The best pencil eyeliners you can buy

The NYX Retractable Eye Liner is an under-$6 option that performs as well as some of its high-end counterparts.

There's affordable and then there's cheap. At $5.49, NYX Retractable Eye Liner is definitely in the latter category. But don't the price tag fool you — the formula does not skimp on quality.

This is a tiny pencil that easily fits in the waterline or between lashes. It's highly pigmented and easy to apply, with the twist-up applicator that doesn't require sharpening. I used the color Aqua Green often on nights out in college for a fun pop of color, and even though I've tried many higher end formulas since, this remains one of my favorites.

NYX Retractable Eye Liner has a 4.6 rating on Target, based on 101 reviews. "I bought the Aqua Green liner to wear at work, usually on 10-11 hour shifts, and this liner stays put fantastically!" writes one shopper.

InStyle, Allure, and Refinery29 have also given the pencils high marks.

Pros: super affordable, no sharpening, creamy formula

Cons: pretty small color selection

Buy NYX Retractable Eye Liner on Target for $5.49

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil comes in a billion easy-to-blend shades for every style of makeup.

The first eyeliners I ever really loved were the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. I started using them when I was 16-years-old and they remain one of my favorite formulas to this day. The formula is smooth, both easy to apply and to build up to an intense pigment.

Most of the shades are metallic — not completely matte but not glittery — which makes the range a bit less versatile (though there is a matte black called Perversion). One of my favorite shades is Smog, a lighter brown described by the brand as "copper shimmer."

Formulated with hydrating jojoba oil, cottonseed oil, and vitamin E, they are a breeze to slide across the upper or lower lashline. The shade range is constantly evolving; currently, there are 27 colors in stock on the Sephora website, leaning heavily on variations of purple, brown, and blue.

Reviews.com considers this the absolute best pencil eyeliner on the market, thanks to easy application and long-lasting wear. Writers at Elle UK, Refinery29, InStyle, StyleCraze, Rank & Style, and PopSugar are also big fans, and the product has over 10,000 5-star reviews on Sephora.

Pros: Wide color range, creamy and moisturizing formula, easy to blend, long-lasting, cruelty-free

Cons: Expensive, few matte shades

Buy Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil on Sephora for $21

Glossier Play Colorslide is a gorgeous, long-lasting liner pencil available in an eye-catching line-up of colors.

I always look to Glossier when it comes time to stock my everyday makeup bag. The brand's products are so no-fuss that I can practically apply them without a mirror. The same cannot quite be said for Colorside, a creative take on colorful pencil liner available through Glossier Play, Glossier's sub-brand of "dialed-up beauty extras." But it's still a breeze to apply.

Described by Glossier as "technogel eye pencil," Colorslide is a budge-proof eyeliner that goes on smoothly, though it is a bit tackier in texture than Marc Jacobs and Urban Decay's offerings. If you find it tugging on your lid, try giving the tip a quick sharpen to help it go on like buttah.

I especially appreciate the color selection, which includes 14 unique shades, including mustard yellow Nectar and metallic green Cash Salad. My current lineup consists of Hardcore Velvet, a deep teal, and Candyland, which is metallic pink. I plan to pick up some other colors as soon as I can justify purchasing more liners.

This is a newer launch, with only 81 reviews on Glossier's site. One shopper writes, "These are the best eyeliners I've ever used [...] The colours are pigmented enough for my liking as I'm not looking to do anything too out there, but they are buildable if you are wanting a bolder look. They blend perfectly together and you can create a slim line, which is never something I've been able to do with a liner pencil before."

Writers at Glamour, The Zoe Report, and Man Repeller also give Colorslide high marks. "[T]he eyeliner went on smoothly and smudged easily with the tip of my finger for a cool smoky effect," writes MR fashion editor Harling Ross, a self-described makeup amateur.

Pros: Affordable, smudge-proof, pigmented, unique colors, cruelty-free, hypoallergenic

Cons: Require sharpening

Buy Colorslide on Glossier for $15

Hourglass 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Eye Liner has a tiny point to help create fine, delicate lines.

Microliner is wonderful for lining the waterline if you have small eyes or creating a very small and defined line along the upper or lower lashes. The Hourglass 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Eye Liner has an extremely fine tip, allowing for maximum precision.

While the color selection isn't super adventurous, you get all the staples in this range — bronze, navy, brown, black, and gray. The range actually makes sense when you consider that liners this teeny tiny are often used on the waterline, where a pop of color is fun but maybe not the most versatile.

The design of the liner mimics that of a mechanical pencil; you click the bottom to bring more product up above the surface. The instructions recommend you dispense only two clicks at a time, otherwise, you run the risk of snapping the pencil and rendering it pretty useless. It claims to last for 17 to 20 applications.

"THIS. IS. A. GAME-CHANGER. the tip is so so skinny, it actually gets the product between the lashes, and it lasts all day," writes one Sephora reviewer. The product has 693 reviews on the Sephora website, with a 3.8-star rating.

"I couldn't make a mess and get too thick of a line even if I tried," writes Glamour's Leah Melby Clinton.

Pros: super tiny, easy to control, works for waterline, cruelty-free

Cons: only lasts 17 to 20 uses

Buy the Hourglass 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Eye Liner on Sephora for $18