KATE Eyeliner: Every Liquid, Gel Pencil and Powder Liner Compared

KATE (ケイト), the Japanese makeup brand from Kanebo Cosmetics, sells eight eyeliner lines in Japan: four liquids (Super Sharp Liner EX4.0, Namida no Tsurugi Liner, Conc Gel Eyeliner WP and Double Line Expert), three pencils (Rare Fit Gel Pencil N, Powdery Naginata Liner and Pinspot Liner) and one powder palette (Manga Genic Liner). Prices in Japan range from ¥935 to ¥1,650. This guide compares them all, with shades, prices and which are waterproof, based on KATE’s official pages.

What you’ll learn in this article:

• Every current KATE eyeliner at a glance, with prices and shade counts
• Which KATE eyeliner to choose for a sharp line, a soft line or a bigger-eye effect
• The shades, refills and holders of Super Sharp Liner EX4.0
• KATE’s gel, powder and glitter pencils, and its sheer liners for under-eye and double-eyelid lines
• How to get KATE eyeliner from Japan

KATE Eyeliner at a Glance

Super Sharp Liner EX4.0 is KATE’s main liquid eyeliner for fine, sharp lines, and Rare Fit Gel Pencil N its main pencil; the other six lines are for a tear-proof line, a softer line, extra shine or a bigger-eye effect. The table below compares all eight.

From KATE’s official Japanese site and Kao’s official online shop, My Kao Mall (as of October 2026). Shade counts are for Japan; official KATE sites in other countries may list different shades. “Not stated” means KATE’s description doesn’t mention waterproofing.

How to Choose a KATE Eyeliner

Choose by the line you want: Super Sharp Liner EX4.0 for a fine liquid line, Conc Gel Eyeliner WP for a bold black line, Rare Fit Gel Pencil N for an easy pencil line, Powdery Naginata Liner for a soft line, and Double Line Expert, Pinspot Liner or Manga Genic Liner for a bigger-eye effect.

• A fine, sharp liquid line: Super Sharp Liner EX4.0, or its short-brush version for small, controlled strokes.
• A line that holds up to tears: Namida no Tsurugi Liner, which KATE says resists smudging even when you cry, rub your eyes or produce sebum.
• A bold, glossy black line: Conc Gel Eyeliner WP, which KATE describes as gel-like, rich colour.
• An easy pencil line: Rare Fit Gel Pencil N, which KATE says glides on and sets in 10 seconds.
• A soft, smoky line: Powdery Naginata Liner, which KATE says looks like the darkest shade of an eyeshadow drawn on with a brush.
• Bigger-looking eyes: Double Line Expert for fake under-eye and double-eyelid lines, Pinspot Liner for teary shine, or Manga Genic Liner for powder shading.

To pair your liner with eyeshadow, see our KATE eyeshadow guide, and for another Japanese brand, compare our CANMAKE eyeliner guide. To build your own eyeshadow palette, see our KATE The Eye Color guide.

KATE Liquid Eyeliners

KATE has four liquid eyeliners in Japan: Super Sharp Liner EX4.0 (¥1,430) for fine lines, Namida no Tsurugi Liner (¥1,650) for lines that hold up to tears, Conc Gel Eyeliner WP (¥1,430) for a bold black line, and Double Line Expert (¥935) for ultra-sheer lines that fake a bigger eye.

Super Sharp Liner EX4.0

Japanese name	ケイト スーパーシャープライナーEX4.0
Price in Japan	¥1,430 (0.5 mL); refill ¥1,100
Type	Liquid eyeliner with a fine brush
Shades	7: BK-1 Jet Black, BR-1 Natural Brown, BR-2 Bitter Brown, GY-1 Dark Greige, BR-3 Warm Brown, BR-4 Orange Brown, BR-5 Burgundy Brown (BR-4 and BR-5 only on Kao’s official shop)

• Waterproof
• Smudge-proof
• Removes with warm water

KATE Super Sharp Liner EX4.0 (ケイト スーパーシャープライナーEX4.0) suits anyone who wants a fine, steady liquid line: KATE says its own-developed brush draws ultra-fine lines without wobbling, even with strong pressure and wherever you hold it, and the diamond-cut body fits your fingertips. It resists sweat, water and tears (KATE says it’s hard to remove even if you cry hard), resists sebum and rubbing, lasts all day and comes off with warm water.

The family also includes a short-brush version (¥1,430, BK-1 and BR-2) with a 5.5 mm brush instead of the regular 7.85 mm one, for small strokes that are easier to correct; refills for both (¥1,100, sold in some stores and online, including a short-brush-only BR-6 Dark Brown); a separate holder (¥330); and a glitter pencil refill (¥1,210, PK-1 Pink, SV-1 Silver and GD-1 Gold) that fits the same holder, with fine glitter on a sheer beige base.

Namida no Tsurugi Liner

Japanese name	ケイト ナミダノツルギライナー
Price in Japan	¥1,650 (0.47 g)
Type	Long-wear liquid eyeliner with a fine brush
Shades	4: BK-1 Jet Black, BK-2 Brown Black, BR-1 Charcoal Brown, BR-2 Natural Brown

• Waterproof
• Smudge-proof
• Removes with warm water

KATE Namida no Tsurugi Liner (ケイト ナミダノツルギライナー), whose name means “sword of tears”, is a long-wear liquid liner from KATE’s Goukyu no Ruishin (号泣の涙神) collection, made for days when you cry hard: KATE says it resists smudging even when you cry, rub your eyes or produce sebum, and keeps a rich line all day. KATE says film-forming ingredients (polysilicone-9 and acrylates copolymer) stop it from creasing or flaking over time, it comes off easily with warm water, and it’s sold in some stores and online in Japan.

KATE’s site lists it as No. 1 in the eyeliner categories of several 2026 Japanese beauty-magazine awards: VOCE Best Cosme 2026 S/S, Biteki’s Beauty Professionals’ Best Cosme Award 2026 (affordable eyeliner), MAQUIA’s 2026 affordable cosmetics grand prix and non-no’s 2026 S/S eyeliner award.

Conc Gel Eyeliner WP

Japanese name	ケイト コンクジェルアイライナーWP
Price in Japan	¥1,430 (1.5 mL)
Type	Liquid eyeliner with a dip-pen brush
Shades	1: BK-1 Glow Black

KATE Conc Gel Eyeliner WP (ケイト コンクジェルアイライナーWP) suits anyone who wants a bold black line: a liquid with gel-like, rich colour for a glossy black line that KATE says doesn’t come off easily. It’s waterproof against sweat, water and tears, and comes in one shade, BK-1 Glow Black.

Double Line Expert

Japanese name	ケイト ダブルラインエキスパート
Price in Japan	¥935 (0.5 mL)
Type	Ultra-fine brush pen
Shades	3: LB-1 Ultra-Sheer Brown, BE-1 Ultra-Sheer Beige, and PK-1 Ultra-Sheer Pink (flush-shadow colour)

KATE Double Line Expert (ケイト ダブルラインエキスパート) suits anyone who wants bigger-looking eyes without an obvious line: its ultra-sheer shadow colours fake the puffy area under the eyes and double-eyelid creases. KATE suggests drawing a line under the puffy area beneath the lower lashes, or along the crease you want to emphasise; drawing a crease line parallel to a long eyeliner makes eyes look wider.

BE-1 Ultra-Sheer Beige, added in July 2026, recreates the shadows found in yellow-toned skin; KATE says it looks natural without blending and doesn’t make the eye area look dark. PK-1 Ultra-Sheer Pink is a “flush-shadow” colour for a rosier look.

KATE Pencil Eyeliners

KATE has three pencil eyeliners in Japan: Rare Fit Gel Pencil N (¥1,210) for smooth gel lines, Powdery Naginata Liner (¥1,430) for soft powder lines, and Pinspot Liner (¥1,210) for shine. All three are waterproof, according to KATE.

Rare Fit Gel Pencil N

Japanese name	ケイト レアフィットジェルペンシルN
Price in Japan	¥1,210 (0.08 g)
Type	Retractable gel pencil, 1.5 mm lead
Shades	8: BK-1 High Black, BR-1 Brown, BR-2 Bitter Brown, GY-3 Brown Greige, GY-4 Deep Greige, BR-6 Mauve Brown, PU-1 Mauve Purple, GY-1 Olive Greige (PU-1 and GY-1 only on Kao’s official shop)

• Waterproof
• Smudge-proof

KATE Rare Fit Gel Pencil N (ケイト レアフィットジェルペンシルN) suits anyone who wants an easy, long-lasting pencil line: KATE says it glides on with a melting feel, sets in just 10 seconds and clings to the skin, so it won’t smudge even if you cry hard or rub. The 1.5 mm lead draws fine lines, and the shades range from rich black to softer greiges and browns. Kao’s official shop also lists a new Rare Fit Gel Pencil A (¥1,320) in six darker shades from October 2026.

Powdery Naginata Liner

Japanese name	ケイト パウダリーナギナタライナー
Price in Japan	¥1,430 (0.08 g)
Type	Retractable powder pencil, curved blade-shaped lead
Shades	2: BK-1 Soft Black, BR-1 Soft Brown

• Waterproof
• Sebum- and rub-resistant

KATE Powdery Naginata Liner (ケイト パウダリーナギナタライナー), released in July 2026, suits anyone who wants a soft line that doesn’t look too dark: KATE says its powdery colour looks like the darkest shade of an eyeshadow carefully drawn on with a brush, and it contains a blurring powder. The lead is shaped like a naginata, a curved Japanese blade, so its curve fits along the lash line and draws fine lines to the outer corner. KATE says to twist out about 1 mm, as the lead can break if extended too far.

Pinspot Liner

Japanese name	ケイト ピンスポットライナー
Price in Japan	¥1,210 (0.23 g)
Type	Soft glitter pencil
Shades	3: GD-1 Gold, PK-1 Pink, WT-1 White

KATE Pinspot Liner (ケイト ピンスポットライナー) suits anyone who wants to add shine exactly where they want it: a soft pencil with fine, translucent glitter that KATE says gives a teary, glistening look. It’s waterproof and smudge-proof against tears, sweat and water. KATE suggests using it to make the puffy area under the eyes stand out or to make eyes look wider and taller, and pairing it with Double Line Expert under the puffy area for more impact.

KATE Powder Eyeliner: Manga Genic Liner

Manga Genic Liner is KATE’s only powder eyeliner: a web-exclusive three-colour palette for shading that makes eyes look bigger.

Japanese name	ケイト マンガジェニックライナー
Price in Japan	¥1,650 (3 g)
Type	3-colour powder eyeliner palette with mirror, applicator and brush
Shades	1: EX-1 (web-exclusive in Japan)

KATE Manga Genic Liner (ケイト マンガジェニックライナー) is a web-exclusive palette for “manga-like” big eyes with powder. A is a glowy, skin-like powder for raised areas, B a sheer shadow powder for recessed areas, and C a gel powder that draws a natural black line. KATE lists four effects: droopy-looking eyes, a more visible puffy area under the eyes, wider eyes and a defined double-eyelid crease, and includes a dual-ended applicator and flat brush for lines and blending.

From KATE’s official Japanese site and Kao’s official online shop (as of October 2026). Shade names are our renderings of the Japanese names.

Where to Buy KATE Eyeliner

KATE eyeliners are Japanese, and kachicollect is the simplest way to get them from Japan. Our catalog has no proxy fees, and duties are shown in your total before you pay, so nothing extra is charged on delivery. Orders ship worldwide with tracking and usually arrive in about 7 to 14 days.

If the product or shade you want isn’t in our catalog, search Japanese stores or marketplaces for its Japanese name, for example ケイト スーパーシャープライナーEX4.0 BK-1, ケイト レアフィットジェルペンシルN GY-4 or ケイト ダブルラインエキスパート LB-1. Paste the product URL into kachishop to get an instant quote with duties included and no request fee. This works for refills and shades sold only online, as long as they are listed.

On marketplaces such as eBay, check the product name and shade code, as several KATE eyeliners use the same codes (for example, BK-1 or BR-2), and check whether a listing is the full liner or a refill. Proxy services that buy from Japanese stores on your behalf are another option, but the service fee they advertise is only the starting point, and various other charges are added on top by the time you check out. kachicollect’s purchase request does the same job with no proxy or request fees, and duties are shown before checkout.

Discover more from the brand in our KATE Tokyo guide.

FAQ

Which KATE eyeliner is the most popular?

KATE doesn’t publish sales rankings, but its official site lists Namida no Tsurugi Liner as No. 1 in the eyeliner categories of several 2026 Japanese beauty-magazine awards, including VOCE Best Cosme 2026 S/S. Super Sharp Liner EX4.0 has the widest range, with 7 shades, refills and a short brush.

Is KATE eyeliner waterproof?

Most of it is. KATE describes Super Sharp Liner EX4.0, Namida no Tsurugi Liner, Conc Gel Eyeliner WP, Rare Fit Gel Pencil N, Powdery Naginata Liner and Pinspot Liner as waterproof; Super Sharp Liner EX4.0 and Namida no Tsurugi Liner still come off with warm water.

What’s the difference between KATE Super Sharp Liner EX3.0 and EX4.0?

EX4.0 has a shorter 7.85 mm brush (EX3.0: 9 mm), which KATE says keeps the line thinner under strong pressure: about 0.45 mm, versus 0.7 mm for EX3.0.

Which KATE eyeliner is best for beginners?

Rare Fit Gel Pencil N and the short-brush Super Sharp Liner EX4.0 are good places to start: KATE says the gel pencil glides on and sets in 10 seconds, and the short brush makes small strokes that are easier to correct.

Can I buy refills for KATE eyeliner?

Yes, for Super Sharp Liner EX4.0: refills cost ¥1,100 in Japan for both the regular and short brush, and a separate holder costs ¥330. The glitter pencil refill (¥1,210) fits the same holder.

Can I buy KATE eyeliner outside Japan?

Yes. You can order KATE eyeliners from Japan through kachicollect, from our catalog or with a purchase request, and it ships worldwide. Local availability depends on retailers in your country, and some shades are sold only on Kao’s official online shop even in Japan.

Conclusion: Which KATE Eyeliner Is Right for You?

Choose Super Sharp Liner EX4.0 for fine liquid lines, Namida no Tsurugi Liner for lines that hold up to tears, Conc Gel Eyeliner WP for bold black, Rare Fit Gel Pencil N for an easy pencil line, Powdery Naginata Liner for a soft line, and Double Line Expert, Pinspot Liner or Manga Genic Liner to make eyes look bigger. To complete the look, see our KATE eyebrow guide and KATE Lip Monster guide. For lashes, see our KATE mascara guide. For another Japanese eyeliner brand, see our Kiss Me (Heroine Make) eyeliner guide.

Buying from kachicollect gets you KATE shipped directly from Japan, with no proxy fees and duties shown before you pay. If the product you want isn’t in our catalog, paste its URL from any Japanese store or marketplace for an instant quote with no request fee.