Eyeliner

Review: Liquid/Gel Eyeliner

Liquid eyeliner - it's a love/hate relationship. It's not the easiest thing to use, and does require some practice. But with a good liner, you can get that beautiful cat eye you are looking for.

I have been using liquid eyeliners for years now, and trust me, I have had some amazing ones, and some absolute shockers. Below is a simple review of some of the ones I have tried.

NARS Stylo Liquid Eyeliner

NARS let me down with this one. This is a successor to a previous liquid eyeliner they had which got really terrible reviews. This is an improvement to their last, but still not quite there. I bought this from Mecca and it cost around $40.

What I liked about it:
 - It is pretty easy to use
 - The felt tip is soft on your eyes
 - The flow is relatively consistent.

What I didn't like about it, and why I wouldn't buy this again:
 - Smudges easily
 - It is not long lasting. You will end up wearing it on your eyebrows and everywhere else
 - Its not quite 'black', despite buying the black colour.
 - Due to the above you obsessively try and re-line over it, which interestingly enough, takes off what you put on previously. This is also not good if you are inexperienced with applying liquid liner.
 - The felt tip gets blunt making it near impossible to do any sleek thin lines, or properly do winged cat eyes.

Stila 'Stay all Day' Liquid Eyeliner

I'm still not too sure about this one, but this is probably because it blew up on me. Like the NARS, it is a felt tip, but its end is a lot thinner than NARS (which makes for better application/thinner lines/more precise etc). I bought this when I was over in Hawaii from Sephora for about $25 USD.

What I liked about it:
 - Felt tip make for soft application
 - Nice consistent flow
 - Nice intense black colour
 - Long lasting
 - Thin, pointy tip makes it great for winged eyeliner
 - Fairly good for beginners as it is really easy to use.

What I didn't like about it:
 - It can start to dry out after a few weeks of use. This is what I mean when I said it exploded on me. I assumed that I had run out of the product, so i gave it a little shake, took the lid off, and boom, product everywhere. Moral or the story...1.) don't shake it, 2.) don't be fooled, there is still more in there. Straight in the bin.
 - It is possibly TOO long lasting. This is almost waterproof, which means you need to scrub a bit to get it off or use a really good eye make up remover. Can be harsh on the sensitive eye area.

MAC Liquid Eye Liner

Disappointing. I seem to have a bad streak with testing out MAC products. Unlike the two above, this is not a pen, rather a pot with a screw top lid with a tapered applicator. Paid around $30 for this.

What I liked about this product:
 - ... I will get back to you

What I didn't like and why I will not buy again:
 - Small tub and minimal product
 - Product goes on uneven
 - Product looks charcoal even when it says its meant to be black
 - Not that easily to use
 - The tapered applicator is SHARP and PAINFUL
 - Some days this product made my eyelids feel like they were burning
 - Product goes clumpy with time

Bourjois Clubbing Liner

This is just a simple drugstore brand, but they have some pretty funky and innovative products. This is no exception. This is a long tub with a screw top applicator. The applicator itself are bristles. Its part of their 'clubbing' range, which pretty much just means that it is long lasting, and 'tried and tested on girls who have worn it out clubbing and it stays on perfectly all night'. They have some pretty vibrant colours too. I paid around $20AUD for this.

What I liked about this product:
 - Product is an intense black, no need to go over it several times
 - They give you quite a bit of product
 - Long lasting, but unlike the Stila, it comes off easier when you wash your face
 - Does not smudge
 - Its cheap

What I didn't like about the product:
 - It is not very easy to use. The bristles on the applicator are relatively long and end straight (not tapered) which makes it difficult to do wings. The bristles can also separate and flick little speckles of product if you aren't careful. The bristles can also be sharp.
 - Went clumpy after a while (but it was probably time to chuck it out anyway).

Maybelline Stiletto Liner

I was actually surprised with this one - it's pretty good. It is a felt tip which is tapered on one side. Soft application, good consistency of product. And you can get it anywhere being Maybelline. I paid around $15 AUD for this.

What I liked about it:
 - Easy to use
 - Soft on your eyes
 - Tapered allows for more precise lines, which can be hard with felt tips
 - Nice colour
 - Relatively good staying power

What I didn't like:
 - Relatively good staying power (lol)
 - Not that much product

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner

Bought this after using the Stiletto Eyeliner for a while expecting it to be great, given its a pen and it has an even thinner tapered applicator. Argh, don't even bother with this one. No product comes out of it. Any that does, you are dragging it across your eye and it is patchy, and definitely not user friendly. It also comes out charcoal instead of black. you have to push extra hard to get it to let out any product, then it just pools up in certain areas. What a mess.

Maybelline Lasting Drama GEL Eyeliner

I was really surprised with this - I really like it. I have always stayed away from gel pot eyeliner as I have always believed I am not coordinated enough to manage it. I am also really sceptical about the brush and how it would manage. One day I decided to give it a go, and I went with something that I had heard some good reviews about, but wasn't expensive, so I wouldn't feel bad chucking it out if I couldn't get it to work for me. I think I paid around $20 AUD.

What I like about it:
 - The brush is amazing. It is soft but at the same time does precise lines which you can make as thick or thin as you want
 - The colour is great. Once again you can make this as dark or as light as your want
 - Long lasting
 - Doesn't smudge
 - Its actually really easy to use

What I don't like about it:
 - People who are beginners may not be comfortable with the pot and brush
 - It's a little extra work having to have a tissue to remove excess product from the brush before application
 - You need to wash the brush, otherwise it gets dry and hard with old product and will poke out your eye.

I hope this gives other eyeliner obsessed beauty babes some help when you go to purchase your next liner. Let me know of any you have tried and loved!

 - Karene