Eyeliner Review #1 Maybelline, M.A.C, Rimmel

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner £7.99

M.A.C. Superslick Liquid Eye Liner £15 for 1.8ml

Rimmel London £5.29 for 2.5ml

 

As promised in previous posts, I'm going to compare three different eyeliners, all of which you can create the winged flicks with, the makeup trend that I posted about here. Two are liquid liners and one is a gel liner.

1) Maybelline's gel liner caught my eye earlier this year because firstly I hadn't tried it before and secondly, it made a change to liquid liners. I had heard a couple of good things about it so bought it and gave it a try.

• This pot of gel liner has so much product for the money you pay and will last you yonks.
• The container it cute and small, and frosted glass- like! And it comes with a precision brush.
• The gel liner is a good shade of black, but I find that it needs two coats to be jet black. I find this quite difficult, as the line always seems to thicken the second time and I don't always want this to happen!
• I personally find the brush to be too thick and hard to control. It is especially difficult when using it on the inner corners of the eye, where you would want a thinner line (ready to graduate to thicker once gliding it accross the lid). It really depends on how steady my hand is that day and if I have the patience to try this product, as it does take a lot longer to apply than a liquid liner. 
• It has pretty good lasting power.

The gel liner does give a nice effect, it is more soft focus than a hard line. It does seem to fade throughout the day, not too drastically though and I'm sure this might be prevented through wearing an eye lid primer.

I think this product's success is down to personal preference for how you like to apply your eyeliner and how thick you like your lines and flicks to be. I think I'll be trying this out more; I used it for a couple of weeks and put it aside, some mornings I find the brush and the pot too fiddly and time consuming. Practice makes perfick though, I suppose!

2) One of my most disappointing purchases from M.A.C. I even repurchased when the first one ran out thinking maybe the one I'd had previously had been a dodgy one. No such luck, the finish and colour pigmentation is terrible for the price, the lasting power even worse, shame!

• Superslick eye liner is supposed to leave a wet look finish. It does leave a slight glossy finish. 
• The colour is more of a charcoal- grey than a black, which is fine if you want a more subtle or natural look.
• The brush is my favourite part, it is thin and precise which means excellent control over how thick you want the line to be, also means a perfect flick, there's less room for mistakes to be made with this brush.
• Only hours after application the eye liner fades dramatically, it smudges and rubs off a bit too easily, a definate disadvantage.

These photos were taken about an hour after application, as you can see there is clear fading already happening [ :-( ]. I'd recommend this product if you're looking for a precise brush and therefore a precise/thin/subtle line, but be prepared to reapply throughout your day.

3) I bought this Rimmel eyeliner partly because I was broke, needed a liquid eyeliner and it was cheap, and partly because I had read pretty impressive reviews. I must say, I think this is my favourite of the three, I pick this one up before the other two when I'm applying my makeup in the mornings.

• The brush is slightly fatter than the M.A.C. one so it is a bit harder to apply such a precise or thinner line, but the pigmentation is fab. 
• The formula is slightly watery and can take a couple of minutes to dry, but this is common amongst wet cosmetics such as liquid eyeliner. It can rub off quite easily, but in comparison the previous M.A.C. one this one has excellent staying power. I can complete a 9hr shift at work and still have a clear line and flick by the end of it.
• It can take two coats, but this is easily achievable with liquid eyeliner. I only struggle to go over lines with the gel liner.

Eyeliner really is one of those personal choices every girl makes because every girl wants something different from an eyeliner, from price, to finish, to overall look. I hope these mini reviews help at least one of you out there to make a decision though! :-)

Top; Maybelline. Middle; M.A.C. Bottom; Rimmel

What eyeliner do you use? Do you have any products where you pick the 'drugstore' brands over the more high end brands?