When Victoria Beckham launched her eponymous beauty brand at London Fashion Week back in 2019, she unveiled products to recreate her hallmark eye look.
The ‘Smokey Eye Wardrobe’ consisted of the Eye Brick eyeshadow palette, the crystal-inspired Lid Lustre shadows and the Satin Kajal Liners that, when combined, provided the tools to mimic her brown-toned smudged-out signature.
While the trio was met with praise across the board, it was the latter liner that quickly emerged as the stand-out.
What the former Spice Girl created with this makeup bag staple was a fool-proof, high-performance and premium formulation that required no skill to impart the rich, creamy pigment onto the lids.
@victoriabeckham TIME TO SPARKLE! ✨ There are a few ways that you can wear GOLD LAME, you can blend it out for a subtle touch of glitter, or layer on top of another shade, I like to wear it on top of Cocoa to transform my matte brown smokey eye with a wash of gold foil effect. Now I need an invite to a Holiday party!! xx Available now at VictoriaBeckhamBeauty.com or at 36 Dover Street.
♬ original sound - Victoria Beckham
The buttery soft texture applies with no snagging, making it easier than ever to create dramatic eye looks – and crucially, have them match. But it wasn’t just the liner itself that sent TikTok creators into overdrive.
@victoriabeckham It’s a Satin Kajal summer! Thank you @Mary Phillips for these useful tips with my favourite everyday shade, Cocoa xx VB
♬ original sound - Victoria Beckham
The premium product has the shade on one side and a buffer on the other so you can blend it out for VB’s smoky eye or a dramatic winged flick with ease. In short order of applying the pigment, using the brush end, you can blend out onto the crease and then it locks in place with real lasting power.
@tashimrod I can’t get over how The Satin Kajal Jewel Liners from @victoriabeckham just glide right on and don’t budge once they’re on. #LessonsInLiner AD
♬ Garden - 3scope
And then there’s the colourway. Sure, Night Flash (a silver sparkle black) and Bronze (a brown shimmer) are Studio 54-ready and universally appealing, but the Bordeaux (a burgundy hue) is equally as sought-after and surprisingly wearable, while the same is true for the vivid Fig (aubergine) and Olive (forest green). These are liners calling for you to get creative and redefine the term ‘neutral’.
The only downside? The price tag. Costing £30 a pop, we wondered if it was possible to get the same punchy finish from other brands on the market – and at a fraction of the cost.
It was a tall order to rival that of one of the best eyeliners on the market, but these are the ones that can dupe the Satin Kajal Liners.
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NYX Professional Makeup Epic Wear Eyeliner Pencil Black
Don’t let the affordable price tag fool you, this is an eyeliner pencil worthy of your makeup collection. Whether you’re dipping in the pool, watching a real tear-jerker at the cinema or dancing the night away, this summer, sweat and tear-proof formula will sustain 36 hours without fading or evaporating.
Buy now £7.00, lookfantastic
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 easy 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
Makeup Revolution Streamline Waterline Eyeliner Pencil
Costing around the same as a tube journey, we are stocking up on the Makeup Revolution eyeliner in every shade – and what a selection there is. The brand has pigmented liners in an eclectic array of punchy neon shades, from fuchsia to teal, yellow to purple. The Streamline Waterline Eyeliner Pencil is also dual-ended, so you have the smudger on the other side for a seductive smoky eye.
Buy now £3.50, lookfantastic
Beauty Pie Ultra Colour Pro Gel Eyeliner (Stargazer)
Look to Beauty Pie for your glimmer liner fix. The direct-to-customer beauty label has created the Ultra Colour Pro Gel Eyeliner that the brand dubs to have NASA-level performance. There are five shimmer shades in purple, cobalt blue, bronze silver and copper as well as three neutral hues – all of which were created to stay put, offering a splash of colour with no reapplication necessary. The smooth texture puts the control in your hands and removes dragging from the equation.
Buy now £8.00, Beauty Pie
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 fool proof 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
KVD Beauty Tattoo Pencil Liner
We’ve long been a fan of KVD Beauty’s Tattoo Liner - a liquid liner that has the ability to create precise lines that last all day - and now it’s available in pencil form. With a gel texture, it gives an impressive colour pay-off that dries to a matte finish and has the same lasting power as you’d hope for a product with tattoo in it’s name. It comes in 10 shades.
Buy now £19.00, lookfantastic
Charlotte Tilbury Rock 'n' Kohl Eyeliner
Smouldering smokey eyes are just a flick of the wrist away. This aptly named eyeliner will bring the drama to your makeup looks with the retro appeal of the rock ages and will give Mick Jagger or the lads of Kiss a run for their money.
Outline the eyes with its formula that is about as close as you can get to liquid liner but is far more forgiving if you’re still finessing your application style. Crushed pearl powders infuse the liner with a subtle sheen, while the creamy texture packs it with rich pigment.
Buy now £22.00, Space NK
Hourglass Voyeur Waterproof Gel Eyeliner
The Hourglass Voyeur liner was designed with drawing fine lines in mind. The precision tip will allow you to get creative with your designs – as will the selection of four matte shades and a glitter hue. The long-wearing pencil provides up to 12 hours of staying power and is waterproof to boot. It doesn’t smudge or fade, instead locking in place with a smooth gel texture.
Buy now £28.00, Space NK
Laura Mercier Caviar Tightline Eyeliner
Laura Mercier’s Caviar eyeshadow sticks are cult for an effortless blended-out lid look with just a swipe of the pencil. The brand has brought the same creamy formula to eyeliner with this gel texture that can be applied on the lash, water and tightlines without budging or smudging. The product has been infused with hyaluronic acid, so it hydrates while it creates definition as well as skin-loving ceramides, triglycerides and antioxidant-rich Salicornia herbacea extract.
Buy now £22.00, Space NK
NATASHA DENONA Macro tech Eye Crayon
Natasha Denona’s Macro Tech Eye Crayon is often compared to that of Victoria Beckham, Pat McGrath and Charlotte Tilbury for its smooth application process. The butter soft texture glides onto the lids and then by calling on a smudger or fluffy brush, you can buff it out for a highly pigmented eye look. It has a matte finish and true staying power. A pro product from the pro label.
Buy now £22.00, Sephora
Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner
Victoria Beckham’s eponymous beauty line is putting luxury into your makeup mag 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