The best cream eyeliner goes on smoothly, does not wash off easily, and compliments rather than detracts from your eyes. Choosing the best cream eyeliner often involves some experimentation, especially when it comes to choosing a high-quality product that glides on and stays on. In addition, most people choose a cream eyeliner to draw attention to their eyes or make their eyes appear bigger. This is best accomplished by choosing an eyeliner that is not significantly brighter than your eye color; for example, someone with blue eyes should probably select a color other than bright blue. Eyeliner guidelines are basically the same for both sexes, even if the makeup is specifically marked for a certain gender.
Read online reviews and ask friends or family for product recommendations to determine what products to test. If people frequently complain about the poor-quality brush of one product but rave about the actual cream eyeliner, the product might be worth checking out if you purchase a separate eyeliner brush. On the other hand, if the product itself is reportedly clumpy or dries hard and looks unattractive, it might be wise to skip it altogether. Although it is entirely possible that you would like a cream eyeliner that mostly received poor reviews, there are so many different brands and products within those brands that taking a 50/50 chance on a product is unnecessary.
Once you have settled on a brand that appears reputable and high quality, visit a local beauty store to pick out a color and try it on. In general, it is best to choose a shade that is not significantly different from your own eye color. For example, using forest green eyeliner on a person with light green eyes will likely make people notice his or her eyeliner first rather than his or her eyes. An exception to this rule is people with dark eyes, usually brown, who can wear just about any shade of cream eyeliner, depending on their skin tone.
Lastly, men’s eyeliner is a marketing technique, much as men’s shampoo or men’s moisturizer. Other than the packaging, the essential ingredients are the same. If you are male and looking for the best cream eyeliner, you will have a much wider selection when including women’s products in your search. Many cosmetic stores do not carry men’s cream eyeliner, but some salespeople are used to selling women’s eyeliner to men.