Eye liner is one of the oldest cosmetics we still wear, and the ancient version may have done more than look good. In 2010 a French team led by Christian Amatore and Philippe Walter analyzed 52 samples of ancient Egyptian makeup held at the Louvre and published the results in Analytical Chemistry. They found lead salts in the kohl, two of them compounds that do not occur in nature. In cultured skin cells those salts boosted nitric oxide production by up to 240 percent, and the team's theory, as reported by ScienceDaily, is that the makeup may have helped the eye fight infections along the Nile.

Please do not take that as a reason to go looking for lead kohl. Modern formulas get their color from approved pigments, and the choice today is really about texture. A pencil or kajal is soft and forgiving, and you can smudge it. A liquid, felt tip or gel gives a crisp line that stays exactly where you put it.

The first grid is kohl and pencil liners, including several made for the waterline. The second is liquid, felt-tip and gel liners for a sharper line or a wing. My tip: warm a pencil on the back of your hand for a second before lining, and for a wing, draw the tail first with your eye open, then connect it to the lash line.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On is the most reviewed eye pencil in this edit, a creamy waterproof formula with vitamin E and jojoba oil. The shade here is Whiskey, a warm brown that is softer than black for daytime. Huda Beauty Creamy Kohl in Very Vanta has the glide of a liquid and the smudge of a kohl.

For the waterline, Laura Mercier Caviar Tightline is a gel-like pencil made for the tightline, lash line and waterline, waterproof and crease-proof for 16 hours. Kulfi Underlined Kajal is smooth, smudgeproof and drag-proof, with aloe and vitamin E, and it has won Allure Best of Beauty awards. Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal is creamy and high-impact, and you can still smudge it.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Resist is a waterproof gel pencil you can sharpen for a crisp line or blend before it sets. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeliner Stick in Rich Chocolate has a fine tip and up to 24 hours of wear. Tom Ford Gel Eyeliner Pencil in black has the best rating here, a creamy gel pencil made to smoke out.

What I would skip: a stiff, dry pencil on the waterline. It tugs and fades fast. Use the Caviar Tightline or a kajal there, and keep the firmer pencils for the upper lash line.

Stila Stay All Day is the classic liquid, with a thin, marker-like tip, a quick-dry formula and an Allure Best of Beauty award from 2024. It is also the most reviewed liquid liner in the edit. KVD Ink Liner is a no-fray felt tip filled with the brand's Tattoo Liner formula, waterproof and vegan.

Lancôme Artliner is the precision pick, with rich, smudge-proof pigment. Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner is easy-glide and waterproof. Benefit Roller Liner is a true-matte liquid that goes from a thin line to a dramatic cat eye. MAKE Beauty Liquid Line has a flexible felt tip and a demi-matte finish that resists smudging.

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner is the pot you use with a brush, with the precision of a liquid and the ease of a gel. It is the most adjustable option here, since you can go thin for work and build it into a flick at night. Yves Saint Laurent Lines Liberated is a dual-ended, gel-feel waterproof pencil with up to 24 hours of smudge-proof wear, and it has the best rating in this grid.

What I would skip: a liquid liner on oily lids without a base. Set a thin layer of eyeshadow or powder first, then draw the line on top, and it will stay sharp much longer.

I think most people need two eye liners: a soft pencil for every day and one precise liquid or felt tip for a wing. Keep a kajal for the waterline if you like that look. Warm the pencil, draw the wing tail first, and set oily lids before a liquid. If you only buy one, make it a waterproof pencil in brown or black, because it can do a soft line, a smudge and a quick flick. The Egyptian lead story is a great piece of chemistry, but modern formulas do the job without it.