Emerald Fennell’s indie box office hit Saltburn has caused a tsunami wave of early 2000s nostalgia to hit the fashion and beauty world with a near zeitgeist-shifting force.
From mismatching glittery ensembles, drop shoulder t-shirts and denim shorts to perfectly tousled hair and an overwhelming aroma of hairspray and cigarettes, the Noughties were characterised by a distinct Party Girl aesthetic. A far cry from the athleisure-wearing, Stanley Cup-toting #CleanGirl trend sweeping TikTok as of late, Indie Sleaze – as it is so affectionately referred to – has been threatening to make a significant comeback since 2022.
However, it’s Alison Oliver’s character Venetia from the carnivalesque satire of the English aristocracy who has catalysed the re-emergence of one particular ‘00s beauty trend. No, it’s not bleached hair and an aggressively blotchy fake tan – but rather the infamous smudged eyeliner look.
Whether intentionally crafted with meticulous care or simply the result of a sweaty night out, smudged eyeliner immediately evokes a sense of cool no matter the context. A signature glam for Kate Moss in both editorial shoots and on her Glastonbury weekends back in the day, recreating the effortlessly chic aesthetic as a non-supermodel is not as effortless as it appears.
What’s the difference between kajal and kohl eyeliner?
Effy Stoneham from Skins and Alexa Chung during her “I’m with the band” years likely wouldn’t have stepped foot out of the door without a kohl eyeliner in tow. A staple of 2010s beauty, kohl eyeliner has been used since the Ancient Egyptians. After all, Cleopatra’s iconic winged eyeliner wasn’t natural.
Highly pigmented with a smooth, creamy consistency, kohl eyeliner is used to create the smudged effect. ‘Kajal’ is merely an alternative etymology for kohl deriving from South Asia.
We highly recommend going for a silky smooth option which has a blending tool on the flipside for easy touch-ups on the go, as these eyeliners tend to have that satin, smooth and smudgeable finish.
Keep scrolling for a selection of the best creamy eyeliners for a perfectly smudged look.
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Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner
Victoria Beckham’s eponymous beauty line is putting luxury into your makeup bag with an emphasis on performance. The entire range uses transparent, cruelty-free ingredients that are designed to be kind to the skin and pack a real punch - as is perfectly demonstrated by the Satin Kajal Liner.
The first thing we noticed about the liner is the incredible texture of the product. It has a super soft creamy consistency. It sweeps onto the lid with ease and stays firmly in place all day long. It’s waterproof and is made up of a soothing and hydrating combination of chamomile extract, plant-derived vitamin B5 and vitamin E to protect against environmental aggressors and fortify the delicate periorbital area.
While the classic black is a staple, the Bordeaux hue is surprisingly versatile.
Buy now £30.00, Victoria Beckham
Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencil
Though not available in a traditional matte black hue, Charlotte Tilbury’s iconic colour chameleon eyeshadow pencil is a fantastically versatile beauty tool to add to your arsenal. No matter the colour of your eyes, the cult makeup label has developed a shade designed to make your irises pop as though by magic. For instance, Bronzed Garnet and Amythest Aphrodisiac are designed to make green eyes shine like emeralds.
Even though the jumbo pencil is technically supposed to double up as an eyeshadow, its glittery, creamy consistency and unbeatably smooth application make it a brilliant smudgeable eyeliner. The easy-glide formula and soft-focus effect are aided by powdered synthetic sapphire.
Buy now £23.00, Space NK
Sisley Paris Phyto Eye Twist
The glittery pigmentation of Sisley-Paris’ Phyto-Eye Twist jumbo pencil is simply unmatched. Designed to be an all-in-one shadow, eyeliner and pencil, the eyewatering price is justified by its ultra-long-lasting formula and multi-use nature.
The jumbo tip makes application easier than ever, while green tea, camellia and white lily extracts provide sumptuous and all-natural softness for impeccable blending.
Buy now £42.00, Space NK
Beauty Pie Supercolour Kohl
Beauty Pie describes the brand’s best-selling Supercolour Kohl as being, “For natural and smudgy-sexy definition” – and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
It is defined by its hyper-pigmented, long-stay formula and excellent smudge-ability during application. This is paired with a smudge-proof effect when dry, so you truly can’t go wrong with this value-for-money piece of kit. It’s available in soft black and dark brown. The smudge tool on the opposite end of the pencil makes for a practical touch.
Buy now £7.50, Beauty Pie
Chanel Stylo Ombre et Contour
Nothing feels quite as luxurious as designer makeup, so long as it's effective. Thankfully, the three-in-one Stylo Ombre et Contour by Chanel will certainly satisfy those looking for a jumbo kohl eyeliner without glitter.
Highly saturated pigment meets excellent smudge-ability in this brilliant eyeliner, which doesn’t fade while you’re blending out. For a true kohl effect, Chanel suggests applying the tip of the pen to the eye contour, or the inside of the lower lash line.
Buy now £32.00, Fenwick
Natasha Denona Macro Tech eye crayon
Say goodbye to unwanted smudges and wave hello to meticulously crafted blurred wings thanks to Natasha Denona’s Macro Tech eye crayon. You’ll be using this sharpenable pencil right down to the nib due to its breathtaking pigmentation and water resistance – making it the perfect tool for sculpting a dramatic, Cleopatra-inspired makeup look.
Buy now £22.00, Selfridges
Lancôme Le Stylo Waterproof
Available in ‘noir intense’ and ‘chocolat’, this natural-hued and blendable eyeliner is crafted from a seamless, buttery formula which promotes easy application without the loss of pigment.
One lookfantastic reviewer commented on how this eyeliner fades off beautifully without resulting in panda eyes. Now that’s something we can get behind. The buffer tool makes creating a smokey eye look easier than ever.
Buy now £25.00, lookfantastic
Shiseido Kajal InkArtist
Inspired by the kajal used in Ancient Japan, this extra bold eyeliner has a long-lasting formula – 12 hours long, to be exact – and comes with a detachable sharpener for ensuring your wings are always perfectly formed. The sharpener itself also has a sponge attachment for blending out your wings to create a sultry eye look.
Buy now £27.00, Shiseido
Pat McGrath Labs Velvet Kohl Eyeliner
Makeup frankly doesn’t get more professional yet entirely accessible than Pat McGrath Labs. We love the jumbo shape of this Xtreme Black eyeliner which makes it especially easy to handle when drawing delicate lines.
Complete with a practical built-in sharpener, the Velvet Kohn Eyeliner offers an unbeatable combination of rich pigmentation and near-effortless blendability. While we wish it came with a sponge attachment, an index finger or fluffy brush will most definitely do the trick.
Buy now £34.00, Sephora UK
Makeup By Mario Master Pigment Pro Pencil
With Kim Kardashian as his muse, Mario Dedivanovic is one of the best-known and beloved makeup artists in the world. His cosmetics label – named after his Instagram handle that boasts almost 14 million followers – has turned his many years of expertise and experience into easy-to-use products that make it more foolproof than ever to achieve his signature looks. Case in point: the Master Pigment Pro Pencil.
On the one end is an ultra-pigmented pencil with a soft gel-like formula that glides effortlessly onto lids without dragging, imparting colour as it goes. Once dried, it’s locked in place for the foreseeable.
The other head holds a brush designed to help create blended-out looks in a precise way. So whether you want to create clean, crisp straight lines or smoky looks, opt for or against the bristles to smudge out the velvety texture.
It comes with a sharpener included as well as a cleaning stick to remove shavings.
Buy now £26.00, Sephora
Maybelline Tattoo Liner Smokey Gel Pencil Black
We had high hopes for Maybelline’s Tattoo Liner. The name implies an unparalleled level of staying power and gladly, we weren’t disappointed. No needles involved, the Tattoo pencil keeps bold liner looks in place for up to 36 hours, according to the brand. The pigmented soft pencil goes on easily and has a good amount of payoff.
This is Maybelline’s first blendable liner and it comes equipped with a smudging brush on the other end, which makes the often complicated process of creating a smoky eye easier than ever.
Buy now £6.99, Boots
Clinique Quickliner for Eyes
With the more precise nib of Clinique’s liner, the possibilities are endless. You can use at the lash line to give the impression of thicker and fuller lashes, the waterline for wide-eyed appeal, winged with a graphic design and the creamy formula and accompanying smudge-tip will give you the ability to soften the hue for that coveted smokey look. The formula glides on without tugging, while the colour will stand the test of time. It’s also self-sharpening.
Buy now £18.70, Boots
