MAC Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel, Blacktrack, $15

MAC's Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel is one of my new favorite products that I know I will continue to buy over the years. I have only had this product for about a couple weeks and I already can't live without it. This pot of black eyeliner gold is a purely perfect product. It goes on easily, stays on, and look so freakin' fierce.

I know I'm gushing hardcore but this product really deserves this much attention! The Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel in Blacktrack is perfect everyday eyeliner that can be adjusted and used however the makeup wearer pleases. It is pure black and the gel is super easy to put on.

At first I was using a brush I had that wasn't exactly clean, I had used it with other eyeliners and let the products dry up on it making the brush too hard, even after I rinsed it. When I put on the Fluidline liner the first time it didn't go on as dark or as smooth as I had hoped. Distressed but determined to make this work I turned to my one of my best friends who I shall call the MAC Queen. She has a ton of MAC products and suggested that I purchase this liner. She told me to make sure I use a clean brush and once I did it made the biggest difference! You can use an angled brush or just a thin brush, whatever you feel comfortable with, but just remember to rinse your brush right after you use it so that the leftover liner doesn't dry up and ruin it! I just rinse my brush with water and use my fingers to get the liner off, nothing too complicated.

I love this liner because I can get it super close to my lash-line, get a thin line, or a thick line and it always comes out really beautifully. The other great thing is that it stays on! I use a primer of course, but this stuff doesn't really budge. It also comes in multiple colors you can find here.

Final verdict:
Cost: $15, a little bit goes a long way and it is about as much as buying a pencil liner.
Do I have to get a special brush?: You might have a brush on hand that will work just fine, just make sure it is thin enough. An angled brush is also a favorite when it comes to using eyeliner in a pot.
Is this good to achieve a cat-eye?: This is perfect for a cat-eye look! You might have to practice a bit but it will definitely be the best product to use to get the look.
Can I use it under my eyes?: Under eyes is a little trickier, I suggest using a lot of primer and a thin brush, go slowly, and remember you can always darken or thicken the line as you please.
Any tips?: I usually start lining the top of my lid starting in the middle and then work my way to the sides. That way if I have too much liner on my brush or something it is already going in the thickest part of the line.
Repeat offender?: YES YES YES!

-M

Sephora Nano Eyeliner, $5

I bought Sephora's Nano Eyeliner so that my Sephora purchase would go up to the $50 free shipping price, lol. My excuse for buying more stuff, right? Anyway, I had seen the eyeliner before and it's $5 now, so why not? I decided to get it in glitter black.


As the site says, the liner is super soft and highly pigmented. It's very easy to put on and shows up in an instant. The glitter is really subtle, like really subtle. I felt like the more I put on, the more black showed up and the more the glitter went away, and I got sad.


The liner doesn't have the greatest staying power. I wore it just over the primer and it smudged a little on my eyelid and under my eye. It doesn't come off completely, it just kinda smears/smudges.

Final verdict
Cost: It's on sale now for $5 (originally $16).
Color: I got the glitter black, and it was definitely very black--only a little on the glitter component.
Softness: It's very soft and easy to put on--no tugging at all. However, I think the softness makes it so it doesn't stay on very well.
Repeat offender?: I wouldn't buy again. I need eyeliner that's gonna stay where it's put! I don't have the patience for upkeep.

-T

Classic SGB: Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner, $5-$8

If you're gonna trust anyone regarding eyeliner, trust Mirna. This is a perfect staple that's available everywhere and is reasonably priced.


This is by far my number 1 go-to eyeliner. I have been using this eyeliner for years and have tried others that are similar but none of them ever compare. Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner is a twist-up eyeliner that does not even require sharpening (but comes with a small sharpener anyway!). I hate hate hate to sharpen eyeliner pencils. I feel like I always end up wasting a bunch of pencil and/or always screwing it up and breaking the pencil somehow. When I look for an eyeliner it definitely has to be the retractable kind.


I use this eyeliner almost daily. I like to try different eyeliner (obviously) but I always come back to this one as my main product. The Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner often comes in a two pack (as pictured) so I always try to buy a few since I know I will be using it often. The two pack is also usually priced about the same as the single pencil.


The eyeliner claims to last up to 16 hours, but I can testify that it lasts LONGER than 16 hours, especially when used with a primer. Although it does not say it on the front of the packaging this eyeliner is actually always waterproof. I've said this before but I usually have makeup on when I go to the gym in the evening (I don't apply it for the gym I swear--I'll admit I do touch up sometimes--yikes!) but it does not move at all even with all the sweating! I also want to note that while I was writing this review I drew a little line of eyeliner on my hand and a few minutes later tried to rub it and it did not budge at all.


The tip of this eyeliner in not very thick and if you practice it enough you can definitely get a handle on how to achieve a thicker or thinner line. I find that it has a very versatile tip that is controlled by the pressure you apply and how close you hold the pencil to your eyelid. Overtime the technique you develop will help you control the pencil even better. I can pretty much apply this stuff in the dark. The eyeliner pencil is soft so you can either layer it on or use just one stroke and blend it with a brush to "smear it." Even though the pencil is soft, it is not weak. What I mean by this is that it doesn't break if you apply a lot of pressure to it like some other retractable pencils do.


Final verdict:
Cost: The Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner is priced between $5 and $8 depending on where you look. Like I mentioned above, I recommend the two pack because it is a great value and you will have some eyeliner when you run out of the first pencil!
Tips: Do not roll up the pencil too much but don't keep it too low either. You should have the pencil rolled up around 4-5 millimeters (you don't need to measure I'm just estimating). The pictures of the pencil in this post are a good example.
Does the pencil actually go on black?: The pencil is a true black. It does not go on light black--I've had this happen with other brands it is so NOT COOL. I feel very strongly about my black eyeliner dammit.
Repeat offender: If Revlon ever stopped making this I'd wear black for 40 days straight. No really, I swear by this stuff.
-M

Lorac On Screen Duo, Fame & Fortune, $7 (on sale from 24)

I impulsively purchased this eyeliner/highlighter duo from Lorac last time I placed an order on Sephora.com. It was/is on sale for $7 from $24 so I thought it would definitely be worth it to try it out, especially since I've been wanting to try a cream eyeliner. Lorac's On Screen Duo comes in a nifty little jar that holds the pot of cream eyeliner in the bottom part and a small highlighter/eyeshadow in the top lid.

To apply the cream eyeliner I just used an angled brush and it worked out really well! I don't have much experience with cream eyeliners but I was surprised that I could get it on so easily and evenly. My favorite part about using a cream eyeliner is that you can get as close as you want to your lash line, so you definitely avoid that weird space that sometimes your eyeliner misses.

I applied some primer and topped that with the highlighter/eyeshadow. I didn't really like it as an eyeshadow but it really is the perfect shade to highlight your brow bone. I don't think I look too good in a pale nude shimmery shadow. The cream eyeliner goes over the eyeshadow fairly easily as well.

The cream eyeliner stayed on for the day but I contribute this to the primer. I feel like it might not stay on as well without it since it is so creamy. My other gripe is that I feel like it isn't black enough. I want my eyeliner to be super duper black and this doesn't feel like it is the darkest, purest, most pigmented black that it can be.

Final verdict:
Cost: $7! Can't beat that for a cream eyeliner, especially one by a brand like Lorac. Hurry and get it while you can for this awesome price.
What is the best part of using a cream eyeliner?: Like I mentioned above it is great for getting super close to the lash line, but it is also awesome to line the bottom eyelid as well. I found that I had way more control using an angled brush than I do with an eyeliner pencil. I was able to apply eyeliner to my bottom line without smudging and even doing it ever so subtly made my eyes pop. It is also great because you can definitely achieve a fierce cat eye with cream liner!
Repeat offender?: I think I have been converted to a cream eyeliner in a pot user. I really want to try the MAC kind because it is extra black. I like the Lorac cream eyeliner but I don't think I would get it again only because I'd prefer it darker. But it is a great product and a really good deal!

-M

Sephora Collection Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner, $12

One of the reasons I bought the Sephora Waterproof Bronzing Kit was because it included this Sephora Collection Retractable Waterproof eyeliner in black. You all know how I take my black eyeliner seriously so I put this to the test.

Overall this eyeliner is pretty easy to put on and stays waterproof. However, It does smudge under the eyes after a while, unlike my go-to Revlon Colorstay Retractable eyeliner which does not smudge under the eyes. I really cannot stand any eyeliner that does that because number 1, I always ALWAYS use primer so it shouldn't be happening, especially not with a product that is known for being waterproof.

I think that this pencil is a bit too soft so it often just lets you draw a thick line rather than pressing lightly and being able to achieve a thinner line. It also includes one of those smudging sponges at the end of the tip which I have never actually figured out how to use. I always just end up smearing the eyeliner and ruining my neat lines.

Final verdict:
Cost: $12, about twice the cost of my favorite Revlon eyeliner.
Is it actually waterproof?: It is waterproof except for some reason it still manages to smear. I think that when things are waterproof they shouldn't be moving around at all.
Repeat offender?: I don't think so. Since I already use a similar product that doesn't smudge or smear and costs only half of what this does. I think I'll stick to what I know. However, if you are interested in still trying this, it does come in lots of different colors that the Revlon eyeliner doesn't offer (click here to see some of the cool colors!).

-M

Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner, Black, $5-8

This is by far my number 1 go-to eyeliner. I have been using this eyeliner for years and have tried others that are similar but none of them ever compare. Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner is a twist-up eyeliner that does not even require sharpening (but comes with a small sharpener anyway!). I hate hate hate to sharpen eyeliner pencils. I feel like I always end up wasting a bunch of pencil and/or always screwing it up and breaking the pencil somehow. When I look for an eyeliner it definitely has to be the retractable kind.


I use this eyeliner almost daily. I like to try different eyeliner (obviously) but I always come back to this one as my main product. The Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner often comes in a two pack (as pictured) so I always try to buy a few since I know I will be using it often. The two pack is also usually priced about the same as the single pencil.


The eyeliner claims to last up to 16 hours, but I can testify that it lasts LONGER than 16 hours, especially when used with a primer. Although it does not say it on the front of the packaging this eyeliner is actually always waterproof. I've said this before but I usually have makeup on when I go to the gym in the evening (I don't apply it for the gym I swear--I'll admit I do touch up sometimes--yikes!) but it does not move at all even with all the sweating! I also want to note that while I was writing this review I drew a little line of eyeliner on my hand and a few minutes later tried to rub it and it did not budge at all.


The tip of this eyeliner in not very thick and if you practice it enough you can definitely get a handle on how to achieve a thicker or thinner line. I find that it has a very versatile tip that is controlled by the pressure you apply and how close you hold the pencil to your eyelid. Overtime the technique you develop will help you control the pencil even better. I can pretty much apply this stuff in the dark. The eyeliner pencil is soft so you can either layer it on or use just one stroke and blend it with a brush to "smear it." Even though the pencil is soft, it is not weak. What I mean by this is that it doesn't break if you apply a lot of pressure to it like some other retractable pencils do.


Final verdict:
Cost: The Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner is priced between $5 and $8 depending on where you look. Like I mentioned above, I recommend the two pack because it is a great value and you will have some eyeliner when you run out of the first pencil!
Tips: Do not roll up the pencil too much but don't keep it too low either. You should have the pencil rolled up around 4-5 millimeters (you don't need to measure I'm just estimating). The pictures of the pencil in this post are a good example.
Does the pencil actually go on black?: The pencil is a true black. It does not go on light black--I've had this happen with other brands it is so NOT COOL. I feel very strongly about my black eyeliner dammit.
Repeat offender: If Revlon ever stopped making this I'd wear black for 40 days straight. No really, I swear by this stuff.
-M