Which Black Liquid Eyeliner is the best?

This is a test I've wanted to do for a long time. I ended up with 13 different kinds of black liquid/gel/creme eyeliner and I'll do a quick demonstration so you can make a decision on which one is right for you.

Here are the contenders:

The first set of 3 is from the Revlon ColorStay collection.

1. Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black, $7.29
2. Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black, $6.79
3. Liner Creme Gel Eyeliner in Black, $9.99

The next set of 4 is from E.L.F. Cosmetics.

1. Studio Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Black, $3
2. Essential liquid Eyeliner in Black, $1
3. Studio Cream Eyeliner in Midnight. (I mistakenly thought I picked up black.) $3
4. Studio Cream Eyeliner in Black, $3

The last one on the top row is from Wet n Wild.

1. H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner in Ultra Black, $3.99

The first set on the second row is Jordana.

1. 12 Hr Made to Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in 01 Black Point, $2.99
2. 12 Hr Made to Eyeshadow Pencil in 02 Stay On Black, $3.99
3. Bold Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner in 01 Black, $2.99

The last 2 are some random ones I had in my makeup bag, the Clinique Brush-on Cream Liner in True Black, $16.00, is very old, like almost 7 years old. I haven't thrown it away because I feel the color intensified over time and I currently didn't have anything to replace it. I spray it with rubbing alcohol when I do use it. The last one is Lorac On Screen Duo in Fame & Fortune, $14.25 - $21.99 (current price via Google Search.)

I painted them on my hand in the same order:

 Indoor Lighting

Outdoor Lighting

Next I did a water test. I doused my hand in cold water. None of the eyeliners ran. 

I then rubbed the top row up and the bottom row down.

As you can see the two Revlon Colorstay liquid liners ran but the gel stayed put. All of the E.L.F. liners stayed put. The Jordana liners survived except the felt tip pen liner. The Clinique cream liner stayed. The Lorac liner started failing miserably right from the beginning.

The final test I submerged my hand in hot water for about 10 seconds and wiped each row several times, the top row up and the bottom row down. Everything started to smear except the E.L.F. Studio Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Black and the Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner in Ultra Black. I rubbed the top row several more times to distinguish between the two last surviving liners. Then the E.L.F. Studio liner started flaking off. The answer was pretty clear:

Verdict:

The winner for Blackest Black is a tie between E.L.F. Studio Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Black and Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner in Ultra Black.

The Winner for Best Matte Black is Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black by a landslide. Second place goes to Jordana's 12 Hr Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in 02 Stay On Black with the 12 Hr Made to Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in 01 Black Point a slightly less matte runner up.

The best Waterproof liner is Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner in Ultra Black. It not only survived a nice dip in cold and hot water but I rubbed it several times until all the other eyeliners were smeared to death and it didn't budge AT ALL. It might have become a tiny bit less black than when I first applied it but nothing very noticeable. I then soaked in a hot bath for 20 minutes, patted my hand dry and the color was still almost completely there. It faded in the middle of the thickest part and the thinnest edge. I had to put coconut oil on it, rub it in, wipe it off, add more coconut oil, rub it vigorously and scrub it with a tissue to get it all off! That is some AMAZING STAYING POWER. (**Don't worry about having trouble getting it off your eyes, I've worn it so many times and I don't scrub it. I apply extra virgin coconut oil and gently rub it, wipe it off, and apply more coconut oil to my eyelids and eyelashes. Whatever hasn't come off when you wash your face at night will come off with your morning face wash.**)

The Best Black Liquid/Gel/Creme Eyeliner Award goes to Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner in Ultra Black. It has amazing staying power, is waterproof, has a fair low price, great color payoff and creates a nice even application.

The Worst Liquid/Gel/Cream Eyeliner Award goes to the Lorac On Screen Duo in Fame & Fortune. It applied very sheer with hardly any color payoff, applied unevenly, stayed greasy and rubbed right off. It is also one of the most expensive!