Essence Cosmetics amazes me with every new release. I especially LOVE the most recent release of their Aquatix collection, there was a holographic polish!! But I digress, today I have eyeliners to show off and they're pretty good as well :)
They're creamy, pigmented, smooth, and they last quite a while but near the end, they can get a bit smudgy. The best part is they're twist up AND they don't break while I apply them. I usually hate twist ups (first horrible experience was with the Hard Candy twist up eyeliner long long loooong time ago, everytime it would break up in chunks as I applied...boo)
Today I tested Black Blaze (black), Cocoa Bean (brown) and I think Blue Lagoon (a shimmery blue leaning teal). It wasn't applied and the lighting is crappy these days :(
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| swatches L-R: Blue Lagoon, Black Blaze & Cocoa Bean taken in natural light |
All three when applied were smudge-proof, I tried dragging a finger through my swatches and it barely budged (very surprised!) Because they are waterproof, my usual Bioderma Sensibio wasn't great on removing them, I went back to my Lancome Bifacil to remove them and it was much better.
Another con is because they are twist-ups without sharpeners, the tips will dull. So they're not great for doing the cat eye / creating wing tips. Personally, that doesn't bother me because in my usual routine, I finish off with a liquid eyeliner and finish the ends with it as well..but for people who JUST use pencil..then that's a problem. Even if you try to apply on a slant, eventually it dulls.
I will have more information on each one underneath the pictures. If I missed anything, feel free to ask below by commenting! :)
Black Blaze
Black Blaze is a rich matte black. It's very creamy and pigmented. I think out of the three, its application was the smoothest. Black Blaze's tip wore out the fastest, maybe because it was the creamiest/softest. May also explain why it was the first to smudge off. Black Blaze wowed me in pigmentation. It compared to my HG's of Sephora Flashy Eyeliner in Black [(discontinued) in colour and application but not formula] or Urban Decay in Perversion (in colour and application but not formula)
Cocoa Bean
Cocoa Bean is medium matte brown. It's not as creamy as the others but the colour payoff is nice. It applies smooth but there is a slight drag as it feels harder when applying. Lasting power was average (4hrs). Personally don't like brown eyeliner so I can't say if it's a good shade for everyday use or where to apply it best lol.
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon is a shimmery blue leaning teal. The colour is beautiful! I don't normally wear colour (black cat eyes everyday for me ahaha) but I think it makes a wonderful bright waterliner. The application was smooth, it lasted the longest, had great pigmentation, the only con.. it was a PITA to remove. My initial wipe left my whole eye blue until I got out my Bifacil haha..
Below are pictures after abour 4 hours of wear, Noticed that there is only slight smudging but black has been rubbed off the most. Still staying strong is Blue Lagoon!
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| After 4 hours; including light hand-washing, arts & crafts session with kids and wearing long sleeve |
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| After 4hrs; with flash |
For an everyday liner, these are very good. They don't last perfectly for more than 4 hours (Black Blaze was the first to start being smudgy after 3.5hrs give or take), Blue Lagoon lasted the longest, barely smudging after 4.5 hrs. Still due to the price point ($2.99 CAD), I think it's a good buy and would definitely recommend it to people who are new at applying makeup, want a budget friendly eye pencil, or have sensitive eyelids and can't stand the harder ones that drag the eyelid while not having much colour payoff.
Overall:
What: Essence Gel Eye Pencil - Waterproof Formula
Pros: Pigmented, Smooth, Long-lasting (average 4hrs), Smudgeproof (average 4hrs), thin enough for a nice line, strong (doesn't break while applying), twist up (no sharpening!), great price point (under $5!!!)
Con: Smudges after 4hrs (average time), tip dulls (twist up, can't sharpen ends), harder than average removal
Essence Cosmetics can be found at Shoppers Drug Mart. Essence Gel Eyeliner Pencils (Waterproof) 0.02oz / 0.57g retail at $2.99CAD.
Products were provided by the company for review. All opinions are my own.
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