Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner

Whoo~ I'm back with another review guys! My net's back to normal and good thing as well, considering a lot of these images are quite large in file size haha.

Today I'll be sharing with you one of my recent repurchases which I'm pretty sure a lot of you are familiar with. Maybelline New York's Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in 02 Brown has been one of my everyday staples for almost more than a year now. It's just one of those eye liners that I've carried on using because of its availability, price and functional return.

The Claims
I remember purchasing this product, along with its other color in 01 Black a while back after hearing raves on it on youtube. This was my very first gel/cream liner purchase and back then it was also the first time I'd try my hand in applying eyeliner with a brush.

I was drawn to it because of its claims of 24-hour wear, and water+smudge-proof formula. Considering the humidity and weather in the Philippines, these are definitely must-haves when it comes to eyeliner, especially if you want your liner to keep rain or shine.

According to the packaging:

"The long-wearing creamy gel texture provides the desired intense lines with a smooth, even application"

"Creamy gel type allows to draw a smooth clean line without crease. Customized eye line brush allows lines to be drawn as desired from fine to thick. The creamy gel texture dries quickly after application. Long lasting Water-proof and smudge-proof formula that resists sweat, tears, and water."

I don't remember reading as much Engrish being on the packaging on my first purchase, so I was worried that I may have bought a fake from a reputable department store at that. Looking at the label, apparently the one I had this time was Made in China, as opposed to my first one being Made in Korea, furthering my suspicion. I'm still not sure if what I bought is a fake or if Maybelline's just outsourced their production to a different country. Anybody know about this?

That being said, after opening the product up, I saw no remarkable difference, so I guess there wasn't much to be worried about.

The Product
The product itself is almost exactly what it claims to be, and while I wouldn't describe it to be a gel exactly (it's more of a cream), it's a good alternative to more expensive gel/cream liners out there. 02 Brown comes with some rather tacky-looking glitter at first glance, which turned me off even on my first purchase. When worn, the glitter doesn't really show. Instead it gives the eyeliner a unique sheen to it. I would still prefer a plain brown, but unfortunately, counters I've seen here in the Philippines only sell the brown with glitter, whereas I've heard that in other countries, there's a brown available without glitter. Come on Maybelline, what the heck?

It almost looks like a mini brown galaxy.

Each little container seems like it comes with a lot but it actually comes with just 2.8 g/0.10 oz. Not to say that's bad. One little container actually lasted me almost a year when used thriftily.

You may want to take care as to how you dip your brush into the product though, as it can get quite messy if you don't develop a system for getting the product. What I tend to do is create a cake-slice shaped wedge and sieve product off from there, gradually making the slice larger as necessary. Yay for neat application!

The brush that comes with the eyeliner is of surprisingly good quality appropriate for its function. I prefer using the brush that comes with the eyeliner as opposed to my usual angled liner brush when applying this because the brush that comes with it is a lot easier to clean. It's actually quite dense - stiff enough to maintain precision but also soft enough so that the product glides on evenly with smooth application. With enough practice, I was able to line and wing my lid with just one stroke!

The eyeliner itself holds quite true, at least with my skin type. I've used this through the wet rain and sweaty sunny days and it's more or less did it's job. It's not the best pigment wise since it tends to fade and loose its intensity over time, but nothing a quick touch up can't fix.

On my skin, this product resists sweat and smudging quite well, but that's probably because I don't have oily lids to begin with. I've heard feedback that for some people with oilier skin, this product tends to run, so keep vigilant or wear a primer to increase longevity. Setting the cream with a brown eyeshadow may also help keep the hold, but for normal to dry skin, this should work exceptionally well.

Another thing to take note of is that when layering on the liner to build intensity, it may take longer to dry. The quick-dry application really only applies if you're applying a thin layer of liner, but for thicker more intense lines, you may have to wait a few seconds before blinking just to make sure there isn't any transfer.

The product resists water well enough, and when rubbed, fades instead of smudges which is a good thing. Fading, you can fix, but smudging is a whole new story. It also comes off fairly easily with makeup remover or plain old soap and water, so you don't have to worry about irritating removal afterwards.

This product is perfect for those days when you want a neutral and more natural look, but it can also be worn as a warmer alternative to intense black winged liner.

Below is how the liner looks winged on my eye. The glitter isn't as noticeable when it's on, but it's a lot different from just a flat brown. With a bit of skill, you can smudge the liner out before it sets and create a smoky effect, as I did for my lower lash line below. Forgive the glitter fall out. I was testing out some new eyeshadow and they turned out to be quite on the powdery side.

All in all, any gel or cream liner is favorable if you want lasting hold and a soft finish, whereas liquid liners tend to give a more defined and sleek look. Gel and cream liners are definitely a good compromise between the realms of liquid liner and pencil liner, workable in ways available to the two.

So in summary:
Pros:
Cheap
Locally available in Maybelline Counters
Comes with a good brush
Waterproof and Smudge resistant on my skin
Easy and even application
Versatile uses
Can be applied thin or thick depending on brush and technique used
Easy to remove with makeup remover or soap and water

Cons:
Less product that you expect
Only comes with glitter here in the Philippines (as far as I know)
Pot tends to get messy if you don't retrieve product out of it properly.
Tends to fade and loose intensity
Reports of smudging on oilier lids.

All in all, this product is just one of those products that's perfect for everyday use when you don't want to use your more expensive products but still want to look put-together. With its price and pay-off it's quite a reasonable purchase.

So what do you guys think?

Ada, signing out.