August 7th, 2017
This week we’re celebrating an under-rated kit staple – the humble black eyeliner in our favourite medium: gel. Nothing sticks around quite like it, and it’s often what we reach for whether we want a more lived-in, grungy look or sleek lines. From rapidly improved pencils or traditional pots, Warpaint are ready to be inked in blackest black.
Image Source – Photo by Rossella Vanon for ELLE India
Beginning with the classic pot of inky gel liner, the obvious place to start is Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Gel Eyeliner (£19) in Black Ink. There’s a good reason why many artists, including ourselves, keep coming back to this classic product. Not only is the pigment deep and true, a single pot will last you for ages and the formula has just the right amount of play time before setting.
A more versatile product, with a bit more play time and a smoother, thinner consistency would be the NARS Eye Paints (£19). We love how silky and lightweight these feel, and while the variety of shades has our fingers twitching with ideas, the solid black will serve you well when creating a variety of looks.
Delilah‘s range might be compact, but they knew a gel liner (£22) was an integral product to include. And what a liner – thick, ultra-pigmented and near-impossible to remove (oil cleansers at the ready) this would be the perfect choice for humid environments or tearful brides.
Estee Lauder’s Double Wear line is known for its durability and wear time, of which the Stay-In-Place Gel Liner (£21) is no exception. Once it has set you can forget about smudging, even on the longest days on set.
Image Source – Make-up by Lisa Eldridge for Vogue Italia
If you prefer the ease and speed of a pencil liner, we can’t be the only ones to have noticed the vast improvement in quality of gel pencils over recent years. Marc Jacobs Gel Highliners (£20) are one of the best that spring to mind, with a diverse shade range and variety of finishes to choose from.
For intense pigmentation we were impressed by Trish McEvoy’s Intense Gel Liner (£22). The pencil is so soft that you can be fooled into thinking you haven’t even touched the skin, so be careful not to press too hard and deposit too much product. More suited to grungy, smudgy looks, it comes with a sponge on the other end to do so as well as an included sharpener with each pencil.
On the high street we like the Maybelline Lasting Drama 24h Gel Liner, the mechanical pencil version of their much-loved pot liner. For £4.99 you’ll be hard-pressed to find another pencil which lasts as well and delivers such depth of colour.
Smashbox Always On Gel Eye Liner (£18) have super-saturated jewel shades, and the black ‘Fishnet’ shade is also a great option. The wear-time is great on these, although they’re also a softer gel formula like the Trish pencil so mind your pressure.
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