I tried six types of waterproof eye makeup so you don’t have to

It’s summer – the season of chlorinated pools, days spent surrounded by salt water and copious amounts of sweat. These aquatic additions to our daily lifestyles should not, however, come with any major changes to our makeup routines. Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you have to ditch the eye makeup completely, you just need to make a few minor adjustments.

Luckily, these changes are as simple as switching brands for a few months. Unfortunately, with so many options out there for summertime waterproof makeup, it’s almost impossible to decide where to start.

Lucky for you, I’ve done all the legwork, so forget about those raccoon eyes and get excited to go to the beach in style.

Maybelline Ultra Liner 

Application: 4/5

Appearance: 5/5

Stay power: 2/5

I decided to begin with an oldie but a goodie, Mabelline’s Ultra Liner. This stuff has been around forever, and was more than likely the first liquid eyeliner I ever used. While this eyeliner was great in my memory, the reality of it seven years later is that is’s still pretty good. It goes on nice, though the brush is a little too thin for comfort, and it looks great once it dries.

However, if you intend to wear this eyeliner in any situation that includes water, I suggest you think again. While it holds up better than a non-waterproof liner when exposed to water, that’s about all that can be said in favor of it’s waterproof capabilities. It smudged after approximately five seconds in the water and everything went down hill from there.

While this eyeliner is great for daily use, and holds up well against sweat and humidity, it is definitely not one I would recommend for your next beach outing, unless your going for the Boo Radley look.

Smashbox Full Exposure mascara

Application: 5/5

Appearance: 4/5

Stay power: 2/5

I had obscenely high expectations for the Smashbox mascara, considering it was one of the more costly items I tested. As far as application and appearance go, this mascara definitely lives up to its $22.00 price tag, however when it comes to surviving even a mist of water, this mascara falls so short it’s almost frightening.

Yes, my lashes were almost twice as long as usual. Yes, there was virtually zero clumping. Yes, I looked like I had just watched the ending to Titanic on a loop for eight hours. If you’re looking for a mascara to wear down to the pool this summer, take this one and hurl it as far away from your person as possible.

After a few minutes in the water with this one, the local raccoons tried to crown me their leader.

Sephora Colorful waterproof eyeliner 24-HR wear

Application: 4/5

Appearance: 4/5

Stay Power: 5/5

This is probably one of the cheapest items sold at Sephora at only $12, and it’s probably one of the most useful things they sell, too. With a felt tip applicator, this was the perfect eyeliner for making an awesome summer cat eye, and though it took two coats to achieve the right color, it looked great.

When exposed to water, this eyeliner held it’s own beyond a shadow of a doubt. It survived running water, humidity and even being rubbed when I got water in my eye. Nothing could budge this eyeliner, except makeup wipes (of course), making this the perfect eyeliner for any and all summer aquatic activities.

Wet n Wild H2O Proof Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner

Application: 4/5

Appearance: 4/5

Stay Power: 5/5

This eyeliner definitely gives the Sephora one a run for it’s money, and at only $2.99, it looks like it might have the advantage. This eyeliner goes on smoothly and only requires one coat to achieve a black as dark as my own soul. It also has a felt tip applicator, which makes the application process smooth and almost alarmingly simple.

A product this seemingly perfect has to have a shortcoming- it survived full submersion, running water, vigorous rubbing and about four makeup wipes. This eyeliner stays a little too well, as it took over ten minutes and a quarter pack of neutrogena makeup wipes to remove. So while you can rest assured that this eyeliner will survive the choppiest of waters, the strongest of chlorination and the most humid of days, it will also take about a decade to take off when you actually want it to come off.

Revlon Lash Potion Mascra

Application: 4/5

Appearance: 3/5

Stay Power: 4/5

While this mascara is probably nothing spectacular, after the Smashbox incident, it was certainly a happy medium. It applies easily, taking only one coat and creating only minimal clumping.

This mascara can survive humidity and has a shockingly strong resistance to water. With only a little bit of flaking after being exposed to water, I would definitely recommend this for a casual day at the beach, but maybe not for your next synchronized swimming class.

Sephora Cushion Glossy Eyeliner

Application: 1/5

Appearance: 3/5

Stay power: 5/5

This is another classic case of really high expectations versus a seriously tragic reality. This eyeliner is $18 at Sephora and has this really cool sponge application that you dip the brush in, so naturally I was ridiculously pumped to try it out. It only took about five seconds to realize that in spite of the initial coolness of the applicator, this eyeliner is closer to a nightmare than a dream.

The liner itself is liquid, and it dries in less than a minute, on your eye and on the brush, which makes application a physically painful process. Reapplication and touchups are also out of the question, because once this eyeliner is dry, which is immediately, it will not allow for changes.

After the ordeal that was applying this liner, it did hold up well underwater, with no smudging or thinning in sight. So if you’re someone who can apply their eyeliner in one fell swoop with absolutely no errors, then this is perfect for all of your underwater summer activities. However, if you have a low pain tolerance and/or require more than sixty seconds to apply your eyeliner, perhaps this isn’t for you.

What to take away from this experience 

Eye makeup is important. No matter what time of year it is we should be afforded the opportunity to wear it as we please, no matter the environmental circumstance. Luckily, there are products out there that allow us the luxury of both looking great and having a good time in the summer; and while there are some dud products out there, looking at you Smashbox, there are also some really effective and relatively affordable ones available.

So layer on that eye makeup, because you can slay and have the perfect beach day all at the same time.