These liners were born out of a desire to get the LE Lancôme Artliner Waterproof EyeLiner in "Beach Gem"...and of course, they were sold out. So I had that crazy desire to buy SOMETHING that resembled it. Of course, I ended up at Sephora and of course I went liquid liner crazy.
I'm posting about both of these in one post because they are pretty similar...and both have pluses and some minuses but they definitely have the same crazy staying power. For more liquid liner reviews/swatches/liner craziness, check out my Eyeliner Smörgåsbord post. Okay, I'm going to start out w/ the Stila one, because I love it. I have the shade "Electric", which is a sparkly teal-green. There are eight shades available for $22 each and you're getting about 1.7ml.
Stila states:
Introducing Stila's new Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liners, color-rich, vibrant, easy-to-use waterproof eye liners infused with twinkling multi-pearl micro-glitter that stays on all day and night.
These amazing new pigment-rich liquid liners contain a special polymer that adheres the glitter and pigment to the eyes for all-day, waterproof wear. Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liners are packaged in a uniquely designed long handle, pen-like component for precision and ease. The thin sponge tip applicator also ensures perfect application every time.
Key benefits:
- Perfect blend of pearls and intense pigment
- Waterproof and long-wearing
- Easy-to-use, long-handled pen-like component with soft sponge applicator
Trick: Shake well before using. Sweep tapered sponge applicator along lash line. Use tip of pen to create a thin, clean line. For a thick, bold line, position pen at an angle and apply with slightly more pressure. Remove with an oil-based eye makeup remover."
This liner lasts super long, provided you're not swimming! I can get a full day of sparkly awesomeness, even in this ridiculously sweltering Michigan heat (and we've gotten hit w/ horrible heat waves this summer!) but when I went swimming, this stuff was kaput. I'm not a super huge fan of stiff felt liner applicators but this one is so small and thin that it is easy to work w/. Plus, the tip is long and since it's so thin, it does have some give to it. $22 IS a lot of money to spend on a miniscule amount of liner, despite how glittery it may be. I think I've heard that NYX has an equivalent? I'm sure drugstores are gonna be coming out w/ this product soon!
I was so paranoid about these going away that I bought three backups of "Electric". Yeah, WTF. I could have gotten different colors, haha. But nope...had to buy this color. It's glittery and it's green and those are two things I LOVE. My favorite way to wear this is using it to line around my eyes when I'm wearing a natural, neutral look. It's a (and I hate phrases like this, lol) "fun pop of color". I don't think you need to freak out like I did. I'm pretty certain they're permanent.
I have noticed that this liner has slight flaking problems when I wear it for more than eight hours. I think it's a bummer that there are only eight colors as well. As to different finishes...well, they're called "Sparkle" for a reason, so that particular issue doesn't bother me. Sometimes you need to build up the color because the initial application isn't always super opaque in one go.
Here's a close-up on the applicator and a swatch.
Okay, moving on to the Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner. I have "#16", which is the last shade out of a total of 16 colors that they offer. These liners are $23 per 1.7ml or 0.058 oz, so they are a dollar more than the Stila ones.
Aqua Liner is a high precision waterproof liquid eyeliner. Rich in pigments and polymers, its formula guarantees intense color and an outstanding waterproof result. Its ergonomic applicator lets you easily apply an ultra precise line to create an eyeliner makeup look. Aqua liner is available in a wide range of vibrant shades with matte, iridescent and diamond finishes. Easily remove with waterproof makeup remover."
I'm not super geeked about the shade I have. I bought it w/o paying attention to the tester and I thought it was going to be a white liquid liner (I mean, how cool would that be??) but it's actually a whitish-silvery sheer color w/ a lot of sparkle. It looks great over other liners, especially black, but it borders on invisible on its own.
Again, this liner is super long lasting. I have noticed slight flaking eight hours in, like w/ the Stila, but that could be because I layered it over a black liquid liner. When I've swatched these on my hand, they last for at least a day. Plus, this liner comes in a ton of colors that have a variety of finishes. There's a yellow and a red that I really want. The applicator is the same stiff felt tip, but again, it is so small and fine that it's not cumbersome or difficult to work w/ at all.
The outside packaging is pretty much the same exact thing. In fact, I kind of thought these were exactly the same, just a different brand slapped on top but they're actually different. I still maintain that the Stila one is a dupe for that Artliner I had been trying to find. The MUFE one has a longer handle but a shorter applicator whereas the Stila has the opposite. They're both surprisingly easy to work w/ because I normally dislike felt tips and stiff tipped liner applicators.
