M.A.C. Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel in Blacktrack and Dipdown

Oh, MAC, how must I think thee? You were my 19th birthday surprise -- an introduction to the world of makeup. You opened solace for dark times, a celebration for happier days, and a whole new perpective on beauty on the human face. Yet you disappoint me more often than not. But, how can I not turn back and revisit time and again?

I'm not new to Fluidline; it was the first gel liner I tried in shades Macroviolet and Rich Ground (Why [horror and amazement] do I still remember the shade names?). They were great, and I liked them better than Bobbi Brown's version. 

Top view.

Uncapped, here in their glass pots. 

Blacktrack top, Dipdown bottom: sooty dark black and deep brown. They are heavily, heavily pigmented and a brush's lightest stroke would deliver a clear line on the lids. Glides on easily with no tugging. Colors are subjective, but to me MAC's translation of black and brown here are just what I envisioned my black and brown liners to be. My only problem is, and this one's a dealbreaker, is they smudge onto my undereyes in no time, which didn't occur before with the other shades. They did seem to be harder though. Perhaps I should wait for these to harden more. In any case, if smudging is not a common problem for you and you take your liner seriously, I highly recommend these Fluidlines. 

Back of it. 

Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in 02 Brown

Maybelline's Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner scores one of the highest among drugstore eyeliners online. It is well-known for its staying power and for the quality brush it comes with. I've tried my fair share of gel eyeliners when they became popular back in 2008/2009, first from MAC (Fluidline), lots from Kate (Powder Gel Liner), and a couple of Bobbi Brown's legendary Long-Wear Gel Liners. Alas, none of them stayed put on my lids. They always migrated to my lower eye line and resulted to the dreaded panda eyes. Virtually every brand has now released their version of gel liner, but it was hard to resist Maybelline not only because of the friendly price point but also for the odd fact that I can't find a negative review about it.

 

Maybelline's offering is housed in a trapezoid box. The packaging says, "Quick dry intense color lasts all day. Smudge-Proof and Water-Proof for 24 hours." Maybelline holds regular 20%- or 30%-off sales. It didn't hurt at all when I got this for just over 300 bucks during their month-long sale last December.

 

"Long-wearing, creamy gel texture" as described sounds very tempting. I know I shouldn't be associating make-up with food, but some words work their magic. There weren't many colors to choose from; only 2 were available - 01 Black and 02 Brown. I kept asking if there is a purple one, because I know Maybelline Japan released it a few years back, but the SA said they never had any purple shade.       

 

Product description above.

 

Here is the side view of the packaging.

  

From the top. 

Here it is in a tiny (2.8 g) glass jar. The aluminum cap complements the frosted glass nicely.

 

The color in the container is a rich dark brown with red undertones. The littlest dab of liner is all that's needed to create a fine eye line.

The brush included is medium-sized in length.

 

The tip is tapered on the ends. The bristles feel stiff but that is a good thing because it allows for precise lining. I do find this brush very useful. Not many drugstore brushes/tools are made well, but I like this one from Maybelline a lot and always reach for it when I apply this gel liner.

From left to right: The first four lines, in varying degrees of intensity, are made using Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in 02 Brown. For comparison, I also swatched Lunasol's Noble Shade Liner in 02 Khaki Brown (the fifth and sixth line). You can see that Lunasol has more golden undertones while Maybelline has more black and red mixed in. The Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner on top of Lunasol Eyelid Base (N) did not smudge on me for around 10 hours. I've worn it for around 15 hours one day and by the end of the day it traveled around the eye are already. However, most people do not wear liners for that long anyway. I daresay this is the best gel eyeliner I've tried. The brush makes drawing fine and thick lines easy. The color applies intensely, dries quickly, and the shade 02 Brown flatters almost all skin tones.

 

The bottom part has a sticker description. I was surprised it was Made in China. Maybelline did not print this information on the outer packaging. I would have hesitated to get this if it were so because I avoid personal care products from the Mainland. (I observe they do not have stringent standards yet.). However since this product is under the Maybelline brand, I figured L'Oreal would make sure this is safe to use.

Notice: Sixteenth on the ingredient list is...Glass! I tried to search "glass in cosmetics" but nothing came up. It does contain aloe extracts, so that calms whatever glass may harm -- I would like to think. Anyway, apart from the slight sting I felt the first time I applied this on my eyelid, I have had no problems of irritation since. Overall, this is a great liner that does almost everything it promises.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Stash

Urban Decay used to occupy Bobbi Brown's space in Rustan's Makati many moons ago. I remember being drawn to and at the same time intimidated by that counter during my tweens. Not too far away was Kanebo's counter, which my mother frequented. While waiting for her, I would pass by Urban Decay, but never went too close, wondering what sort of rocker chick would buy and wear their makeup. Fast forward a decade and few more years, I learned that Urban Decay set itself apart from other brands by coming up with unusual colors never before seen during the 90s. What started out as a company churning out 10 lipsticks and 12 nail enamels in the U.S. is now a well-known name all over the world.

Its star products include their eyeshadows and selection of eyeliners. Being on my unfinished quest for the perfect, smudge-free pencil liner, I knew no one was stopping me from trying at least one of Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil. It didn't matter how long, or whether it will be phased-out (in fact there is now a 2nd-generation eye pencil released in the form of Glide-on Shadow Pencil). I've seen the great color swatches, read about countless smudge-free promises, and the pencil form of it. (Thank you, S and F, for going through high and low to get this for me.)

Urban Decay's eyeliner pencils are widely regarded as one of the best in the industry. I may not agree so easily.

The body is the color of the shade for easy reference. The cap is made of aluminum. I like the analog font of "24/7."

It's made in Germany (wonder why most eye pencils are?) with 1.2g of product.

Unused, in its clean stubby-point glory.

Stash is a dark mossy green blended with gold. Still, the green base and gold stand distinct of each other. It applies so beautifully as if the gold is run over the green separately. The line is drawn over three to four times in the above swatch. I was really hoping that this would stand my lids without smudging, having read about people who had no other pencil eyeliner work for them except this one. Sadly, with or without Urban Decay's Primer Potion, this smudged onto my under eye area and resulted to panda eyes. The wear was longer with the Primer Potion on, though. However, it still smudged on me after a good three hours. Needless to say, lids that can withstand most eye pencils should not miss UD's pencils. They apply easily without tugging on the eye area. The formula is creamy and the colors are to die for; way more dimensional and unique than Make Up Forever's Aqua Liners (which smudged on me too).

The ingredients: above and below pictures.

Lunasol Noble Shade Liner + L'Oreal Paris Super Liner

My favorite liners are liquid types simply because they do not smudge. 

A case of attachment

My history with eyeliners is filled with failures and disappointment. Here is a rough list that smudged on me: MAC Fluidline, MAC Pencil Eyeliners, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, RMK Pencil Eyeliner, Kanebo Kate Gel Liner, Lunasol Pencil Eyeliner, Neal's Yard Eye Liner, In2It Waterproof Gel Eyeliner; basically all non-liquid formulas. And if they did not smudge, the color payoff was poor like Lunasol Intellectual Liquid Eyeliner, Koji Line Queen, and K-Palette Real Lasting 24 Hour Eyeliner.

It was absolute delight to have discovered these two eyeliners. Lunasol Noble Shade Liner in 02 Khaki Brown comes in an elegant glass container and bronzed cap. This type of packaging is hard to beat in my book as I fall for anything transparent, heavy, and shiny all at the same time. L'Oreal Paris Super Liner in Black Crystals comes with a "shake before use" instruction. I quite like the sound of beads clicking against the container.

A dripping rich elixir of bronze-brown with a hint of green defines Noble Shade Liner in Khaki Brown. Take a look at the stark color achieved with two coats. Absolutely captivating. This is high-quality liner in many respects. The depth, complexity, and final effect of this shade is not easy to find in or replicate with other brands. The lasting power is very good but not as strong as L'Oreal Super Liner. The brush tip is fine and soft. The liquid dries in no time.

To the right, Super Liner is shown in one coat. The pigmentation is a real feat. It lasts the whole day, even longer than the Noble Shade Liner. The felt tip makes the task of applying eyeliner quite elementary. Every time I use this, it feels like drawing my face using a Pentel pen (household name here for soft/felt-tip marker pens). Imagine how a pen dries as it applies; this is the same with the Super Liner. This shade in Black Crystals is supposed to provide a glittery effect but it doesn't manifest so much. It is hard to say this with most of my makeup, but these two I consider as great buys and have absolutely no regrets acquiring. 

CHIC CHOC Magical Shiny Eye Pencil EX02

Chic Choc is a line of cosmetics by Kanebo known for its eyeliners. 

There are many shades to choose from this line, from basic matte and shimmery blacks, browns, and grays to brighter colors such as pink, aqua, blue, violet, and even silver.

The shade featured here is EX02, a pale champagne pink that shimmers. It applies with medium smoothness, not buttery soft or rock hard that it pulls against the lids. While EX02 does not smudge, I find this shade just blends in the skin and does not really show up when applied as a regular liner on the upper lids. It is best used on the inner rims, but even there it is kind of dull and does not improve any eye makeup look. It does not show up on my NC20 skin very well. Perhaps this shade would suit paler skin tones better.

Having also tried the shimmery brown from this line which smudged and resulted to brown panda eyes, I think Chic Choc can do something to improve their formula. However there is also a glittery gray that is my favorite among the three but it is not pictured because I have given it to my sister who would find more use for it. It is a great silvery gray that can be used to line the lower rims and gives off a special sexy kind of effect. 

Oddly, Chic Choc (to my knowledge) can't be found in Japan, however it is sold in Taiwan.