We’re Dropping Our Pencils and Liquids for This Eyeliner Formula

by Nurain Alicharan

Published Mar 27, 2024

Drop your pens and pencils—we’re going back to cake eye liners.

What is cake eye liner?

Like watercolor paints—cake eye liner is a dense, inky, water-activated powder that’s surprisingly simple and mess-free. The formula resembles pressed shadows, but when mixed with liquid, it turns into a creamy liquid liner.

Because of its unique formulation, it’s versatile and flexible, so you can go from precise tight lines to dramatic cat eyes in a snap. Plus, it dries to a matte finish with a long-lasting, smudge-proof wear—what’s not to love?

How to use cake eye liner?

Cake eye liner usually comes in a small pot, completely dry. To apply, simply take a precise eye brush, wet it with water so it’s slightly damp, and pat it on the formula to activate it. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can draw everything from precise tight lines to dramatic, graphic looks. The flexible formula lets you get creative with lines, swirls, whatever your heart desires—without compromising on performance.

First-hand experience with cake eye liner

To be honest, a water-activated formula that’s simple and easy to use just seemed too good to be true. While cake eye liner has been around for decades, the new-to-me formula sounded…intimidating, to say the least.

I decided to put MOB Beauty Cake Liner to the test, because as an added bonus, this formula is also clean, vegan, talc-free, and comes in a range of beautiful, wearable shades. I started by dampening the MOB 01 Brush with water, then gently dipped it in the liner pot. The square, thin brush edge picked up the perfect amount of product. I evenly applied it across my lash line by gently pressing it in. It also let me create the easiest, fastest wing at the end (!)

After some experimenting, I learned that you can play with the water-product ratio for the look you’re after—more water/less liner for a softer look or less water/more liner for a bolder, more pigmented look.

As promised, the formula stayed in place without any budging and easily wiped off with makeup remover. Sold. I’ve already traded my liquid and pencil liners for cake eye liner and don’t see myself going back any time soon.