MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Is Back—Here's What I Really Think

Everything You Need to Know About the MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Relaunch

The brand originally launched in 2013 and quickly became known for its high-performance eyeliners that never smudged or smeared off. In fact, TikTok user Laura88Lee notes, “MARC JACOBS eyeliners have an illustrious history [...] these were some of the most high-performing eyeliners back in the day.” So it’s safe to say fans were eagerly awaiting the brand’s return.

When MARC JACOBS BEAUTY’s contract expired with parent company Kendo in 2021, the brand took a hiatus. And now, five years later it’s back. The collection boasts eyeliners, eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, mascaras, and even highlighters. But the thing we can’t get over? It’s new whimsical packaging. Gone is millennial minimalism and the bright funky colors of the Y2K era are back in business. 

But for this review, we stuck to reviewing the eyeliner. Here are a few things you need to know about the new formula:

•  There are 21 shades in matte and metallic formulas

• The brand promises “one stroke intensity” so your liner will last longer

• The formula is waterproof, sweatproof, and smudge proof for up to 24 hours

• Each eyeliner is $26

Courtesy of MARC JACOBS BEAUTY

How I Tested the MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Drawn This Way Eyeliner

The brand encourages messy, rockstar-esque application, so that’s exactly what I did. I began tracing the blue pencil in the shade Unhinged (a turquoise glitter) around my eye, and then fought the urge not to go over it again. Usually pencils lack an intense color payoff, but this one worked well after just one swipe.

I also found it easy to glide it across my eyelids. There was no tugging or pulling, which the brand promised with its creamy formula. 

How the eyeliner looks one hour in.

How the MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Eyeliner Held Up

I put on this eyeliner on a very random weekend day when I was doing things like running errands, working out, and more during a very humid, sticky, hot July day. Here’s how it held up:

• After 1 hour: The eyeliner quickly dried in place and looked just as it did when I applied it at 10AM. 

• After 2 hours: Still bright, in place, smudge-free. However, one of my eyes is smaller than the other, and on the smaller eye, you could begin to see a faint line from where my eyelid blinked into the eyeliner. 

• After 10 hours and a workout (seen below): The eyeliner began to smudge around the inner corners of my eyes after a mega sweat sesh. Seriously, we’re talking cardio boxing, not calm yoga. You can also see the line where my top lid touched the eyeliner as I blinked grew darker. 

The eyeliner 10 hours post-application and a workout.

What I Loved About the MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Eyeliner

This is definitely a fun-forward brand, and you can tell just by the packaging. I love that there was play time to buff out the eyeliner before it settled in and rested permanently. I also couldn’t get over the color payoff. The blue was electric and felt super fun to wear, even just walking around my Brooklyn neighborhood. 

The eyeliner definitely didn’t budge. I think if I was a little more careful about not blinking into the eyeliner as it was drying, I wouldn’t have had a blue line appear above the intentional liner. But I was seriously impressed with the way it held up after my workout. I was sweating and huffing and puffing and the only smudge occurred in a tiny corner of my inner eye. I would definitely trust this eyeliner to stand the test of time on a night out, when I’m moving much less vigorously than during cardio boxing. 

Even when I tried to remove it with my regular makeup wash routine of double cleansing, the product still lingered. I had to go in with a bit of makeup remover on a cotton swab to scrub off the last bits. 

Is the MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Eyeliner Worth It?

After wearing it through errands, humidity, and an intense cardio boxing workout, I can confidently say the relaunched MARC JACOBS BEAUTY eyeliner lives up to much of its legendary reputation.

I think what truly sets MARC JACOBS BEAUTY apart from the competition is the overall feeling it evokes when wearing it, applying it, and even just keeping it on your makeup shelf. You can’t help but feel a little lighter and take life a little less seriously when you see that shining metallic balloon-like packaging. 

Maybe in beauty, just like in life, there are two types of gals: the minimalist RHODE girls and the electric MARC JACOBS BEAUTY girls. The good news is you can be both interchangeably with the right products. And the really good news is that your makeup won’t smudge off as you’re living your life exactly how you want to.