Why does it only happen on one eye?

Usually because one eye is slightly hooded or sits a little differently, so the lid makes contact where the other does not. Nothing is wrong; it just means that eye needs the thinner line.

Does setting powder under the eye help?

A little, and it catches fallout more than it stops transfer. The lid is where the liner is coming from, so that is where the powder does more.

Is gel or liquid better?

Liquid sets harder and moves less. Gel is easier to smudge deliberately, which is exactly why it smudges accidentally.

The answer

My eyeliner smudges under my eyes

Liner that ends up under the eye by midday usually started on the upper lid and printed there — every blink presses the upper lash line against the skin below it, and anything still wet, oily or unset transfers. So the answer is on the lid rather than under the eye: a primer or a dusting of powder to take the oil, a formula that sets rather than stays creamy, and no eye cream applied immediately before. If it is genuinely coming from the lower lash line, that is a different fix — a waterproof formula, and less of it.

What answers it

Rare BeautyPerfect Strokes matte liquid linerA matte liquid sets and stays where it is put, which is the property that matters here — a creamy pencil is the formula most likely to print.Buy on Amazon
BenefitThe POREfessional face primerThe lid is the oiliest small area on the face. A primer that grips makeup is what stops the liner floating on it.Buy on Amazon
Urban DecayAll Nighter setting spraySetting spray at the end holds everything that has already set. It cannot fix liner that never set, which is why it comes last rather than instead.Buy on Amazon
IliaLimitless Lash mascaraSometimes the smudge is mascara rather than liner. A lengthening formula for sensitive eyes deposits less on the lower lashes, which is where the transfer starts.Buy on Amazon

Prices live on Amazon, where they change hourly — so we never quote one. Every product here is a brand we would name out loud.

Blot the lid before anything goes on it

Press a tissue over the closed lid and lashes before liner. It takes off the oil and any eye cream that has not absorbed, and it is the single step that changes the most for people whose liner is gone by lunch. Eye cream and eyeliner want opposite things from the same square inch of skin.

Thin lines print less than thick ones

The amount of product is the amount available to transfer. A line kept tight to the lash roots has almost nothing standing proud of the lid to press downward, while a thick wing has plenty. If a wing is the look, let it dry completely before opening the eye — most transfer happens in the first minute.

Waterproof solves it and costs something

It genuinely does not move, and it needs an oil cleanser to come off, which is more friction on the thinnest skin on the face. Worth it for a long day or a wedding; a heavier daily habit than most eyes want.

Questions

Why does it only happen on one eye?: Usually because one eye is slightly hooded or sits a little differently, so the lid makes contact where the other does not. Nothing is wrong; it just means that eye needs the thinner line.
Does setting powder under the eye help?: A little, and it catches fallout more than it stops transfer. The lid is where the liner is coming from, so that is where the powder does more.
Is gel or liquid better?: Liquid sets harder and moves less. Gel is easier to smudge deliberately, which is exactly why it smudges accidentally.

Your turn

What should we dress next?

An occasion you cannot find anything for, or a product you want us to look at properly.