Oh Kate! Thanks for reminding me that gel based eye liners are meant to look like thick cream, apply like butter and spread like silk! I almost forgot all of that when my MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack dried up!
And let’s not forget my unfortunate episode with the Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Shimmer Ink that was dry like salted fish from the start.
Gel eyeliner, I have come to realize, is actually the easiest type of eyeliner to apply. Natural or dramatic, gel liners are much more adaptable to the type of look you want to achieve than liquid or pencil eyeliners.
Go for a sleek thin line to define the eyes, or amp up the look with a sultry winged out line. Pencil eyeliners can never achieve the intensity of gel liners; liquid eyeliners can never stay as long or smudgeproof as gel liners.
Packaging and Size
Fresh gel liner always looks so yummy and inviting!
The early generation of the Kate Gel Eyeliner came with an eyeliner brush which many people loved, more than the gel liner itself. I don’t have the luxury of ever trying out the brush because it has since been excluded. Same price but without the brush! Bah!
The Kate Gel Eyeliner is smaller in quantity than its high-end MAC and Bobbi Brown friends with only 2.5g – 0.5g less than them. But I’m not complaining because who needs so much product when gel liners dry up so fast anyways!
I like the frosty finish of the Kate Gel Liner too! And it feels lighter and much less vulnerable compared to the glass jars of MAC and BB.
Application
I really couldn’t wait till after the weekends to plunge my favorite Sonia Kashuk Bent Eyeliner Brush into the gel liners. They looked so yummy and inviting! So the very next morning I tried the Kate Gel Liner in BK-1 and oh my, I felt like I was cutting the butter for McDonald’s breakfast waffles. It took tremendous effort to reserve the BU-1 till after the photo shoot. LOL.
The Kate Gel Liner glides so creamily it may be a teeny wee bit hard at first to control; it is more slippery than MAC or Bobbi Brown. In terms of control, MAC Fluidline still comes in tops because it is creamy enough to apply without having to tug at the eyelids, yet not overly creamy until you risk drawing a wobbly line.
Once you get used to Kate's creamy consistency though, it is definitely a dream to apply. If you get too much product on your eyeliner brush, simply wipe the excess off on a tissue.
I’ve had no problems achieving a sleek, well-defined winged out eye line with the Kate Gel Liner.
Color
BK-1: Matte black
BU-1: Matte navy blue (I love this color! It was exactly what I wished for when I bought the MAC Liquidlast Liner in Inky)
4 other shades are available:
BK-2: Black brown
BR-1: Dark brown
BK-3: Black with glitter
CL-1: Silver white
Pigmentation
I find that Kate actually wins MAC in terms of pigmentation. BK-1 is a darker matte black than Blacktrack.
Blacktrack, BK-1, BU-1
One odd thing is that, if I accidentally get eyeshadow powder on MAC Blacktrack, the black eyeliner does not get covered by the eyeshadow. If I do that with Kate Gel Liner BK-1, the eyeshadow easily covers the black eyeliner. It’s no big deal to go over the line again, but it is a hassle in a way.
Smudgeproof and Long-lasting
Oily eyelids call for smudge-resistant products, like eye primers, smudgeproof mascara (Smudgeproof VS Waterproof Mascara), and gel based eyeliners because they stay on much longer on the lids and are more resistant to oil secretion of the eyelids. I do what I can to ensure eye makeup stays on the lids for at least a good 10 hours.
If resistance to The BodyShop Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover says anything about smudge resistance, then the Kate Gel Eyeliner is a sure winner.
MAC Fluidline Blacktrack comes off easier and faster, while the Kate Gel Liner swatches stay pretty stubbornly on the skin. To thoroughly remove gel liners though, use an oil-based makeup remover.
I must say I am immensely impressed with the smudgeproof Kate Gel Eyeliners. Not only do they last well into the night, they hardly smudge. While MAC Fluidline Blacktrack can smudge when I apply it on the lower lashline, the Kate Gel Eyeliner stays really well on the lower lashline.
I totally recommend the Kate Gel Eyeliner to people who always have trouble getting eyeliner to stay on the lids, like if you have oily eyelids, or monolids, or always have eyeliner transferred onto the skin above the fold.
This is a winner, I tell ya!
Bun Bun rates the Kate Gel Eyeliner:
What is your favorite drugstore eyeliner brand?
What is the BEST gel liner you've tried?
