Today I’ve got a review and swatches of the new Esqido Gel Eyeliner Pencils; they sent me these (one black, one brown) a month or so back and I included them in my Monthly Makeup Focus for September. You may know Esqido best for their false eyelashes – which I‘ve also reviewed and loved so I was hopeful that I’d feel the same about these eyeliners.

ABOUT

From the Esqido website:

Key Benefits

All day wear, pigmented formula, continuous even flow that covers in one perfect coat, dries matte, retractable and sharpenable gel pen, pairs well with any makeup look.

Safe Formulation

5-free and latex-free. Formulated WITHOUT formaldehyde, parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. Fragrance free. Suitable for sensitive eyes.

PRICE

$16 USD for 0.15 g of product; note that at the time of this blog post, these are available for limited time launch pricing for $12 USD each.

PACKAGING

These eyeliners have some of the prettiest packaging I’ve seen; they are made of a matte white plastic and have very pretty rose gold printing. The eyeliner retracts from the bottom and there is a sharpener there too (you can see a picture of the sharpener here – I forgot to take a picture prior to using it and it’s now impossible to clean up and make presentable for photos).

INGREDIENTS

Black: Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Synthetic Wax, C30-50 Alcohols, Plymethysilsesquoixane, Silica, Polybutene, Microcrystalline Wax, Acetylate Glycol Stearate, Triethoxycapryllsilane, Mica (CI77019), Iron Oxides (CI77499), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI77510)

Brown: Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Synthetic Wax, C30-50 Alcohols, Plymethysilsesquoixane, Silica, Microcrystalline Wax, Acetylate Glycol Stearate, Triethoxycapryllsilane, Aluminum Hydroxide, Mica (CI77019), Titanium Dioxide Oxides (CI77891), Iron Oxides (CI77491, CI77492, CI77499)

SWATCHES

FORMULA & PERFORMANCE

Let’s start out with the good stuff; first, the colour payoff on these is impressive. As you can see from the swatch above, they have a very rich, almost velvet-like pigmentation with a matte finish. Second, lasting power. These literally last all day without fading or smudging which I appreciate, especially as someone who inadvertently rubs and touches my eyes on a regular basis. Unfortunately, I find the formula of these to be kind of dry; I have to press down quite hard and pull them across my eye in order to apply them evenly. Now I should note that my eyelids have quite a bit of texture on them (boo) so that does make applying pencil liners slightly more difficult. However, I’m currently in the process of using up a couple Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencils that are quite old (5+ years easily) and I still find them pretty creamy and smooth to apply in comparison. That said, I think the drier formula of these contributes to their lasting power of these so keep that in mind if it’s something that’s important to you.

VERDICT

Overall I like the packaging, staying power, pigmentation of this eyeliner but in regards to the actual formula of it, I’m sad to say it’s just not a match for me. I’m willing to trade a creamier formula for less lasting power but if you’re looking for the opposite, these might be worth a try.

What’s your favourite eyeliner?