I get excited about all new product releases, but I was really stoked about these new eyeliners. I have never tried a kajal liner before, so I was pretty intrigued. For those that don't know, kajal has been used for centuries to line and darken the eyes. I can see where some may not like the style of this product, but now that I have gotten used to it, I have become rather fond of these pencils. They come in four colors: Charcoal Skies, Navy Night, Midnight Brown, and Onyx Rush. How great are these shade names? They give a nice touch of mystery to the product. Or perhaps that is just me and my weirdness talking. Yes? Okay..moving on.
The shades I have are Navy Night and Midnight Brown. Navy Night is just that; a nice, dark blackened blue. And Midnight Brown is, well a dark brown. Obviously. You can definitely see the smudge factor in my swatches. In the second picture, I blended out the brown a bit so you can really see it. I did the swatches by applying like you would do so on your eye. I did three strokes, followed by one.
Probably the one thing that takes getting used to is the shape. It isn't your traditional liner and is conical, and tapered. In order to apply, you hold it sideways and drag along the lash line. These are not designed to create a really thin line, so if that is more your style, you will want to avoid this.
These liners have smooth texture and pretty good pigment. Despite these qualities, you have to work with these a bit. I have to go over my initial line twice to get a fully opaque line. One thing I like about these is that are perfectly smudge-able. Meaning they are soft enough that you can smudge them on your terms, but Midnight Brown won't migrate by itself. Navy night on the other hand, decided to go rogue. That one did go all over the place. Because of the smudge factor, you can create a smokey eye if you are on a time crunch. Midnight Brown stays put all day, while Navy Night liked being a brat and moved to my nose and all over the place. But it is pretty hot and humid, so more than likely that was operator error.
Overall, I have become fond of these liners, but I am not in love with them. They are cool to have lying around, but traditional liners are definitely easier to work with. Or at least they are for me. Unless you are curious or are an eyeliner hoarder, I say go ahead and pass on them.