What Is the Best Eyeshadow Stick or Eye Pencil? How to Choose, and Where Crayon Lumière Fits

“My favourite way to use the eyeshadow stick is a wash of waterproof colour across my eyelid, then the Soft-Kohl pencil close along my lash line, which I blend to create a smoky eye.”

Lynn Mason, Mavala UK.

The names overlap, which is why choosing can feel harder than it should. Eyeshadow sticks, eye crayons and pencil eyeshadows are made to put colour on the lid. Kohl and liner pencils are made to define the lash line and the inner rim. A soft pencil eyeshadow can do a little of both: colour on the lid, and a softer line when you use a darker shade close to the lashes.

In our range, the jobs split like this:

• Crayon Lumière is a pencil eyeshadow, waterproof, for colour across the lid or a soft line.
• Soft-Kohl is a creamy kohl pencil for defining lines or a smoky effect along the lash line or inner eyelid.
• Kohl Kajal is a precise, firm pencil with water-resistant colour for a defined or intense line.

If you are choosing between pencil, kohl and liquid for the lash line itself, our guide to pencil, kohl or liquid eyeliner covers that.

1. The job. Colour across the lid needs a soft, blendable pencil or stick. Definition at the lashes or on the inner rim needs a kohl or liner pencil. Decide this first, because it narrows everything else.
2. Texture. Creamy textures glide on and blend with a fingertip. Firmer textures give a more precise line and move less. Neither is better; they suit different jobs.
3. Wear time against blending time. Waterproof and long-wear formulas stay put, which is the point, but they set, so you blend quickly. Formulas that are not waterproof give you more time to play.
4. Testing for the eye area. Check the label for “ophthalmologically tested” and “suitable for contact lens wearers”. Testing lowers the risk; it is not a promise for every eye.
5. Finish and shade. Satin, shimmer or matte, and a shade you can wear on its own as well as one you can pair. A range with nudes, greys and deeper tones lets one pencil do the day and a second do the evening.
6. Format and upkeep. A pencil you sharpen gives you a fresh tip each time and needs a cosmetic sharpener. A twist-up stick needs no sharpener but will not give you as fine a point. Keep the cap on either way, so the tip does not dry out.

Waterproof formulas are made to stay on until you take them off. The trade-off is blending time: once a waterproof pencil sets, it stays where it is, so blend straight after you apply it. Crayon Lumière is waterproof, with precise, long-lasting wear. At the end of the day, take it off with an eye make-up remover rather than rubbing.

This question comes up often in searches, and the honest answer is about texture and finish rather than age. Look for a creamy texture that glides on, so you are not dragging the skin around the eye. A satin finish gives a softer look than heavy glitter, if that is what you prefer. Then use a light hand: Mavala's own method for a natural look is to apply lightly and blend with your fingertip.

Look for two phrases: “ophthalmologically tested” and “suitable for contact lens wearers”. Crayon Lumière carries both: it was tested on 20 women over four weeks, including contact lens wearers, with an ophthalmologist and a dermatologist examining before and after, and was very well tolerated by eyes and skin. If your eyes are easily irritated, Soft-Kohl is the pencil we describe as “ultra-gentle”: in a 21-day use test on 22 volunteers, all with sensitive eyes and most wearing contact lenses, it was very well tolerated, and is suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Whatever you use, stop if a product stings or irritates, and ask a pharmacist or optician if it carries on.

Our eyeliner guide covers hooded eyes, including which kind of line is easiest to wear.

Crayon Lumière is our waterproof eye pencil, with a creamy texture that glides on easily for precise, long-lasting wear. Sunflower oil and silk powder leave a satiny, comfortable finish. There are 15 shades on mavala.co.uk, from soft nudes and pearly greys to deep blues, plums and greens. Wear one on its own, or combine two for a look that is entirely yours.

Mavala's three ways to wear it:

• For a natural look: apply lightly and blend with your fingertip.
• For intensity: use a darker shade along the lash line or outer corner.
• For a smoky effect: line the eyes with a dark shade and blend gently.

Good to know: close the cap tightly to keep it waterproof and to stop the tip drying out.

It is a pencil you sharpen, not a twist-up stick, and it is not a liquid liner. If you want a matte finish, a twist-up format or a long time to blend, a different format may suit you better. For shade pairings, see how to use Crayon Lumière, and the shades that go together.

The eye area is delicate, so what a pencil is made of and how it is tested matter as much as the colour. Crayon Lumière is made with sunflower oil and silk powder, which give it a creamy texture that glides on without dragging and leave a satiny, comfortable finish. It was tested under ophthalmological and dermatological control, on 20 women over four weeks including contact lens wearers, and very well tolerated by eyes and skin.

To look after your eyes while you wear it:

• Apply with a light hand. Glide the pencil on rather than pressing, and blend with your fingertip.
• Keep the cap closed. Close it tightly after use, so the tip stays fresh and does not dry out.
• Sharpen with a cosmetic sharpener, not a stationery one, for a clean tip.
• Take it off properly at night. It is waterproof, so use an eye make-up remover rather than rubbing.

Crayon Lumière is made to work together. You can wear one shade on its own, but the shades are designed to combine, and we recommend keeping two or three.

How to choose them:

• A light shade for the lid. A soft nude or a pearly grey, applied lightly and blended with your fingertip.
• A deeper shade for definition. A brown, plum, blue or green along the lash line or at the outer corner, for intensity.
• A third to change the look. A second deep tone, so the same light shade can take you from day to evening. For a smoky effect, line the eyes with the darkest and blend gently.

For an easy match, pair warm with warm (browns and golds) or cool with cool (greys and blues). Two pairings from our range: Marron Givré with Vanille Sucrée for a soft brown look, and Perle Noire with Gris Perle for a smoky grey. There are more pairings in how to use Crayon Lumière, and the shades that go together.

What we can say, by job:

• Colour across the lid, or a soft line: Crayon Lumière. Pencil eyeshadow, waterproof; tested under ophthalmological and dermatological control; suitable for contact lens wearers.
• A soft, smoky line; sensitive eyes: Soft-Kohl Pencil. Ultra-gentle eye pencil; very well tolerated in a 21-day use test on sensitive eyes; suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.
• A precise, defined line: Kohl Kajal Pencil. Precise pencil, firm texture, water-resistant colour.

Finish the look with mascara: our guide to applying mascara.

Not quite. An eyeshadow stick or pencil eyeshadow is made for colour on the lid; an eye pencil usually means a liner pencil for the lash line. A soft pencil eyeshadow such as Crayon Lumière can do both: colour on the lid, and a softer line with a darker shade.

Yes, for a soft line. Mavala's method for intensity is to use a darker shade along the lash line or outer corner. For a sharp, defined line, a liner pencil such as Kohl Kajal is the better tool.

Waterproof formulas. They set and stay until you remove them, so blend straight after applying.

Look for “suitable for sensitive eyes” and “suitable for contact lens wearers” on the label. Our Soft-Kohl Pencil carries both, and was very well tolerated in a 21-day use test on sensitive eyes.

Yes. Crayon Lumière is suitable for contact lens wearers; its four-week use test included contact lens wearers.

We recommend two or three: a light shade for the lid, a deeper shade for the lash line or outer corner, and a third to change the look from day to evening.

For a natural look, apply lightly and blend with your fingertip. For intensity, use a darker shade along the lash line or outer corner. For a smoky effect, line the eyes with a dark shade and blend gently.

Close the cap tightly after use.

A cosmetic pencil sharpener rather than a stationery one.

The three pencils in this guide, in one place.

Product descriptions and claims from our Crayon Lumière, Soft-Kohl Pencil and Kohl Kajal Pencil product pages on mavala.co.uk, read 16 October 2026.

Use-test summaries for Crayon Lumière and Soft-Kohl Pencil from Mavala, Geneva, supplied to Mavala UK in October 2026.

Sharpener and cap advice: Mavala UK, How to use Crayon Lumière, and the autumn shades that go together.

Lynn Mason, Mavala UK.