The Best Eyeliners for Older Women Deliver an Instant Eye Lift

When I shop for eyeliner these days, I feel like I'm going into a restaurant with a list of dietary restrictions. I have always had hooded eyes, but at 46, the hooding is more pronounced. I have sensitive eyes, too, and fine lines starting to set in. In short, I’m looking for an eyeliner to play up my gaze while downplaying any discomfort or signs of aging. It’s a balancing act, to be sure, but it’s one that the best eyeliners for older women can accomplish with finesse—and if it becomes tempting to skip eyeliner altogether, consider this advice from a pro: “Eyeliner actually becomes more important as we age,” says makeup artist Stevi Christine. “Lashes tend to thin over time, and a liner at the roots helps bring back that youthful fullness.”

Vogue’s Favorite Eyeliners for Older Women:

1. Best Overall: Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner, $35
2. Best for a No-Makeup Makeup Look: Laura Mercier Caviar Tightline Eyeliner, $30
3. Best for Sensitive Eyes: Clinique Quickliner For Eyes Eyeliner Pencil, $29
4. Best for Lasting Wear: Lancôme Le Stylo Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner, $29
5. Best for Versatile Wear: Sarah Creal Eyes Up Creamy Kajal Longwear Liner, $35

Since I’ve found a few formulas that I swear by—including the Laura Mercier pencil that’s on this list—I see what Christine means. On days when I do wear eyeliner, I look more awake, chipper, and polished than on days when I don’t. The trick? Finding formulas that are not only fluttering, but gentle on the eyes. Formulas for older women should also be easy to apply and remove without tugging at the lids. Ahead, find the eyeliners that check every box.

Best Overall: Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner

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1. Why We Love It: “​​Victoria Beckham’s Satin Kajal Liner is one of my favorite liners, especially on mature lids,” Christine says. She notes that the pencil’s creamy texture lends itself to an effortless glide, which makes the product particularly user-friendly. “The built-in smudger also lets you diffuse the line into a soft shadow, which helps soften the eyeliner look,” she notes. The formula is available in 20 shades, which range from sea green to gold and basic black. “For women over 50, I gravitate toward shades like Cocoa, Bordeaux, Olive, or Ash, which define the eyes without the strength of jet black,” Christine says. The formula gets a second endorsement from pro makeup artist Dani Wagener. “This pencil has quickly become my all-time favorite because it effortlessly creates the most stunning, smudged effect along the top lash line,” she says. “The rich range of colors available is truly exceptional.” Makeup artist Marcia Williams adds to the chorus of praise. “The Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner is super versatile,” she says. “It glides on smoothly, which allows it to be used as a liner or as an eyeshadow.” Williams’ hue of choice? The Sea Grey, which gives mature eyes a “pretty, silvery shimmer.”
2. Editor’s Experience: I like this pencil for a bit of subtle smoulder—which it delivers, even in a seemingly innocent shade like brown. Glide is big for more mature eyes; at 46, I appreciate the silky, non-tugging application. It also stays put nicely, and the formula feels gentle on my eyes. The verdict: It’s perhaps a bit more nighttime than Teams-call ready, so it’s a staple I’ll be keeping in my clutch for the holiday-party season.” —Jenny Berg, contributor

Best for Versatile Wear: Sarah Creal Eyes Up Creamy Kajal Longwear Liner

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1. Why We Love It: Sarah Creal, a product formulator who’s worked behind the scenes at Victoria Beckham Beauty, Tom Ford, and more, launched her luxe cosmetics line with women over 40 in mind. Eyes Up, made with an exclusive cream-gel matrix technology, is a kajal liner that stays put for up to 24 hours. The long-lasting formula is ophthalmologist-tested and deemed safe for sensitive eyes; it also has allantoin to soothe and hydrate the skin around the eyes. Available in jet black and earthy, neutral hues ranging from bronze to taupe and gold, the liner can be worn in several ways. For an everyday look, the brand recommends applying black or brown liner inside the top waterline and above the lashes, followed by a swipe of mascara. For something slightly more intense, try using the black liner on the inside of the top waterline and above the lashes; then use the gold liner on the inner corner of the eye.
2. Editor’s Experience: I love how playful you can get with this pencil, but I tested it on a plain-old weekday and opted for a straightforward look. I lined my top waterline with Bronzy (a warm, bronzy brown); here, too, the glide is silky and light. Because pigment tends to transfer quickly onto my hooded eyes, I used the built-in brush to smudge the line out a bit, and it felt like I had a matching creamy eyeshadow ready to go. It was easy to wear, stayed put throughout the day, and zhushed up my look but in a fit-for-the-workplace way. Next, I'm going to experiment by adding a little gold, and I'm excited to try the new Speakaesy Plum shade for the holidays. “It sounds very sugar-plummy!” —J.B.

Best for a No-Makeup Makeup Look: Laura Mercier Caviar Tightline Eyeliner

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1. Why We Love It: “Laura Mercier Caviar Tightline has been a staple in my makeup bag for years,” says Christine. “It’s perfect for creating that effortless no-makeup makeup look.” As an application hack, Christine presses the gel-like formula right into the roots of her clients' lashes. “It makes the eyes pop and the lashes look naturally full,” she says. She also uses the formula to line mature clients’s upper waterline, which, she says: “Gives fullness and lift instantly, without creating a visible line.” According to Tayaba Jafri, makeup artist and global beauty director of Laura Mercier, the formula works particularly well on mature eyes because it has an “ultra-creamy texture that respects thinning skin.” It glides on without skipping, tugging, or migrating into fine lines, she says, while its smudge-and-transfer-proof formula allows for subtle tightlining. A thin line in a dark brown hue is central to any natural look, after all.
2. Editor’s Experience: This pencil was my first love, and so it remains. I’m not sure if it’s the just-right intensity of the pigment or the texture of the pencil—creamy enough to glide right on, but not so creamy it’s easy to smudge—but this satisfies the inner Goldilocks in me. It only comes in a handful of shades (unlike, say, Victoria Beckham’s, which is available in 21 and counting). But that doesn’t faze me at all, because this is my go-to black eyeliner and I’ll be happy as long as they keep making it in black. It’s my go-to for pepping up my eyes every day.” —J.B.

Best for a Smoky Eye: Charlotte Tilbury Rock N Kohl Eyeliner

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1. Why We Love It: “As we get older, the skin around our eyes can start to lose elasticity, which can make applying eyeliner a little trickier,” says makeup artist and brand founder Charlotte Tilbury. “This is why I recommend using my Rock ‘N’ Kohl, which has a smooth, creamy texture and intense color payoff, meaning it glides effortlessly onto the eye area without skipping or dragging.” Tilbury explains that the kajal formula is waterproof, long-lasting, and easy to use. “It even comes with its own smudger brush tip, which can be used to blend out the liner for a soft, smoky effect,” she says. To create the sultry look, “Simply glide the pencil along the lash line, then gently run the smudger brush tip back and forth over the liner,” Tilbury instructs. She adds that a diffused, smoky liner look flutters mature eyes, as it doesn’t emphasize fine lines or wrinkles as much as a sharper line tends to do. “I love using a shade like Smokey Bronze on my more mature clients as it creates a softer, more natural definition and doesn’t overwhelm the eyes,” she says.
2. Editor’s Experience: Smolder alert! This is very smudgy, very party-friendly, as soon as it hits the eye—or my eye, at least—so I wouldn't advise using it on days when you want a no-makeup makeup look. However, I think the brand gave a fair warning of this when they basically named it after Mick Jagger. The good news is, it has a built-in smudger that helps any over-application mistakes look purposeful and lived-in—very rock ‘n’ roll. And I love that it comes in intense, jewel-like shades that are so hard to resist; I’m sitting here on a weekday at my desk wearing emerald-green liner.” —J.B.

Best for Sensitive Eyes: Clinique Quickliner For Eyes Eyeliner Pencil

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1. Why We Love It: “This is a fantastic everyday liner for mature skin,” says makeup artist Alexa Perisco. “It’s smooth, gentle, and retractable, so there’s no pulling or sharpening.” She adds that the formula is creamy enough to blend, but long-lasting, so it stays put. “I often recommend smoky brown or black-brown for a softer, more fluttering finish on mature eyes,” she notes. Adhering to Clinique’s Eye Safety Promise, which applies to its mascaras, liners, and lid color, the formula is also ophthalmologist-tested and safe for sensitive eyes and contact-lens wearers.
2. Editor’s Experience: Sharpening eyeliner pencils is not on my list of hobbies: it’s messy, tedious, and I always lose so much pigment. (Maybe I just need a better eyeliner sharpener, but that's a different story.) I love that this has a retractable tip so I can skip all that hassle and fuss, and that it feels so safe—the tip is thin enough, and the color is subtle enough that it's easy to apply without fear of creating an emergency makeup-remover mid-application. —J.B.

Best for Lasting Wear: Lancôme Le Stylo Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner

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Why We Love It: As seen on 57-year-old Julia Roberts at the After the Hunt premiere at the New York Film Festival, Lancôme's long-lasting pencil "has a creamy texture that glides on effortlessly," says makeup artist Genevieve Herr, who did Roberts's makeup for the event. “Once blended and shaped, this sets beautifully—and it’s completely waterproof.” The eyeliner comes in eight shades, ranging from white to midnight blue. As a rule, Herr sticks to neutral hues like slate gray for daytime, while at night, she leans toward darker hues. On Roberts, Herr used the pencil in Noir Intense, and completed the look with taupe shadows and a lifting, volumizing mascara.