Review: Wet N Wild Liquid Eyeliner (Black)

In my arsenal of makeup, black eyeliner is my weapon of choice. My eyes are the feature I know I should be playing up: the more striking they look, the less my baby-fat cheeks and big nose get noticed as my primary features. With my dark hair and brown eyes, I am one of those rare people who benefit from the black eyeliner look (I recommend a soft black or deep brown to most people--more on that another time). While pencil liner is easy to apply and easy to remove, nothing is as gorgeous, as striking, or as precise as liquid eyeliner. Yes, liquid eyeliner is my weapon of choice, but it's also most likely to backfire; using tips like Little Miss Makeup's can help draw the perfect shape, but you've still got to find the right product. After all, the wrong liquid eyeliner can fade quickly, smudge easily, and have an awful applicator... and those are the problems you run into within the first five minutes. A liquid eyeliner that avoids fading and smudging all day? There aren't many, and believe me, price is no indicator.

Of course, in my younger days, I thought price was an indicator, which is why I was so hesitant to purchase Wet 'n' Wild Liquid Eyeliner in Black for just $2.99 at CVS at full price. I should note that I had tried the H2O Proof version before and hated it-- it was difficult to apply, had a weird consistency, and hardly lived up to its name. Alas, I had read good things about the regular liner, so I was sucked back into the Wet 'n' Wild drugstore-price vortex. And I am so glad I was.

Never again.

The eyeliner is super easy to apply: one dip of the brush is sufficient for seamless lines on both your upper and lower lid. The brush itself is durable and precise, leaving lines about 1-1.5 mm wide depending on the angle and pressure you utilize. After about fifteen seconds, the eyeliner is dry enough for your lids to bat against the skin above your eye without leaving reside behind. (Am I the only one with that problem?) The liquid's smooth application leaves the final product looking both striking and professional. It easily lasts eight hours without smudging... at least for gals with oily skin like me. Of course, it isn't rub-proof, but are there really many eyeliners that are?

So, let's go to the summary, shall we?
Pros: Smooth application, deep color, durable brush, and a little bit goes a long way
Cons: Few color options, H2O liquid liner is awful.
Price: $2.99 at drugstore.com
Bottom line: As an eyeliner aficionado, I truly believe you can't find any better for the price!