I was once somebody who would rarely stray from my black liner, but the best brown eyeliner now regularly features in my make-up bag. Much like the best brown mascaras, this shade has grown in popularity as an alternative that can be a little less dramatic for everyday wear.
Make-up artist and podcast host Rose Gallagher tells me that she thinks it’s a simple case of knowledge is power. "The 2010s, in particular, were this period where we all learned make-up from home, it was like the rise of the content creator, the YouTuber, [etc]. So now that we have more access to information, and also I think we have more access to people creating make-up looks that we take inspiration from—it makes sense that more people are reaching for different [options].”
Rose goes on to say that, with brown eye make-up, “You get all of the definition and all of the crispness and the boldness of your mascara and liner but in a slightly softer way.” Because it’s perceived as being less intimidating and more wearable, she notes that brown is often seen as a make-up “safe space”—however, she doesn’t think it’s as soft as people may assume. "I think that a lot of it is the power of the mind; you don’t feel as frightened to go in with a brown so you maybe go a bit harder with your make-up that day," she adds.
How to choose the best brown eyeliner to suit you
I wholeheartedly believe that you should wear whatever make-up colours you love best and that make you feel 10/10—but if you want to know which shade of brown will really compliment your eye colour, Rose has shared some insights with me.
“Let’s just say that, as a general rule, hot and cold are opposites,” she explains. “If you have cooler-toned eye colours like a cool blue or even a cooler undertone of brown, then warmer browns are going to look good for you—think the coppery family, like a two pence piece kind of colour. If you have those warmer tones in your eyes, maybe like a warm hazel, or to an extent green is quite a warm-ish colour, I would say, they can often respond well to cooler browns—things like your mahoganies. They will help to make each other brighter.”
You can also choose between matte and shimmer finishes. “Matte liners are going to look really bold, hard, defined and prominent,” Rose explains. “Shimmers are like the perfect gateway into any liner, but particularly brown, because you can smudge them out and soften them. They don’t leave a harsh line because they reflect the light. A great way to be able to pop your eye colour in a soft way [is] a brown shimmer that is either coppery to bring out the cool eyes, or flatter but still shimmery to bring out the warms.”
If you’re yet to add a brown liner to your make-up collection, below I’ve handpicked some of the best buys in both gel and kohl pencil form to help you find a new staple.
Best brown eyeliners 2024
1. Charlotte Tilbury Rock 'n' Kohl Pencil in Barbarella Brown
This is a classic brown liner that I know fellow beauty editors love. It’s a dark and smokey brown shade that adds drama, and the creamy pencil glides over the eye without dragging or catching. It defines the eyes well and there’s a little time for blending before it sets in place.
2. Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner in Cocoa
The best Victoria Beckham Beauty products are undoubtedly luxurious and the Satin Kajal Liner in Cocoa is a brilliant brown. It’s another that glides seamlessly with rich colour payoff and a little time to smudge before it sets down. There’s also a built-in smudging tool at the other end of the pencil, which instantly softens and diffuses the formula.
3. MAC Colour Excess Gel Pencil in Graphic Content
With such a huge range of eye make-up products in so many shades, you can trust MAC to have good brown liner options. A more recent addition to the range, the Colour Excess Pencils are great for long-lasting wear and there are a few different brown shades on offer. They can be smudged a little when you first apply but are particularly good for creating crisp, solid lines.
4. KVD Beauty Tattoo Pencil Liner in Pyrolusite Brown
KVD Beauty’s Tattoo Liner Pen is an iconic product and regarded as one of the best liquid eyeliners—and more recently pencils joined its ranks. There are a few different brown shades to choose from, including the flatter and cooler Pyrolusite Brown to the warmer Axinite or Tiger Eye Brown. It’s not quite as smudgy as some other buys but, most importantly, this pencil counterpart lives up to its non-budge reputation.
5. Fenty Beauty Flypencil Longwear Pencil Eyeliner in In Big Truffle
This was in my everyday make-up bag for a long time as it’s a great rich brown shade that, in my opinion, goes with nearly everything. The formula is waterproof and it creates a nice defined line that manages to be both matte and intense but not harsh.
6. Glossier No.1 Pencil in Frame
Glossier’s No.1 Pencil manages to be both nice and smudgy initially, if that’s the look you’re going for, but is very smudge-resistant once it’s dry, making it pretty versatile. Overall, there is a great range of colours to choose from, though they are all matte rather than having some shimmery options, too—but all in all, it's a great pencil.
7. Peaches & Cream Sphinx Eyeliner
These pencils are recommended by Rose, who notes that there’s a great selection of matte and shimmer browns to choose from. “They are so creamy, they’re very affordable [and] they’re the kind of liners that you have a lot of play time with before they dry,” she says. “They’re honestly my favourite eyeliner pencils, they’re fantastic.”
9. e.l.f. No Budge Precision Eyeliner in Cream
If you haven't come across e.l.f. before, it's the beauty editor-approved brand that delivers incredible products at even more incredible low prices. This £5 eyeliner is Marie Claire Senior Beauty Editor, Katie Thomas's favourite. "The shade that I love it called Cream - not exactly the most brown sounding name, but bare with me. It's more of a really light beige, rather than a yellowy toned white. I use it on a bare eye to make my blue eyes stand out. It also brightens my often sleepy eyes."
9. Huda Beauty Creamy Kohl Longwear Eye Pencil in Very Brown
Another of Katie's choices is the Huda Beauty Creamy Kohl Longwear Eye Pencil, which launched last year. "If I'm honest, I don't wear eyeliner very often but when I do it's to pull an eye look together. This mainly happens when I've done my make-up for an occasion - like a party, wedding or work event. My go-to eye shadow shade is rose gold, which works perfectly with this very brown eyeliner. It goes on really well - so doesn't interfere with the eyeshadow - and helps define my eye. It lasts and lasts and lasts too, which is ideal."
