Revlon Emerald/Empire PhotoReady Kajal - Review, Photos, Swatches

Revlon has been launching new products for us pretty frequently and one of them is the PhotoReady Kajal Intense Eyeliner + Brightener. I'm a huge fan of colored eye pencils and anything new that comes out in the market in this category, 90% chance I'm gonna buy it. So here I am with my thoughts on the shade Emerald/Empire. All of you who read Temptalia probably saw that Christine rated this product D+. After reading her review, I was actually in two minds whether to buy or not. But then I swatched the kajal at the revlon counter and absolutely loved the dark rich emerald color. I was also on the lookout for a nude eye pencil and since I was getting both colors in one pencil, bought it. Do I agree with Christine's rating now that I've tried Emerald/Empire? Read on to find out. 

What is the Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Intense Eyeliner + Brightener?
It is a dual-ended eyeliner with a bolder, deeper shade on one end for lining and defining, and a brightening shade on the opposite end to open up the eyes. Revlon says both shades can be applied to the inner rim of the eye, should last all-day long and have a creamy formula that glides on smoothly. 
About the shades Emerald & Empire
Emerald - Blue-tinted teal with a matte finish.
Empire - Nude/light beige with a matte finish.

Revlon Emerald/Empire PhotoReady Kajal Swatch

My thoughts on both:
Emerald - this is a gorgeous color that is dark, deep, rich and looks lovely. The pigmentation is great and there is super color payoff.  But I do find that it's slightly hard so does not really glide on too smoothly. I wear Emerald both on the lids as well as water line and there is no irritation. Christine's major issue with these shades is the staying power specially with Empire. I have no issues with Emerald's staying power though. On me, it lasts for nearly six hours without smudging and I love it. Helps that I don't have oily lids but I think this will last on everyone without any smudging or fading problem.
Empire - This is the problematic one. No complaints with the color as it looks wonderful on the water line. A nude color looks much better than white which can be too stark and this color is perfect. No complaints about the texture and pigmentation as well. Empire is creamier and does glide on smoothly. The only problem is that it has bad staying power, at least on me. When I apply, the color pay off is great but after 30 mins or so it fades away and I can hardly see anything on the eyes. And I don't have a slippery waterline! If only Revlon had cracked the staying power of this shade, the pencil would have been an absolute must have!.

Used Emerald on my upper lashline

Now coming to the rating. Will I give the same D+ as Christine of Temptalia? No, I won't because one of the shades has really worked for me. I love Emerald and would recommend this color to everyone who likes using colored liner. Emerald for me is an A+. On the other hand, Empire is rather disappointing. I had such high expectations from this nude pencil but the fading away bit is a major put off. Empire on it's own is a D. Also, the pencil needs to be sharpened which equals to product loss. Keeping all these in mind, I'll give the Revlon Emerald/Empire PhotoReady Kajal a C. 
Should you buy Emerald/Empire? Yes, if you like emerald/teal on your eyes and don't mind spending Rs 395 to get value out of only one shade mostly. No, if you think Rs 395 is too much for a pencil that is only worth one shade. 
Have you tried Emerald/Empire or any other shade of the new Revlon Emerald/Empire PhotoReady Kajal?