Eyelash extensions already do so much to make you look simultaneously enchanting and natural, as well as making your eyes pop. However, the right eyeliner can work with the extensions to elevate your inner and outer beauty to a totally new level. Finding the perfect eyeliner to go with your extensions is crucial to getting the most out of your extensions, as certain formulas can make them fall off faster. As long as you find makeup that is safe with lash extensions, though, eyeliner can be just the thing to make you both appear and feel even more glamorous (if that’s possible).

The best and safest eyeliners to use while you have eyelash extensions on are undoubtedly those without oil. This is because oil works to dissolve the lash glue put in place to maintain the integrity of your extensions. The benefits of oil-free makeup do not stop there, however. 

These products are less likely to move around your face, meaning your precise and deliberately placed liner will stay exactly where you want it. Also, water-soluble products (a popular alternative to makeup containing oils) are much easier to remove, meaning you will not have to rub at and potentially harm your lashes.

While many different kinds of eyeliners can work with your extensions, pen liners are especially exquisite for keeping your lash extensions full and gorgeous for as long as possible. They feature a tapered shape and are all about added precision. With this added control, it will take fewer strokes to perfect the line you’re going for, which will let the extensions stay exactly where they were meant to be: on your fabulous face. Anytime I go out with a perfectly sharp wing, there is probably an eyeliner pen somewhere to thank.

Now that you know a few dos and don’ts in the world of false lashes, here are some of the absolute best eyeliners to keep your extensions luxurious and thriving.

First, I’ll begin with some delightful gel liners. Gel has a lot of what makes both pencils and liquids so great: it is smudgeable, so you can totally customize it, but the intense pigment will also stay for a long time. There can be a bit of a learning curve to mastering the art of gel liner, but once you get the hang of it, it has one of the most beautiful payoffs of any product.

1. Tarte’s Clay Pot Waterproof Shadow Liner

While waterproof liquid eyeliners with lash extensions are a big no-no, this waterproof shadow liner by Tarte could be your extensions’ best friend forever. The formula is waterproof while still being free of any and all harmful oils that could dissolve the lash glue. 

This product comes in a variety of vibrant colors and can be used as either liner or shadow. It is also well worth noting that this formula is both easy to apply and smudge-proof.

2. Maybelline’s Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

Considering that this is the second gel on this list, clearly, many of these formulas get along well with eyelash extensions. Again, this product is waterproof while still being oil-free, guaranteeing that it will stay on your eyes for a long time, as strong as when you first applied it. In fact, it can last for up to 24 hours.

There are a few benefits to Maybelline’s gel liner as opposed to Tarte’s. For one, Maybelline’s Eye Studio is a great budget option and is available at many drug stores. In addition, it comes with the applicator brush, where Tarte’s does not. Tarte’s Waterproof Shadow Liner, however, comes in multiple colors and can be used as either an eyeliner or eyeshadow.

Next, let’s talk about some of my absolute favorite pencils for lash extensions. You have to be careful when using a pencil eyeliner with your lash extensions, as harsher or dryer formulas can potentially tug on your eyelid and extensions. With that in mind, I’m only recommending formulas that are specifically crafted to be luxuriously smooth and easy to apply.

3. Marc Jacobs Beauty’s Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner

This eyeliner by Marc Jacobs comes in a variety of different colors, shimmers, and finishes, making its quality and versatility tough to match. The formula is perfectly safe for your extensions because it doesn’t contain any harmful oils, and it is completely cruelty-free.

An Allure Best of Beauty winner, the Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner also has a built-in sharpener, so you can always have the most precise lines around.

4. Shiseido’s MicroLiner Ink Eyeliner

Pay close attention to the “micro” in MicroLiner, because this Shiseido product offers near-unrivaled precision. The ink eyeliner has a thin applicator that lends itself to exact lines, making wings or lining between lashes a breeze. It also glides quite easily, meaning you can apply it near your lash line, knowing it will not tug unnecessarily on your extensions.

The MicroLiner comes in nine shades, offering a great deal of options. It turns from a solid to a liquid when it touches the eyelid, assuring the very best color saturation and control when applying. The formula is water-resistant and can last for up to 24 hours. But the wonders of this liner do not stop there. Like the Marc Jacobs addition to our list, the Shiseido MicroLiner is also an Allure Best of Beauty winner.

5. Essence’s Long-Lasting Eye Pencil

Like Maybelline’s Eye Studio was for gel liners, Essence’s Long-Lasting Eye Pencil is a fabulous and affordable alternative to other pencil eyeliners. This eye pencil is formulated entirely without oils, making it safe for lash extensions and the glue used to attach them to your lash line. 

You can retract the liner into the applicator so you never use too much, and the product remains safe while not in use. It also does not contain any parabens. Of all these wonderful attributes, though, my favorite is that it is totally cruelty-free.

Lastly, we have my personal favorite genre of eyeliner: liquid. To me, eyeliner pens especially provide a kind of precision and intensity that other types have trouble matching. That said, they are not as good for smudging to make an effortlessly stunning smokey eye, so it really comes down to what beautiful look you’re going for.

6. Kat Von D’s Beauty Tattoo Eyeliner

This Kat Von D eyeliner applies like an absolute dream, and I hope that I never wake up. The formula is waterproof as well as being both vegan and cruelty-free. It doesn’t smudge, so it will stay how you perfectly applied it all day. Another Allure Best of Beauty winner, KVD Beauty’s Tattoo Eyeliner is a definite favorite for a reason.

7. Fenty Beauty’s Flyliner Longwear Liquid Eyeliner

In addition to Fenty’s glamorous packaging, this liquid eyeliner has a pen applicator with a felt-tip, making it perfect for cat-eyes and more. Flyliner doesn’t use just any tip, though; It uses a super-flex tip, a technology exclusive to Fenty Beauty products, that allows for beautiful lines from any angle. This liner can be easily added onto, meaning your lines can be however perfectly thick or thin you want. 

8. Too Faced Better Than Sex Easy Glide Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

This liner definitely lives up to the “easy glide” in its name. One of the most important parts of an extension-safe eyeliner is that it will not pull on your lash line, so a formula that applies as easily as Too Faced’s Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner is perfect. This comes with a pen applicator, so drawing precise lines is easy as can be.

9. Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Liquid Liner

Anastasia Beverly Hills’ eyeliner stands out when compared to the other liquid liners on this list, primarily because it is the only non-pen applicator. The benefits of this type of applicator are that you can control the exact amount of pigment you want and that the felt-tip allows for total flexibility, so your creative vision can come to life. This formula is water-based, which is perfect for lash extensions. It is also vegan, cruelty-free, and long-lasting.

Luckily, there is no shortage of excellent (and eyelash-extension-safe) eyeliners to choose from. The first and most important attribute to look out for is to make sure the formula is oil-free, as you do not want the oil to potentially disrupt the glue making your extensions hold firm. From there, consider liners that offer easy and effortless application so that there is no undue stress being put on your lash line.

After that, know that there are great options in all different eyeliner genres. From gels to pencils to liquids, each kind has its own benefits, and each could fit in flawlessly with your beauty routine. At this point, it just comes down to which kind of liner you prefer for making your inner beauty continue to shine. While using these products will help with the longevity of your extensions, a lash care regimen is the best way to get the most out of this stunning enhancement to your features.

You are beautiful; there is absolutely no doubt about that. BlinkBar knows that having confidence in yourself can change everything. 

Sources:

Water Solubility | Chem Safety Pro

I Finally Got Me an Eyeliner That Can Do Both, and It’s Marc Jacobs Highliner | Allure

What Does Paraben-Free Mean in Beauty Products? | Healthline