Best Eye Brightener Pencils for Fresh Doe Eyes

Brighten those eyes and fake some sleep with just a few strokes of an eyeliner.

We love playing with makeup, but there are just some days where it seems to work against us. Those eye bags may refuse to be covered up, or your eyeliner might just make you look even more tired and panda-eyed. That’s when less means more. Instead of piling on more layers of makeup, it might be more productive for you to stick to subtle tricks to perk up your complexion. That’s where an eye brightener pencil comes in handy. An eye brightener pencil works to define your eyes naturally and make them look brighter. They add a spark to your complexion and help you look more well-rested than you actually are. Here are the best eye brightener pencils, and handy ways to get the most use out of them.

Best eye brightener pencils

Eye brightener pencils are typically used near your lash line or waterline. This creates more dimension in your eyes, and also adds the illusion of brighter and more awake eyes. But imagine accidentally getting some eyeliner into your eyes and tearing up over the irritation. A red bleary eye is definitely not the look we’re going for. That’s why you’ll want to select an eyeliner with eye-safe ingredients.

The skin around your eyes is extra delicate and more prone to wear and tear. Treat it with natural nourishing ingredients, and you’ll be rewarded with a more healthier, youthful look. We’ve taken extra care in selecting these eye brightener pencils to make sure they’re free of harsh synthetic ingredients that can make your efforts backfire.

Swipe-On Essential Eye Pencil from Au Naturale
Cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free
Here’s a beauty must-have you’ll always want to keep in your purse. For a brightening effect, choose the shade Carrara that’s a beautiful marble white. Thanks to the jojoba oil and castor oil, this eyeliner goes on creamy soft and is easily blendable too for the most natural look. Or you can easily sharpen the pencil and go for a more defined statement look.

Bright Eyes Creamy Long Last Liner from 100% Pure
Cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free
You won’t have to worry about getting this eyeliner up close and personal with your lash line. It’s packed with nourishing plant oils that make for smooth, precise application while also soothing your delicate eye area. Plus, it contains vitamin E to help nourish and repair. Bonus: use it under your eye shadow to boost color payoff and make it last longer!

Magical Multi-Pencil Prime & Line Lips Eyes & Face from Pacifica
Cruelty-free, vegan
A pencil so magical, you can use it on your whole face, including on your lips. That’s how healthy the ingredients are. This pencil is waterproof, so feel free to apply it on your eyes when you know you’re out for a sweaty time in the sun. Pacifica recommends using it as an eyeliner, concealer, or lip liner.

Zuzu Luxe Eyeliner from Gabriel Cosmetics
Cruelty-free
Some days are a drag, but not this eyeliner. This ultra smooth formula in Pure White glides smoothly without tugging on delicate skin. It’s perfect to brighten up the corner of your eyes, but we’d love to use it to line and highlight our peepers too. Contains sea fennel extract and jojoba seed oil to hydrate and soothe your skin.

Organic Eyeliner – White from Zao Organic Makeup
Cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free
Do you wear contact lens? Don’t let that stop you from rocking your eyeliner. This formula is made for sensitive eyes and skin, and is especially ideal for contact lens wearers. It contains shea butter that’s soft and soothing on skin, and makes for seamless application along the lower lash line and inner corners of your eyes.

Certified Organic Eyeliner from Inika Organic
CCPB certified organic, cruelty-free, vegan
This eyeliner may be soft on your eyes, but it offers all the drama you could possibly want with your eye makeup. It has a creamy soft consistency thanks to the organic coconut oil that also soothes and nourishes eyes. Feel free to apply it even between your lashes, as this eye pencil is certified organic and gentle on sensitive skin. We suggest choosing the shade White Crystal for a brightening effect.

How to use an eye brightening pencil

1. Start with a clean canvas

This is a necessary first step for any makeup routine, even if you’re a minimalist. Wash your face with a cleanser, and be sure to end with a moisturizer too. This prevents against clogged pores and infection, and promotes smoother and longer lasting makeup.

2. Apply any face coverage makeup

Apply your foundation, BB cream, concealer, whatever you like to use in your regular routine. But the great thing about eye brightening pencils is that they can go it solo in a natural no-makeup look!

3. Apply any other eye makeup

For the most impact, finish applying your eye makeup (other than your mascara!) first before adding the final touch with your eye pencil. This ensures that it won’t get lost among the other colors. Touch up those brows first too so you’re not accidentally smudging anything below.

4. Brighten inner corners

Your eye pencil doesn’t have to be super sharp for this, but do make sure it has a defined point that’s able to create a line. For the most natural look, we recommend focusing on the inner corners of your eyes. Outline your tear duct with your pencil in a sideways V-shape. Make sure to stop short of the bridge of the nose. This will make your eyes appear brighter and larger.

5. Brighten lower waterline

For a fresh doe-eyed look, you can also take your eyeliner and apply it along your waterline (or lower lash line). Make sure to do this gently for the most natural look. Start after your tear duct, and draw along your waterline until you reach halfway. This look will really stand out with some black eyeliner on your upper lash line and mascara!

6. Follow with the rest of your makeup

Now’s your time to apply that coat of mascara. We suggest keeping the rest of your makeup low key so your fresh doe eyes can really shine in the spotlight.

With a nifty eye brightening pencil, you can easily elevate your makeup look. Just make sure to select one with healthy, soothing ingredients and take care to remove your makeup at night before you get to bed. Practice applying it for the smoothest, most natural look, or add it to your nighttime look for some extra drama. You’ll soon get the hang of this useful beauty hack! Do you have any extra tricks for using your eye brightening pencil?