I Never Thought I’d Feel This Way About Glossier’s New Eyeliner Pencils

In our series Trial Run, TZR editors and writers put the buzziest new beauty products to the test and share their honest reviews. This week, our beauty writer is testing the new Glossier No. 1 Pencil.

As a self-confessed colorful eyeliner connoisseur, I love nothing more than adding a pop of color to my eyes with a standout shade. Whether it’s a bright blue or pretty pink, I’m always up for getting experimental with looks. If you’re a lover of colorful eyeliners or even a beginner who's been on the hunt for easy-to-wear and unique shades, look no further than Glossier’s newest launch: the No. 1 Pencil.

Like many, I was sad when it was announced that Glossier Play would be discontinued. Glossier Play featured a sparkling mix of products including Colorslide, Glossier’s original eye pencils, all of which were vibrant and sparkly. “Our discontinued, original eye pencil, is now a reimagined version of a Glossier eyeliner, that keeps what we loved about our original and adds a little bit more, too,” said the brand in a recent press release. Thankfully, there’s no having to dwell on its discontinuation as the new launch is giving us everything we know and love and even more.

I decided to test out three different shades of the No. 1 Pencil over a long weekend that was jam-packed with karaoke, a Billie Eilish concert, and a wedding, so it’s safe to say I well and truly put these liners to the test. Read on for my honest thoughts.

Fast Facts

• Price: $16
• Best for: Adding a pop of color to any look
• Your rating: 5/5
• Clean/Cruelty-Free? Yes
• What we like: It’s long-lasting, full of pigment and has filled the Colorslide hole in my heart.
• What we don’t like: That 10 shades just aren’t enough? *just kidding slightly* more colors in the future would be amazing.

What I Look For In A Colorful Eyeliner

My days of thick black eyeliner are long behind me and I’m now all about color. When it comes to a colorful liner I’m always on the hunt for a crayon kohl texture as the majority that I’ve tried have been creamy and glide onto the eyes with ease for targeted application. Whereas I’ve found that a lot of the liquid-based eyeliners I’ve used in the past have smudged quite easily, and often there isn’t much in terms of variety of color. Overall, I prefer the feel of a pencil or crayon over a felt tip liner option — the latter just has to have color payoff and last throughout the day.

The Glossier No. 1 Pencil

Priced at $16 each, the No. 1 Pencil is available in 10 shades which are all vegan and cruelty-free. Each shade is a demi-matte, which I understand to be in between a dewy and matte finish. According to Glossier, “the shades are inspired by the archives of art history — materials, mediums, pigments, styles, and tools seen across painting, pottery, sculpture, and architecture.”

Glossier boast the liners as being water-resistant, transfer-resistant, buildable, and long-wearing for up to 12 hours. “Anyone can pull off a colored eyeliner, it's about how you feel rather than if it 'suits you' or not,” says makeup artist Celia Burton, add that, “Liner is the perfect medium to experiment with, too, rather than a full eye. It's easy to edit into a shape or style that fits you.” And to make sure your skin prep works alongside the No. 1 Pencil, Burton recommends removing any oil or skin care residue off the eyelid with a gentle micellar water before application.

My First Impressions Of The Glossier No. 1 Pencil

Having loved Glossier for a number of years now, it’s a given that I’ll always be intrigued by each new launch and it’s safe to say my excitement levels hit the roof when the No. 1 Pencils were announced.

At first glance, I really like how the liners have been designed with Glossier’s classic minimal look in mind and draw comparisons to the brand’s eyeshadow and blush (Skywash and Cloudpaint) with the white and tipped ends in reference to each shade. On the first swatch, I could tell that each shade was super creamy and didn’t budge (which is pretty impressive for a stick liner).

The No. 1 Pencils provide 1.2g of product, which is on par with many similar eyeliners that I use and those that are currently on the market, so you’ll have plenty of product to play with.

How I Used The Glossier No. 1 Pencil

The beauty of these liners is that you can use them pretty much however you want — there are no rules — but Glossier has shared a few tips on drawing a precise line to define the eyes, or to create your graphic eye design.

I tried out the shades Muse, Ochre, and Patina throughout a long weekend, where I typically applied one of the shades around 8 a.m. and took each one off at around midnight. I was happy to find that each shade was packed full of pigment and didn’t budge the whole day.

My Results With The No. 1 Pencil In Shade Muse

As soon as I saw Glossier tease a picture on Instagram of new brand ambassador Olivia Rodrigo wearing the soft lavender shade of Muse, I knew instantly that I’d want to create the same look. It glided around onto my eye area without any issues, and I found it easy to control the level of thickness I wanted. I discovered that as the night went on, depending on the kind of light I was in, that my liner occasionally did resemble more of a light lilac shade than lavender in darker lighting but this definitely didn't overthrow how impressed I was with the lasting power.

To make sure I could give a really in-depth review, I made sure to take a picture hours after wearing each shade. I think the results pretty much speak for themselves — my eyeliner remained almost identical to how it looked after the initial application, even at 1:30 in the morning.

My Results With The No. 1 Pencil In Shade Ochre

I wasn’t quite too sure what to expect with Ochre as in the past I’ve tried yellow eyeliners that have not been very complementary with my complexion; however, I was intrigued to see if Glossier could change my tune. Despite being compared to a dandelion yellow, I found Ochre to be more of a golden yellow which worked wonders with my skin tone. It was much more subtle than I originally thought it would be, but I that’s now the reason I like it so much.

I first applied Ochre early in the morning as I ran errands and then added a blush, highlighter, brow product, and red lipstick to my look for the concert later that night as the liner still looked so good. As many live shows are, the venue was hot, sweaty, and full of thousands of people dancing the night away to Billie Eilish, and yet my eyeliner remained intact.

My Results With The No. 1 Pencil In Shade Patina

Lastly, I tested the unique light gray-blue shade Patina for a wedding I was attending. Funnily enough, it matched the dress I was wearing for the day. When looking at swatches online, I didn’t think too much of Patina but it’s actually turned out to be my favorite shade out of all three. As with the previous two shades, Patina lasted from morning to night with absolutely no top-ups during the day.

Is The Glossier No. 1 Pencil Worth it?

I never doubted for a second that I wouldn’t love the No. 1 Pencils, however, I didn’t expect to be as blown away as I am. At $16 per pencil, I think it’s the ultimate liner in terms of value and staying power for adding a pop of color to any makeup look. You’re really spoiled for choice with all 10 shades, and I think the hardest bit is deciding what shade to try out first.

Just as Glossier said, the liners are super creamy and full of pigment for a long-lasting look. I recommend removing the liner with an oil-based cleanser or something balmy, but they weren’t tough to wash off (which is important for your delicate eye area). The liners will definitely continue to be part of my weekly makeup looks due to the success I had with them so far. I’ve got my fingers crossed that Glossier will add even more shades in the future but for now, the current 10 will do just fine.

BDG product reviews and recommendations are written and conducted by writers and editors with expertise in their fields. Testers often have specific experience with the situation or product at hand, and/or their review or recommendation is provided in consultation with experts. You can learn more about our standards here.