Every makeup lover knows that you can't have too many eyeliners in your beauty arsenal. All of them are very handy when you need to provide an extra sass to the eyes. Pencil eyeliners and eye kohl are irreplaceable when it comes to a classic smokey eye, gel eyeliners are best for the iconic smudged Megan Fox eye look, and liquid eyeliners create the best, sharp as a knife's blade cat eyes.
But finding a good-working eyeliner could be just as hard as defining those wings. Some makeup artists spend years and years in search of high-performance eyeliner.
Brace yourselves, lovelies, I guess I found the perfect liquid eyeliner that combines all of the necessary qualities in one petite tube. I'm talking about the Liquid Ink eyeliner by Essence — one of the best drugstore brands from Germany. This eyeliner is so bomb that it even received an award in Allure's Best of Beauty nomination because of its pleasant price and excellent quality.
I would like to start my review with the slim and delicate brush-applicator, featured in the Liquid Ink eyeliner. Even the most skillful archer would envy the precision of this fine tip. It is easy to manipulate, bendy, and soft. At times applicator picks up too much of the product, but you can always eliminate the excessive amount of liquid eyeliner and avoid the ink-like blot.
Formula and Texture:
The water-based formula doesn't feel too runny in action; in fact, it applies evenly and smoothly on the surface of the skin, filling it with intense black pigment. It applies thinly and doesn't emphasize skin imperfections. Thanks to the special formula, even non-waterproof Liquid Ink resists the small amount of moisture (if not rubbed) and doesn't flake off or smudge.
And now a few words about the Liquid's Ink pigmentation. I would simply describe the color payoff as otherworldly. The product is pigmented with Black 2 colorants, which consist of highly pure carbon particles and deliver a no-streak, deep black color in mascara, eyeliner, and other makeup products. To get the ideal cat eyeliner look, you might want to pick up just a bit more of the product and go back with more color over the existing eyeliner shape.
Finish and Staying Power:
The Liquid Link Eyeliner by Essence comes in three different finishes: matte, high shine, and waterproof liquid eyeliner. All three products have similar qualities — fine brush-applicator, long-lasting, fast-drying formula, analogous packaging, but they differ in the finish.
The high shine Liquid Ink eyeliner appears shiny on the eyelid, unlike the matte version, which absorbs light and creates a pitch-black effect. It goes without saying that the waterproof Liquid Ink eyeliner by Essence is resistant to water and moisture, so it is best for summer makeup, as it won't melt off the skin under the scorching sun rays.
Final Verdict...
Undoubtedly, this is the best budget-friendly liquid eyeliner on the market. Its intense pigmentation, smooth application, and longevity still appear in my dreams at night, when I fantasize about the heavenly makeup land with no creasing and flaking.
If you are still hunting for the blackest black eyeliner that won't break the budget, yet works like a charm on the lids, search no more. Essence's Liquid Ink Eyeliner is all we makeup lovers need. I strongly recommend you try it yourself.
