10 Best Tried and True Japanese Waterproof Eyeliners in 2023 (Hair and Makeup Artist-Reviewed)

Major affordable cosmetics brand Cezanne's Gel Eyeliner is formulated to also be used as an eyeshadow by rubbing it on. The tip is a little firm, but the cap is easy to remove, which is great in terms of application.

We could draw a strong, vivid line without smudging or clumping. It was also easy to draw even delicate lines such as at the crease and corner of the eyes. In addition, the product hit a perfect score for its smudge resistance. The color did not come off at all even when we rubbed it with water and oil. So even there would be little need to reapply when you are at the beach or pool.

When it was time to take it off, the eyeliner was also easy to remove with a gel or oil makeup remover. It’s a great product that offers a steady color, is smudge resistant, and is easy to take off.

Rare Fit Gel Pencil from Kate claims to be smudge resistant to sebum and rubbing. The product was hard to remove with water and gel makeup removers, but it easily came off with an oil remover.

It would be hard to correct the line when you have a mishap, but it has a smooth application.
The feel of the product was on average but it scored higher points for its smudge resistance. In addition to the fact that there was no smudging after spraying water and oil, the color did not fade even after rubbing it off. So it is great for the hay fever season when you would touch your eyes a lot.

It was easy to draw a delicate line from the inner corner to the outer corner of the eye, and the intense color made the eye to stand out. It dries quickly and doesn’t budge or transfer color so it is great for those with monolids or hooded eyes.

IBERIS PMEL’s Cream Shadow Liner features three colors with subtle, natural tones. The color faded when we rubbed it with water and oil, but didn’t come off easy when we rubbed it with a soft pressure, so we gave it an average score for smudge resistance.

Although we can’t deny that the color had clumps and some fell off, it had a smooth application and was easy to blend. There was also no budging, smearing or color transfer when blinking. In addition, the deep brown color we used for the test was great for highlighting the eye contour while creating a softer look. We could easily remove the liner with a little blending with any types of removers, making it suitable for those with sensitive skin.

Bandai's Creer Beaute Rose of Versailles features a 1.5mm gel barrel. The product also contains nine beautifying ingredients, providing eye care. When removing it, make sure to use an oil remover, since oil cleansers were the best at removing this product.

While some may not appreciate how once the pencil core is pushed out of the barrel it can't be retracted, it was easy to grip despite the barrel being quite thin. We also loved how when applying, the eyeliner felt smooth on the skin with minimal friction.

It is resistant to water, oil, and friction, so you can rest asured you won't have to worry about smudging. In terms of the finish, we couldn't draw as straight of a line as we'd have liked. However, it had a solid, rich color, so we gave it an average score.

Integrate's Snipe Gel Liner is formulated to be resistant to sebum and features an ultra-fine 2mm core. The vibrancy of the color wasn't as intense, which some may appreciate, but it adheres to the skin well and is easy to draw thin lines, which earned high scores in terms of finish.

Our testers liked how the gel wasn’t sticky at all and had a smooth feel, its retractable core, and its tightly closing cap. 

In our smudge resistance test, we found that it withstood everything we threw at it, refusing to come off with oil, water, and friction. This waterproof eyeliner would be great not only for those with oily skin or in the summer, but also for those who have allergies and tend to rub their eyes frequently.

Imju’s Déjà Vu Lasting Fine Cream Pencil features an ultra-fine oval barrel and is formulated to be resistant to sebum, sweat, tears, and friction. While we found that this product wasn't as strong against friction as the manufacturer claims, we did confirm that it can withstand water and oil, so we gave it an average score.

This product allowed us to confidently draw fine lines all the way to the outer corners of the eyes, We also found that the lighter color of the product added a subtle amount of definition to our eyes. Our testers liked the fact that you can retract the core, as well as how smooth it felt to apply, earning it a high score in our feel test. 

When it came time to remove, this eyeliner took some time to remove with a water cleanser, but it worked great with gel and oil cleansers, coming off almost completely with just a light sweep.

CAMMAKE’s Creamy Touch Liner features an ultra-fine 1.5mm barrel and it claims to be hard to remove once it dries and adheres to the skin. While it didn’t smear, the fact that the tip bended easily while drawing was a major downside, so we gave it a low score in terms of application.

Despite the product labeling says "intense color," the color actually wasn’t very intense, but since there were no problems with overall coloring, we kept an average score for the finish of the product. But the color almost never faded when we rubbed it with water and oil so the eyeliner scored higher points in terms of removal. It is not only resistant to sweat, tears, and sebum, but we would also recommend it for those who touch their eyes often. It didn’t come off easily with a water-type makeup remover, but worked with gel and oil removers with careful blending.

CAROME. Liquid Eyeliner from I-ne, produced by model Akemi Darenogare, claims to stay on for long hours but is also easy to remove. Although it didn’t smudge even when we rubbed it with oil, the color faded when we rubbed it with water, so we gave it a low score in the smudge test.

However, we gave it high scores in terms of the finish, easy removal, and feel of the product. The fact that the cap was tight and needed to add pressure to open could be a negative point for some, but the brush was moderately firm and had a gentle feel against the skin. The color was deep and we could draw a nice, delicate line to the outer corner of the eye and it matched well with the skin. We also liked how it was removable with all types of makeup removers by easy blending.

Stage Liner from Sanzen comes with two different textures of blacks; with and without shine. All the testers gave low scores in terms of application as the liquid came out too much and it was hard to adjust the drips. So we would say it is not for easy everyday use.

The deepness and vividness of the color were more than enough, but the liquid dripped and stuck to the corners of the eyes. It was just not easy to draw a clean line so it scored low in the finish test as well. However, the product received a perfect score in the smudge resistance and removal tests. The color did not fade at all even when we rubbed it while covered in water and oil. It was hard to remove with oil makeup remover, but it came off easily with water and gel types.

K-Palette Real Strong Eyeliner 24hWP from Cuore claims to be resistant to sebum and rubbing. It also contains beauty ingredients. The eyeliner was hard to remove with all types of makeup removers and we also had to blend them in hard to take it off so we gave them a low score in the removal test.

On the other hand, it earned a perfect score in terms of finish of the product. The color was glossy and rich, and we could draw delicate lines without smearing. The weight of the product makes it easy to grip, the brush is flexible, and the cap closes securely. In the smudge resistance test, the color faded when we rubbed it after spraying water, but perfectly stayed on with oil, so we gave it an OK score. The color won’t come off as long as you don’t rub it too much.