These Oil-Free Eyeliners Won’t Mess Up Your Lash Extensions

Best Oil-Free Eyeliners

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Having long, voluminous lashes all day every day is acheivebale with eyelash extensions. But they come with a string. You can’t wear just any eyeliner with them because most eyeliners break the glue in the eyelash extensions. This causes fall-outs and makes lash maintenance very difficult. Oil-free eyeliners, on the other hand, offer the perfect remedy.

They don’t mess up your eyelash extensions. You can do whatever eye makeup look you want without worrying about hurting your extensions. But that’s not all. Oil-free eyeliners offer additional benefits too.

Unless they’re waterproof, they’re much easier to remove and wash away as they tend to be water-based. That means it doesn’t take too much rubbing to take off your eyeliner. And that’s perfect for people like me with sensitive eyes.

Before diving in, here are a few things to keep in mind. Know that there are different types of eyeliners like gel, liquid, pencil, and kohl. Among these, liquid eyeliners are the safest if you’re wearing extensions.

Kohl or creamy formulas usually contain oils or some kind of wax, which gives them that easy glide but again, they can damage your extensions.

You’ll also see that oil-free eyeliners are not as available as oil-based options. Because even if they keep out the oils, they usually put in some kind of oil-based substance to create that gliding, creamy effect in the eyeliner.

But no worries, you only need one good oil-free eyeliner. Whether you’re wearing falsies or not, find below the best oil-free eyeliners.

Best Oil-Free Eyeliners

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Liner

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Liner - Best Oil-Free Eyeliner

This one by Anastasia Beverly Hills is a hit. It’s a water-based liquid eyeliner with a matte finish. The felt-tip applicator on this eyeliner is the most convenient when you have eyelash extensions or false lashes. Your fingers have enough distance from your eyelashes. But the tip is precise enough to give you full control over how you draw your lines. It’s water-resistant and doesn’t bleed and it stays put.

Size: 0.08 oz/2.4 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, vegan

2. Shiseido MicroLiner Ink Eyeliner

Shiseido MicroLiner Ink Eyeliner -  Best Oil-Free Eyeliner

If you prefer pencil eyeliner rather than liquid, you can try this one. It’s an oil-free retractable eyeliner pencil that makes the application very precise. It has 5 shades with a matte finish. When you want to have full control over your eyeliner, this “micro liner” is the best. It has the tiniest tip and it’s perfect for soft, thin applications when you just want to define your eyes. You can thicken your eyeliner as much as you want without needing any do-overs. Plus, if you’re into colored options, try their burgundy eyeliner for a stunning look.

Size: 0.002 oz/0.08 gr
Good To Know: Fragrance-free

3. Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - Best Drugstore Oil-Free Eyeliner

Gel liners are more cost-effective compared to liquid ones. But they require more expertise. So keep that in mind. Maybelline’s Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner is one of the best oil-free drugstore eyeliners. The texture of the liner is perfect for creating both soft and bold looks. However, the brush that comes with the product may be disappointing for eyelash extensions. Even though the gel is oil-free, the bristles on the brush require a good amount of product and multiple strokes. This may cause fallouts. The creamy texture is an amazing deep black. Use a different brush for sharper looks.

Size: 0.11 oz
Good To Know: Suitable for sensitive eyes

4. KVD Beauty Tattoo Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner -  Best Oil-Free Eyeliners

Water-proof eyeliners are usually not the best option to wear with eyelash extensions. Because you tend to rub your eyelids to remove them and it may cause fallouts. But sometimes a long-lasting cat-eye is more important than your extensions. This is a best-seller liquid oil-free eyeliner by Kat Von D! The thin brush of Tattoo Liner gives enough control to line your eyes when you have eyelash extensions. With or without the extensions, the eyeliner is beginner-friendly. Even with hooded eyelids, this one doesn’t need any pulling or tugging. It’s waterproof and comes in brown too.

Size: 0.019 oz/0.55 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

5. Fenty Flyliner Longwear Liquid Eyeliner

Fenty Flyliner Longwear Liquid Eyeliner - Best Oil-Free Eyeliners

Even though this one does not claim to be oil-free, this is an overall easy-to-use option. Flyliner is a long-wear, silky-finish liquid eyeliner that’s completely fade-proof. The color stays on beautifully throughout the day even when it’s humid. With the easy felt-tip applicator, you can create precise and sharp looks. The tip glides on the lash line without causing any irritation whatsoever to your extensions.

Size: 0.019 oz/0.55 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free

This concludes our round-up of the best oil-free eyeliners you can comfortably use with your lash extensions. If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, here’s how to find one.

How To Choose an Oil-Free Eyeliner

First of all, if you’re going to use your eyeliner for eyelash extensions, you need to make sure that the product claims it’s oil-free or at least water-based. Though water-based doesn’t necessarily mean oil-free, it usually means the water content is more prominent.

Additionally, some eyeliners are actually oil-free but don’t claim to be. The reason probably has something to do with liability. Some thickeners may qualify as oils. So I assume that brands, especially makeup brands, usually stay away from oil-free claims.

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Read Next: The Best Drugstore Waterproof Eyeliners

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