The 25 Best Eye Products of the Year: Mascaras, Eyeliners, and More
This year, for our annual Best of Beauty Awards, we decided to approach the eyes category a little differently than before. Don't worry, you'll still find all of our favorite eyeliners (black, brown, liquid, long-wearing, color range), mascaras (volumizing, lengthening, waterproof, and colorful), palettes (a splurge and a steal option), and brow groomers (pencils, powders, conditioner, and gels) of 2018. What you won't find, however, are eye shadow winners divided by color. In this new faster, larger, more inclusive, and all around more wonderful world of beauty that we're living in, we decided to award shadows based on formula since there's no way to ensure that one color looks the same on every skin tone. Plus, with all the shadows out there, how can we seriously narrow down the single best black, brown, gray, and bright shades of the year? So below you'll find the best cream stick, the best powder-to-cream pot, the best neutral powders, the best bright powders, the best eye gloss, and the best glitter formulas — all of which are beloved by our beauty editors and professional makeup artists alike. Choose the formula you prefer and the color palette is up to you; then complete your look with the rest of the hard-working, eye-enhancing items on this list — and don't forget to check out all the winners of our 2018 Best of Beauty Awards.
EYE SHADOW: Cream Stick
A substantial pencil with a tapered point, the Lancôme Ombre Hypnôse Stylo shadow stick can drape lids in rich color or draw precise strokes along lash lines. The formula smudges beautifully, then sits tight.
$25 (Shop Now)
EYE SHADOW: Powder-to-Cream Pot
L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24 HR Eye Shadow performs a very neat little trick: As you blend it on your lids, the silky powder melts into a wash of pigment, delivering full coverage with a lucid feel.
$8 (Shop Now)
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EYE SHADOW: Neutral Powder
The spectrum of neutrals in Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow delivers astounding, seamless dimension. We’re particularly taken with Black Lace — a pitch-perfect black with a sultry matte finish.
$8 (Shop Now)
EYE SHADOW: Bright Powder
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Shadows are so feathery soft and pigment-rich, one swipe delivers intense color you can blend with your finger. Pumped with silicone oil, the brightness doesn’t drift or fade.
$17 (Shop Now)
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EYE SHADOW: Gloss
A “friend” confused Surratt Beauty Lid Lacquer with a dewy lip-and-cheek tint. Honest mistake. The compact holds saturated color that goes on sheer or opaque, depending how much you layer on. The sheen (which won’t melt) is the most luminous our “friend” has ever seen.
$36 (Shop Now)
EYE SHADOW: Glitter
Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow isn’t your run-of-the-mill metallic. The shimmering formula glides on like a gloss and dries to a smooth-as-vinyl (never flaky) finish.
$24 (Shop Now)
EYE SHADOW: Palette
The sunset colors and rose-garden hues in Huda Beauty Rose Gold Remastered Eyeshadow Palette are like paradise in a palette. Grouped into matte and metallic finishes, the 18 shades range from pale gold (Dubai) to intense damask (Maneater).
$65 (Shop Now)
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EYE SHADOW: Palette
When you need a purse-friendly option, Flower Beauty Wanderlust Eyeshadow Palette is a well-edited kit with a wild side. Classic shades cozy up to edgy ones.
$11 (Shop Now)
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MASCARA: Volumizing
We flirted with other fattening formulas, but CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara is the classic we kept coming back to this year. Its bristles build a full, voluptuous fringe that holds our wandering gaze.
$9 (Shop Now)
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MASCARA: Lengthening
L’Oréal Paris Voluminous X Fiber Mascara transforms lashes in two steps: Prime with a glossy base coat, lengthen with the inky-black main attraction, bask in a zillion compliments (so actually three steps).
$11 (Shop Now)
MASCARA: Waterproof
CliniqueFIT Workout 24-Hour Mascara is like the triathlete of waterproof formulas: It lifts, extends, and endures every sweaty obstacle you throw in its path.
$20 (Shop Now)
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MASCARA: Color
The vitamins and natural oils in Yves Saint Laurent Beauty Volume Effet Faux Cils mascara plump lashes, while the vibrant pigment brightens eyes. One of our favorites: the velvet flutter of Burgundy.
$32 (Shop Now)
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EYELINER: Black
The minuscule tip of Maybelline New York Master Precise Skinny Gel Pencil in Defining Black is almost hard to see. The smooth, precise strokes are impossible to miss.
$8 (Shop Now)
EYELINER: Brown
Look familiar? Jouer Slim Crème Eyeliner in Matte Brown has won this title two years running. The velvety pencil deposits the richest chestnut; the built-in sharpener whittles the perfect point.
$16 (Shop Now)
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EYELINER: Long-Wearing
We would never dream of falling asleep in our eye makeup (cough, cough). But if we did, Lancôme Drama Liqui-Pencil would still look immaculate in the morning.
$23 (Shop Now)
EYELINER: Long-Wearing
If you like liquids (and also late nights), Smashbox Always On Liquid Liner delivers the sharpest of lines with the longest of life spans.
$22 (Shop Now)
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EYELINER: Color Range
Dior Diorshow On Stage Liner lets us indulge in free-form color play. Its gorgeous renegade shades (looking at you, clover green and canary yellow) are as pliant as a paintbrush.
$31 (Shop Now)
EYELINER: Color Range
When you want colors that are a little more classic but still, you know, colors, we love the moody amethyst and lush navy of Elizabeth Arden High Drama Eyeliner.
$22 (Shop Now)
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EYELINER: Liquid / Felt
With its slim point, IT Cosmetics Superhero Liner hugs the lash line without tugging, filling in gaps for intense definition.
$24 (Shop Now)
BROWS: Clear Gel
The angled brush on the L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Boost & Set brow mascara perfectly fluffs and arranges arches while clear gels holds hairs in place.
$11 (Shop Now)
BROWS: Tinted Gel
With its tiny spooley brush and three different shade options, Tarte Busy Gal Brows combs in the ideal amount of color to bulk up brows.
$18 (Shop Now)
BROWS: Pencil
Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil has a slanted nib to sculpt arches, lengthen wimpy tails, and artfully fill in sparse areas.
$24 (Shop Now)
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BROWS: Powder
The trio of shades in CoverGirl Easy Breezy Brow Powder Kit add extra depth and dimension, creating the illusion of fullness — and never the reality of smudginess.
$11 (Shop Now)
BROWS: Conditioner
With six wins and counting, RevitaBrow Advanced Eyebrow Conditioner is more than a sentimental favorite. Its potent peptides beef up arches and bring us back to our pre-tweezer days (OK, so it’s a little sentimental).
$110 (Shop Now)
MAKEUP REMOVER
Fragrance- and oil-free, Cetaphil Gentle Makeup Remover spirits away makeup without stinging our under-eyes or blurring our vision. Clear, moisturizing…perfect.
$6 (Shop Now)
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