Here's something I haven't tried yet: Drugstore brand gel eyeliner. I saw these at the store and thought they looked pretty nice, so I figured I'd give them a try. My jar of MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack is on its last legs, so it was about time for me to pick up another anyway. Historically, I haven't had the best luck with Maybelline products, but I took a chance on these and I'm really glad I did. They rock.
Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel EyelinerThe colors I chose are Blackest Black, a matte deep black, and Eggplant, a shimmery blackened purple.
Instructions and ingredients.(click to enlarge)
Each Lasting Drama liner comes with its own brush. It's not your typical eyeliner brush, either. It's small, flat and rounded at the end. It feels like it has synthetic bristles.
Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama 24 Hour Gel Eyeliner in Eggplant, applied using included brushWhat I liked:
- Easy to find; available in any drugstore.
- Blackest Black is nice and opaque, no need to go over the line multiple times to achieve full, even coverage.
- The formula is extremely smooth and creamy. Not too dry, not too wet, perfect gel texture.
- Each liner comes with a brush and the brush is actually really good for applying this type of gel-textured liner. One thing I like about it is that it is flat and has a precise edge so it's easy to draw winged liner without making the lines blurry or too wide.
- Quick drying.
- I haven't experienced any flaking, smudging or eye irritation while wearing Blackest Black
- Under $10 each, depending on where you shop.
What I didn't like:
- The Eggplant shade is not as opaque as the Blackest Black shade. I had to apply multiple layers to make an opaque line. Applying multiple coats causes the liner to flake when touched.
- The Eggplant shade isn't as strong of a color, either. It looks soft and faded and it lacks impact. I would have liked it to look more like Eggplant.
- Blackest Black could be a little blacker; it's not quite as dark as MAC Blacktrack. It's really not bad, though.
- While some places carry these for under $10 (I paid about $7 for mine), I've seen others price this as high as $12. MAC Fluidlines only cost $15 for the same amount of product.
- Very small shade selection. Only four colors (black, brown, charcoal, purple).
Like I mentioned above, I'm really glad I took a chance on these. I'm rather impressed by the quality of them. The Eggplant wasn't exactly up to par, but I'm definitely going to buy Blackest Black again. It applies just as easily as the MAC Fluidline gel liner I normally buy, lasts just as long and looks just as good. The formula is creamy and a little on the wet side so it applies smoothly and without skipping. Plus, the brush it comes with actually works perfectly and I honestly wasn't expecting it to. Add another one to the list of shockingly awesome drugstore makeup items.
Wow I am regretting passing on these - I bought a paul and joe gel liner instead and the product was shocking which is a shame.. will definitely be picking this up - thanks for you're review :) x
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever bought anything from Paul and Joe, though I definitely drool over pretty much everything they release. Even the scary cat lipsticks!
DeleteThank you!! :D It's the orange Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow on the lid, MAC Off The Radar pigment in the crease and NARS Albatross on the inner corner, slightly underneath and on my browbone :) Doing a post on the Color Tattoo shadow soon!
ReplyDeleteI have this eyeliner in eggplant. Ive been using a brush that I bought separately for application, but I'll try the one that came with the eyeliner again after seeing how smooth and defined you got your lines.
ReplyDeleteI was expecting it to suck but I ended up really liking it!
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ReplyDeleteI've owned eggplant for awhile now. I enjoyed your review, but you may wish to revisit this opinion in a few months. My pot of liner is clumpy and beads up, making it hard to get the proper amount on the brush. I've also found the brush very useful, but hard to keep clean. The bristles never lay right after I wash it.
ReplyDeleteOoh, nasty, thanks for the warning! I'll definitely re-assess in about a month or so. Not sure I'm going to hang on to the Eggplant one that long, but I'll be keeping an eye on changes in the black one.
DeleteI love the swatches! That's a bit disappointing about the eggplant shade... I love purple eyeliner and that's probably the color I would've gone for if it was more opaque.
ReplyDeleteThe black one's really nice, but yeah, bit disappointed in the eggplant. I'm always buying purple liners and none of them ever live up to my expectations! Maybe I'm expecting too much, haha
DeleteIt's an amazing liner (for drugstore)!! After using MACs Blacktrack for years just like you I decided to try another brand. BOBBI BROWN in Black Ink. If you think MAC is AMAZING and highly pigmented with great lasting power you should really give BB a try... I think you may change your mind. Although it is more expensive it's worth the price and you can usually find them at a CCO believe it or not! I use my Maybelline on w/e's to "save" my BB yet nonetheless it's a GREAT product! Don't you just love when you find a drugstore gem? Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI've heard so many people recommend that Bobbi Brown eyeliner, I'm going to have to try it one of these days! Would you believe that I don't own a single Bobbi Brown item? That will probably be my first!
DeleteThe BB gel liner is the ONLY BB item I own! And yes, you have to try that gel liner. I have it in about 10 shades!
DeleteI might actually pick these up. I've never tried gel eyeliner before and I'm on a budget, so I can't afford MAC or anything. It'd be fun just to experiment with :)
ReplyDelete--Becky
I always get so excited when I find something cheap that works really well. Like those Wet n Wild ColorIcon palettes... Can not believe how good they are for under $5.
DeleteI love these liners, I have the black and the brown. Great affordable options :)
ReplyDeleteHow's the brown? I couldn't decide between that and the purple, but figured I'd use the purple more often so I got it instead... Now I want to go back for the charcoal...
DeleteI havent tried these but I'm a big gel eyeliner fan, my fav are the essence gel eyeliners, and the L'oreal HIP gel eyeliners. I highly recommend the essence ones though! My fav brush to use with them is the essence eyeliner brush, dirt cheap and fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip on the Essence liners! I'm not sure if I've seen them, but I'm going to go look for them this weekend!
DeleteI've bought mine from ulta.com in the past :)
DeleteI haven't tried this yet! I also use MAC fluidline, until someday I saw some great reviews on Wet n Wild's mega creme eyeliner, so I gave it a try! I liked it and still using it :D Plus, it's so cheap! I will try this Maybelline one next time ^-^
ReplyDeleteI bought that one too! I haven't used it yet, but I've heard great things about it so I'm really excited to try it out!
DeleteMy winged liner never looks this gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteYou think my liner is gorgeous?? Awwwe! Thank you! Have you tried this tiny little brush? I'm kinda shocked at how easily it made the wings at the end of my liner... Usually I have to fight with them to make them straight!
DeleteMy getting a good wing from any liner depends on the brush. I use a now discontinued BE liner brush that was called flat angled over the Bobbi Brown brush for gel liners. I almost don't have to think to get a cat eye line with that brush. I have back ups to back ups on that brush as I need with the gel liners to wash it after every use.
Deletei habe this and am in absolue love with it !!!
ReplyDeleteur review is too good...and the way u have applied it is awesome..i can never apply it soo neatly ....
I have been using this in brown for years and I love it!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Maybe I'll have to get the brown one now...
DeleteOops, sorry for the double post! Also, I always love your eyebrows! I can never get my arches that perfect. And whatever the sparkly background you photographed this on is pretty. :)
DeleteIt's okay! Seems to happen a lot with the new comment system. And thank you :D It's some sort of glittery paper for scrapbooking, I'm really glad you like it! I got so bored with the plain white background, I needed to try something prettier!
DeleteI've been using this in brown for years and I love it!
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing on you!
ReplyDeleteI love my fluid lines!! never want to cheat on them :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! I love Fluidlines too, but I also love trying new things!
DeleteI've been using the Charcoal one for a while and love it. They had some limited edition shades come out a bit ago, one being an emerald green called Forest (I believe), and I so regret passing on it. :(
ReplyDeleteI have been using the Charcoal one for a while and adore it. They came out with limited edition shades, one being an emerald green called Forest (I think that was the name), and I so regret passing on it. :(
ReplyDeleteI love dark forest green liners - even better if there is a little twinkle in them. Bobbi Brown makes a great gel in dark green.
DeleteDark green!? I wish I had that one, that sounds perfect for me :(
DeleteI too tend to avoid drugstore brands - not because I am a snob - I just don't like to waste $ and so often I am really let down on performance from drugstore brands or I am allergic to something in them. I love Bobbi Brown's gel liner in Ink. But it's not 24 hr. Good to know if I am in a $ jam or on the road and forgot a liner, this would be a good one to grab. For now I think I have a back up to my Ink and multi other shades in the same brand. Gel is the only type liner I really can get a good cat eye. I think my age is starting to show when I try and try to do one with a pencil and it ends up pointed down!
ReplyDeleteI've been really into buying drugstore makeup just to see if it performs as well as my more expensive, non-drugstore brands of makeup. I've been really shocked at how good certain things are (Wet n Wild ColorIcon eyeshadows!), but very disappointed by others (Maybelline Color Explosion eyeshadow palettes).
DeleteAnd I can never do winged liner with pencil... I think I've done it successfully ONCE... I don't know why I keep attempting it lol
These look great! Hopefully they'll come out with more colours soon :)
ReplyDeleteSame! I want a better purple hehe
DeleteGreat! I have been wondering about the Maybelline Color Tattoo eye creams. I don't usually buy drugstore color because it does not preform for me and I end up wasting $ - but this one looks like it might preform. Cannot wait for your review!
ReplyDeleteI have been using this in black for quite some time and love it--and it really does last really well! I'm in a burlesque troupe and used this to draw a frankenstein-like stitch line across my face for our Halloween show, and it stayed perfect through over an hour-long show of constant sweating, including three dance numbers and the afterparty. That's what I consider a true test of staying power. :) And yeah, the brush is not your usual eyeliner brush but I like it even better and use it with all my gel eyeliners now.
ReplyDeleteNow that's an awesome review!
DeleteBought this a few months ago and i was totally in love with it! so much easier to put on than liquid or solid, unfortunately i lost mine so ill have to pick anohter one of these up soon. =)
ReplyDeleteIt really is easy to apply, makes me want to wear gel liner more often
DeleteHmm... I must be doing something wrong bc I can't ever get this eyeliner to stay on my eyelids. =/ I bought the same exact eyeliner in Blackest Black a couple of weeks ago because I've read rave reviews on multiple sites. However, even with Too Faced Shadow Insurance, it still smudges after a few hours of wear. Plus, I feel like it never dries! Lol. o__O Actually, I have yet to find an eyeliner that has staying power on my eyelids. Any suggestions? Do you put your eyeliner on before or after you curl your lashes and put on mascara?
ReplyDeleteAwe :( Do you have oily skin/oily eyelids, or are you putting eye cream or moisturizer on your lids before your primer? I could see that maybe causing it to smudge and not dry. It dries really fast for me! You could always try putting an oil-absorbing setting powder on your lids after your primer but before your eyeliner.
DeleteI apply my liner before my mascara, and in the past, before curling as well (I stopped curling my lashes a while back). Otherwise, I'd get eyeliner on my lashes/mess up my mascara and it would be messy to apply liner close to your lashline with wet lashes!
Oops, SO sorry for all the reposts! It didn't show up the first few times I tried it, so I kept copying and pasting. LOL =X Anyway, no, I just put on primer on my lids. That's it.I think I have combination skin, but I think it would be wise to note that I have Asian eyes. So, I don't have a defined eyelid. You can see how this poses a problem. =/ Thanks for the suggestions. I used it again today and set it with some powder with better results. I think I'll forever be on the hunt for my perfect eyeliner. Hehe.
DeleteThat's okay! It's been happening a lot ever since they introduced the new commenting system.
DeleteAnother idea, you could try a less slippery primer than Shadow Insurance. Have you ever tried Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion? It has a more dry/less slippery texture than Shadow Insurance, that might help too!
Hmm... I must be doing something wrong bc I can't ever get this eyeliner to stay on my eyelids. =/ I bought the same exact eyeliner in Blackest Black a couple of weeks ago because I've read rave reviews on multiple sites. However, even with Too Faced Shadow Insurance, it still smudges after a few hours of wear. Plus, I feel like it never dries! Lol. o__O Actually, I have yet to find an eyeliner that has staying power on my eyelids. Any suggestions? Do you put your eyeliner on before or after you curl your lashes and put on mascara?
ReplyDeleteHmm... I must be doing something wrong bc I can't ever get this eyeliner to stay on my eyelids. =/ I bought the same exact eyeliner in Blackest Black a couple of weeks ago because I've read rave reviews on multiple sites. However, even with Too Faced Shadow Insurance, it still smudges after a few hours of wear. Plus, I feel like it never dries! Lol. o__O Actually, I have yet to find an eyeliner that has staying power on my eyelids. Any suggestions? Do you put your eyeliner on before or after you curl your lashes and put on mascara?
ReplyDeleteI have the black.. it was actually my first gel liner..I paid 10 dollars and some change for it at my cvs .. I really like it..putting on eyeliner is such a breeze with the brush. And the formula is great it just glides on.
ReplyDeleteI almost bought mine at CVS but it was nearly $12 here! I found it at another store for $7, I don't know why CVS always charges so much more for everything. But I'm really glad I got it, it's so nice!
DeleteI got the black one a few months ago, my first gel eyeliner because I usually just use liquid. Maybe I'm not used to gel, because I didn't like it! It applied fine, but the black faded or something because it looks blue after a while. Reminds me of those old Asian ladies who's tattooed eyebrows get all faded. I'm going to stick with my drugstore liquid eyeliner :)
ReplyDeleteHmm... I haven't had that happen yet, but I know exactly what you mean, haha! It's stayed nice and black for me every time that I've worn it. Still never giving up liquid liner, but it's nice to change it up once in awhile :)
DeleteThis actually comes in two shades that you didn't mention - espresso (dark black-brown) and sapphire (bright blue.) I use Espresso almost daily - it's great.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen those! Every place I've been to only has the four. Going to go look for them!
DeleteYup, Walmart by me carries the espresso, sapphire, and forest shades in this liner. I was surprised because I thought sapphire and forest were supposed to be limited edition. I think I've also seen these shades at Target, but for sure at Walmart.
ReplyDeleteWalmart, eh? Looks like I'm going to have to go in there to get those, I haven't seen them anywhere else!
DeleteFYI, I just found the Sapphire and Forest shades at local discount retailers (Ocean State Job lot and Five Below) for $3. I'd love to try the Espresso next!
DeleteI just got the black one to try it out & I loved it, the texture is so smooth & glides really nicely & the brush is amazingly the best liner brush I have ever tried & I have tried ALOT!!!! I will absolutely buy more of these, even if all the colors aren't as good as the black, simply to have a few extra of the brushes in case I break/ruin/lose one I will have a backup handy, lol. Thanks so much for posting this, I'm so happy with my purchase.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm really fond of the liner brush, too. I usually use a long skinny type of brush, but this one is so easy, I'm glad I tried it!
DeleteYay! :D I love it too!
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of these. I use them on my waterline though. Best so far I can find for the waterline!
ReplyDeleteWaterline, eh? I'm going to have to try that! I have really good luck with Urban Decay's Perversion eyeliner pencil, it's the only one I can get to stay on my waterline all day.
DeleteRandomly, the brush looks like it would make an awesome lip brush.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! It looks and feels like a lip brush, which is why it seemed so unusual to use it for eyeliner, but it rocks!
DeleteLove the bright orange eye!
ReplyDeleteThank you :) I <3 orange!
Deletethere is also a green and saphire blue. @ different browns as well. I have a bunch of there myself
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen those anywhere... A few people mentioned Walmart, but I haven't gotten a chance to go and look for them yet. I want them!
DeleteI just might have to try this as well. I'm a long time pencil user who just started using the felt tip style liner to try and get that winged look, but I have only had a couple good applications with it. Most of the time I give up and just do a regular line! I love how your winged liner looks! Maybe you could give some pointers or do a mini tutorial!
ReplyDeleteThank you :) The gel liner with the thin, flat brush really makes it easy. I was expecting the brush to be crap, actually, but it's really not!
DeleteI'm so glad I read this review, because I was about to spend $22 on the Bobby Brown or purchase the MAC and I'd much rather get something that easier to get and cheaper.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reviewing this! I think in recent years, Maybelline has come out with some great stuff. This is what I use that I feel live up to their claims: define-a-brow pencil, superstay 24 hour concealer, and maybelline illegal lengths waterproof mascara. If you can stand the taste/smell of their formulas, a lot of the lippies are opaque colors as well.
ReplyDeleteI actually have the Eggplant gel liner, and I felt the same way you did. It was what put me off from purchasing the other colors. But now that you have said the Blackest Black is fine, I might just go out and give the other colors a shot.
I gave up on gel liners a couple of years ago after trying several that all seemed too dry, tuggy, and flaky. I also had a hard time finding a brush that would work. They were always either too soft or too hard. So, as I have for decades, I stick to liquid or pencil+powder.
ReplyDeleteYour review and a lot of the comments here have gotten me excited to give this one a try, especially at this price point. Thanks!
I gave up on gel liners a couple of years ago after trying several that all seemed too dry, tuggy, and flaky. I also had a hard time finding a brush that would work. They were always either too soft or too hard. So, as I have for decades, I stick to liquid or pencil+powder.
ReplyDeleteYour review and a lot of the comments here have gotten me excited to give this one a try, especially at this price point. Thanks!
I think my comment disappeared. I don't want to double post, but the gist was, gel liners haven't been my friends in the past - they're usually too dry and I can never find a good brush. Your review and many of these comments give me hope. I'll pick this one up ASAP.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love your photos on glitter paper. Genius! : )
Ooh, I like it! I have problems with gel eyeliner as I flinch when stuff goes near my eyes, and then like a self-fulfilling prophecy, it goes in my eyes :p
ReplyDeleteYour eyes and eye make-up are gorgeous!
What do you think about wet n wild mega liner creme liner in black and eggplant??Are they better or not?
ReplyDelete