I'd never worn gel eyeliners before I got this one from Essence. For one thing, they're generally more expensive than other types of eyeliners; for another, I wasn't sure I'd be able to pull off the application. After Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog gave a rave review to the Essence gel eyeliner, though, I added it to my mental list of things to get, and after successfully refraining from buying it for awhile, I finally caved. I was torn about which color to get, but ended up deciding on the basic black Midnight in Paris, since I don't have any other black eyeliners that I like (the Wet N Wild one I got I was not a fan of). Though I usually choose to do dark colored eyeliner (green, blue, purple, brown), there are times I want the nice bold line that only black liner can give (these times usually overlap with when I want to wear mascara!).
Fortunately, Karen has yet to steer me wrong. Midnight in Paris is deep, jet black, and pigmented as all get-out. I apply with my Avon bent eyeliner brush ($2, whee) and need only dip my brush into the pot to get enough for one eye. It's smooth and silky, and it spreads so lusciously.
Overview
$3.49 for 0.10 oz, available from Ulta, Fred Meyer, and HEB
Price: 9 ($3.49 is way cheaper than MAC Fluidline [$15] or Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner [$21], but it still took me awhile before I was okay forking that over...my mind is a puzzling place, yes.)
Value: 9.5 (0.10 oz is standard for gel eyeliners, and I imagine this one will last me a very long time; my one concern for value is that gel eyeliners have been known to dry out, and therefore waste product)
Quality: 9.5
Ease of Use: 4.75 (you do have to use an eyeliner brush, but application itself is a breeze––even for those of us who can't see and have tremors!)
Pigmentation: 5
Duration: 5
Consistency: 4.75 (I was expecting it to be firmer than it is; it's almost fluffy, which makes it a joy to work with, though it may also mean the product will be used up faster, since it's not so dense)
Packaging: 0 (doesn't get credit here, but neither does it get dinged; the glass jar is very cute [though not as space-efficient as one could hope], and as long as it doesn't dry out anytime soon, very effective as well)
Grade: A
Have you used gel eyeliner? Which is your favorite?
Fortunately, Karen has yet to steer me wrong. Midnight in Paris is deep, jet black, and pigmented as all get-out. I apply with my Avon bent eyeliner brush ($2, whee) and need only dip my brush into the pot to get enough for one eye. It's smooth and silky, and it spreads so lusciously.
Pardon the messy application; my tremor was acting up this morning!
I initially tested it on the back of my hand to try and get a feel for how to apply, and the lines were still there after vigorous scrubbing with soap and a towel. I had to use eye makeup remover to get it to even budge! It's not touted as being waterproof, but golly gee, it sure seems to be. Needless to say, it wears all day without fading or migrating. Now I really want to try the shimmery charcoal one!Overview
$3.49 for 0.10 oz, available from Ulta, Fred Meyer, and HEB
Price: 9 ($3.49 is way cheaper than MAC Fluidline [$15] or Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner [$21], but it still took me awhile before I was okay forking that over...my mind is a puzzling place, yes.)
Value: 9.5 (0.10 oz is standard for gel eyeliners, and I imagine this one will last me a very long time; my one concern for value is that gel eyeliners have been known to dry out, and therefore waste product)
Quality: 9.5
Ease of Use: 4.75 (you do have to use an eyeliner brush, but application itself is a breeze––even for those of us who can't see and have tremors!)
Pigmentation: 5
Duration: 5
Consistency: 4.75 (I was expecting it to be firmer than it is; it's almost fluffy, which makes it a joy to work with, though it may also mean the product will be used up faster, since it's not so dense)
Packaging: 0 (doesn't get credit here, but neither does it get dinged; the glass jar is very cute [though not as space-efficient as one could hope], and as long as it doesn't dry out anytime soon, very effective as well)
Grade: A
Have you used gel eyeliner? Which is your favorite?
