10 Best Coloured Eyeliners 2024 | UK Makeup Artist Reviewed

Pencil and liquid liners will both accentuate the eyes whilst offering different looks. Pencils glide into your waterline seamlessly whilst liquids create bold lines on your lid. Each has a place in your make-up bag, so let’s talk about their benefits. For a cheap option that looks great but won't destroy your budget, a pencil should be your first port of call – many cost as little as £2, £3 or £4. 

Less precious with no chance of leakage, they are also great for shoving in your pocket for emergency touch-ups. Since gripping one is second nature, these little tools are easy to manoeuvre and can create dramatic or smudgy lines depending on whether they're blunt or freshly sharpened. 

The soft, creamy tip of an eyeliner pencil also allows easy colour blending. Unlike liquid eyeliner, pencils won't dry out if you forget to put the lid on. They are also much lower maintenance; a single sweep across each lid, and you're good to go. Many are made with long-wear formulas that are creamy enough to blend in a 30-second window but then refuse to budge. 

Coloured liquid eyeliners are fantastic for achieving more complicated or detailed makeup looks, such as a TikTok-worthy transformation or a classic cat-eye flick in vibrant colour. They require a steady hand, though, and achieving a flawless makeup look can be stressful if you're not an expert. Liquid liners don't offer the option of blending, which could be a drawback. 

However, what we love about liquids is the high pigment and intensity of colour you can achieve compared to even the sharpest pencil. Liquid liners often have a limited colour choice, as most often they come in black or brown. If you're experienced using a liquid, transitioning to a pop of colour will be easy.

If you haven't had much practice it can be fiddly and take time to perfect, as mistakes can be obvious. The formulas also often contain silicones or acrylates, making them more adhesive and thus longer-lasting. For a clean, defined liner flick or detailed decoration, it has to be liquid.

If you're after even more of an intense look, pair your liner with a bold eyeshadow pallet!

If you love the striking colour of a liquid liner but don't feel confident controlling a wand, a pen may be the solution. Wielded like a felt tip, they allow more stability as you draw your seductive cat-eye flick or pretty patterns. These handy products are filled with liquid eyeliner in bold colours that stay put even during humid weather or exercise. 

On the downside, much like regular liquid eyeliners, pens can dry out quickly if not properly cared for and stored. They also have an extremely fine tip which takes a special knack to get right, but once you've cracked it, your coloured liner will be sharp, precise and, frankly, stunning.

To keep your felt tip fresh and ready to go, store it upside down in your brush pot or on your make-up table. This will ensure that the tip is pre-saturated and elongate the life cycle of your make-up. 

Many liners on our list are smudge- and touch-proof, while other formulas go a step further and promise not to budge even underwater, ensuring your liner stays perfect for up to 10 hours. Think about what occasion you're going to be wearing a colourful liner. This will determine whether you go for a subtle, daytime smudgy formula, or a long-wearing, dramatic 24 hr party eye.

Each type of liner has offerings for waterproof, long-wear or shimmer, so once you've decided on your applicator type you can narrow down your search. Eyeliners that are billed as 'smudge-', 'touch-' or 'transfer-proof' will usually contain silicone resin or natural clay derivatives in order to stay put against skin for longer. 

They can be removed using a sponge or flannel with warm water or your regular cleanser. Waterproof liners contain silicone- or acrylate-based polymers. This enables them to fuse more reliably to the skin without irritation. The molecular structure of these adhesive formulas makes it nearly impossible for water to break the connection to skin without the use of oil, so you'll need to use an oil-based cleanser to remove it.

Add a bit of colour to your cheeks with a nice new bronzer!

Some eyeliners are deliberately billed as smudgeable, perfect for any makeup lover who wants a sexy, carefree effect or who loves to build colours together. This type of liner will have a softer, creamier formula, though it isn't as fade-resistant or long-lasting as a waterproof product.

Coloured eyeliners intended for smudging still have decent staying power, though. You may need more regular touch-ups, but at least you can comfortably take them off without shelling out for a fancy remover. Not ideal for detailed work, but more effective when your aim is an explosion of blended colour.

Several of the products we've selected have the beauty goal of sharp, precise lines. This is either achieved using an exquisitely fine-tipped brush or a pencil that has an especially tiny diameter, so the surface area coloured is small, even when it's becoming blunt. Coloured eyeliners that have precision as their priority are the best pick if you are aiming to achieve a supremely detailed effect.

Of course, for a look that will have Val Garland yelling 'Ding Dong Darling!', you'll need to bring your confidence and control to achieve a seriously precise flick of eyeliner, but check our spec tables for products aimed at finesse and precision for the most suitable tools for the task.

If you are going big and plan to achieve a makeup look worthy of the stage, screen or pages of Vogue, look for exciting, vibrant colours that ooze wow-factor like pinks, purples, emeralds and oranges. 

Anyone seeking a more low-key look should opt for natural-toned shades. These could be closer to skin tones, like gold and bronze, or able to enhance the eyes; think classic blues, browns and greens. Shopping for an eyeliner set will, of course, increase your colour options, so if you love a range of choices, select a multipack or palette.

Hoping to bring the party and make sure your eyes shine without swamping your whole lid in flakes of glitter? A sparkly coloured eyeliner couldn't be more fitting. Create a striking, sharp line of glitter along your lash line for a disco makeup look that's never O.T.T. 

These products are also fabulous for adding glam details to creative makeup looks! Remember to treat glitter eyeliners carefully as they need to be tightly fastened to avoid drying out. A drop or two of saline solution can soften and loosen older glitters without damaging the delicate eye area.