A silicone-enriched, cream-gel gold eyeliner doesn’t hit a home run unless it matches your wardrobe. Lauder-owned Bobbi Brown was first out of the gate with a gold eyeliner gel that dries down to a solid smooth finish. Many other brands have not equaled or bettered their version for some time. Este Lauder’s contribution has a thick texture that’s unusually goopy. The texture of gold eyeliner makes it all too easy to pick up much more than what’s needed on your eyeliner brush, necessitating a classic wipe-down prior to each application.

The gold eyeliner applies smoothly and imparts rich color from its sole shade. It sets within a reasonable amount of time and provides a long-wearing finish, just like most gel-type eyeliners. A creamy, goopy gold eyeliner texture has seen excessive use over the years, but most salespeople will confirm that they actually have a tough time with this type of eyeliner. Such honesty at the counters is rare and always appreciated.

Be Pure Mineral Gliding Liners don’t glide over skin as smoothly as Jane’s Be Pure Mineral One Liners, but these have a decent powder finish that lasts longer. That’s a strong edge, but becomes less appealing when you consider that the Gliding Liner needs routine sharpening. If you’re okay with the sharpening, this is a good inexpensive eye pencil. Micro Liner Ultra Fine Eyeliner is a needs-sharpening pencil that promises the precision of a liquid liner.

Considering how tough it is to be precise with a liquid liner, that’s not much of a claim. The advantage of this pencil is its slender tip that allows for a thin, discrete line, or you can build the line for more drama. Because this stays creamy, some smudging is apparent by day’s end (much sooner if you have oily eyelids), but it is an option if you prefer pencil and want a very fine line.