research, I knew I had to go to Ulta and get it ASAP. The Epic Wear Liquid liner also comes in seven other different colours.
The following day I happened to be in San Diego. I walked into an Ulta and tried the tester. It wasn’t difficult to apply and I was very happy with the finish. But… would it last?
When I was purchasing it, I asked the girl who rang me up what eyeliner she was wearing. She said the Wet n Wild pot eyeliner. But… “Is it waterproof?” I asked. “No. If I rub my eyes it smudges very easily,” she said.
Do you see how challenging it is to find an eyeliner that works for you? All of them claim that they are waterproof and smudge proof, but that could not be further from the truth.
Given the low price point, I got two: the liquid version with the brush tip, and the classic pen with the felt tip. Before leaving the store, I tried on the brush tip version on my eyes.
That same day, I went to the beach and I swam in the ocean riding waves and diving under them. When I got out, I thought my eyeliner was going to be completely gone. But to my surprise, it was still there! I was shocked and needless to say, this eyeliner immediately got my seal of approval. In the following weeks, I wore it consistently. I loved leaving my home not worrying about setting my eyeliner with powder to ensure it stayed in place. The eyeliner also applies very smoothly on bare skin.
After two weeks of consistently trying the two of them, the winner for me is the liquid liner. Although the two are the same color, the finishes are vastly different. In the liquid liner, the formula dries down to an intensely pigmented matte black that a pen would not be able to replicate. I swatched the back of my hand with other pen eyeliners at Sephora, and the winner, as far as pigmentation, was the NYX Epic Wear Liquid Liner. The finish of the pen (Epic Ink Waterproof) was a less intense black.
Ever since I bought it a month and a half ago, I’ve been wearing it consistently. It’s stood the test of the desert heat and sweat. Sometimes, I wore it on bare skin with no makeup on to see the wearability of it, and overall, it didn’t disappoint! I love the pigmentation, wear-test and user-friendly application to create clean and sharp wings.
It’s extremely easy to draw clean and sharp lines in one fell swoop.
The black is intensely pigmented. As opposed to pencils, which tend to dry out faster, even if it’s after a few uses, NYX will last you for months on end. In the tube, the expiration date says 18 months. The black pigment isn’t going anywhere!
The applicator glides very softly on bare skin. No need to apply concealer or makeup underneath if you don’t want to.
The pen, on the other hand, is less intense and way easier to rub off. I tried it on before doing an at-home workout. After sweat and some rubbing of my eyes, the eyeliner was gone! On another day, I tried the liquid eyeliner. Not only did it stand the sweat of a more intense at-home workout, but even after washing my hair, my wing did not move or smudge in the slightest. I’m telling you, this eyeliner is the real deal!
If you mess up, don’t worry. At the end of the day, it’s just makeup. If you’re not happy with how the wing turned out, wipe it off with a Q tip before it dries. I personally like to use Bioderma micellar water. My eyes did not get irritated or sore in the slightest. I was pleasantly surprised because it was very easy to manipulate the wing without ruining my eyeshadow! Make sure your skin is completely dry before trying again.
Long lashes are a blessing and a curse. If you have long lashes like me, you’ll know that it gets a bit messy. This happens with all pot liquid eyeliners. But after a few times using it, I finally found a few options to not make my lashes a clumpy mess. Beware that the formula of this liquid eyeliner is thick and dries down to a matte finish.
The first option is to to wipe off as much product as you can from the brush before lining your upper lash line. You will still get some product on your lashes, but it won’t be nearly as messy as going with the applicator full of product. The second option is to use an extra fine eyeliner brush and getting the product from the applicator. I’d suggest going over the wing with the original applicator for extra pigmentation. The third option is to apply mascara first before going with the eyeliner. That way your lashes are already separated.
It’s a more tedious and slower process, but I love the finish and of course the longevity. Have an eyelash comb or a Q tip handy to go over your lashes in case you get a lot of product on them.
While reading the reviews, I read that a few people complained about it not coming off easily at the end of the day. Just use your regular micellar water and gently rub. As opposed to other eyeliners, where they easily come off, with this one you have to gently press and massage your eyes until it comes off.
Liquid eyeliners with brush tips get a bad rap for being too difficult and meant to be used for more experienced people. But the applicator from the NYX Epic Wear Liquid Liner is very easy to use and like I said, I was shocked by how easily and effortlessly I was able to lay down a short stroke with a small hand movement. With a pen, I have to fully draw the full outline of the wing.
To conclude this post, if you have sensitive eyes and no eyeliner has been able to deliver the results that you want, NYX Professional Epic Ink Eyeliner will withstand the test of water, rain, sweat or tears, without budging or losing any pigmentation.
I don’t know why pot applicators aren’t as widely available on Sephora. After using this eyeliner, I don’t see myself going back to pen eyeliners any time soon, and when I go to Sephora, most pen liquid eyeliners are either dried out or the tip is faulty and it’s a whole process to work with it.
If you’re reading this in the US, the NYX Epic Wear Liquid Liner is widely available in drugstores and Ulta Beauty. You can also buy it on their website or Amazon.
Below are a few reviews from the NYX website!
