Review: ELES Liquiliner

Hiya! I've got a new waterproof liquid eyeliner to review from the Australian brand ELES. I love supporting Australian brands as much as possible because as cheesy as this sounds, I have pride in this country that I have lived in all my life! Also, it's always much more convenient to purchase instore than online.

This is what I received from their PR coordinator (Kanya)

Not sure if all of my readers are aware of this or not but liquid eyeliner is my greatest love of all makeup products. Actually, just black eyeliner in general. Pencil, liquid, gel - I have them all and I love them all equally. So of course I was very excited to try out this new liquid eyeliner and see how it compares to the others I've tried. This review however won't be a comparison review - I'll just be sharing my 100% honest thoughts about opinions about the product.

Let's start off by introducing the brand, ELES as Australian brands tend to not be well-known across the globe.

ELES is sourced from nature, fused with science. It uses minerals, the purest elements of the earth which is essential for the ELES line. Micronised minerals protect and correct the skin without irritation. Mineral makeup allows the skin to breathe and each product is free of harsh, heavy and pore-clogging ingredients. Every formula contains no potential irritants and is hypoallergenic and oil-free. The result: Clinical makeup that protects and corrects, yet reveals the skin's natural radiance.

ELES Liquiliner - Anisette (Black)

Net weight: 7g (0.25 oz.)

RRP: $48.25 AU

About the product:

Define, shape and accentuate your eyes with new ELES Liquiliner - a paraben-free long-lasting liquid eyeliner that will perfectly sculpt eyes with no smudges, smears or mess!

An easy-to-use slim-lined flexible brush made with natural hair makes precise application a breeze while the waterproof formula will dry and set instantly

Main ingredient and its claims:

• Bio-Boost - a 100% natural algae complex containing natural phytohormones and bio transformed Ginger Root which helps stimulate hair follicles therefore improving the length and fullness of lashes

• Waterproof formula will stay in place all day without smudging or flaking

For me, the best liquid eyeliner is one that is waterproof, smudge-proof, flake-proof, pigmented and has a fine tip. This liquid eyeliner has a very fine flexible tip which makes it simple to draw lines and also wing out the eyeliner.

EDIT: I have received an updated press release of the product after I had written this review and the Liquiliner which was first considered as waterproof is no longer listed as so.

Testing out the thinnest and thickest lines that it can create

I also tried writing with it

As you can see, it is a very deep black and I reckon the combination of the 'ink' and brush made it glide on smoothly. I felt that it didn't tug on my skin and the pigmentation was consistent.

Smudge test

I wouldn't say that this eyeliner is completely smudge-proof but to some extent, yes I do think it is. I know that it doesn't look very obvious here but this smudge test was conducted (sorry to sound rather 'scientific-experiment'-like) about half a minute after applying on the back of my hand. This probably wasn't enough time to allow the thicker lines to dry, therefore they smudged. But AFTER being fully dry, I believe that the eyeliner is considerably smudge-proof. Look at the thin middle line for instance - that was fully dry when I did the smudge test and it didn't budge. It doesn't even look like I tried to smudge it. And at least 'hey' is still readable.

Verdict: Passes the smudge test to some degree. Need to wait for the eyeliner to fully dry before it becomes smudge-proof.

Tap water test

All I used were a few droplets of tap water, not any type of makeup remover. The lines didn't run with the water when they slid down my hand.

... But rubbing the water onto the back of my hand caused this mess. A dark grey cloud. How unfortunate!! I honestly thought that this eyeliner could withstand water being rubbed gently over it. Just imagine crying and rubbing your eyes while wearing this eyeliner... I'd assume that this would happen around my eyes. Grey raccoon eyes anyone?

Verdict: I think if you cry but only drop some tears, the eyeliner will not run with it. Though crying and rubbing your eyes is a different story... I would say that this is definitely not completely waterproof/smudge-proof.

It may seem like this eyeliner would be a breeze to remove but no, you'd be very wrong about that. Sure it can create a murky grey cloud with some water but it needs more effort to actually be removed from the skin. Waterproof makeup remover is required and you'll probably need lots of it. I used Lancome Bi-Facil and that didn't fully remove it all in one go as after washing my face I noticed more greyness under my eyes (not dark circles) and smudged bits of eyeliner. So it required more Lancome Bi-Facil to remove it entirely.

I didn't do a proper flake-proof test but I can say that there was no flaking with this eyeliner. How I applied it on in the morning looked the same when I came home in the afternoon, except there was a bit of greyness/smudge around my eyes. Thankfully not raccoon/panda eyes though.

(Bare eye with just ELES Liquiliner)

This was done with one stroke and it produced a very smooth line. The thinness was perfect for my small double eyelids and I could have made it thicker by adding a bit more pressure to the brush. I love how easy it is to use and there is a definite difference between using this flexible brush and using a stiff, pointed brush. I find that a stuff brush can be harder to work with and the lines can be a bit jittery (if you stop in between drawing the line). With this you don't need to stop at all because it really does glide against the skin!

As for its claim about helping improve length and fullness of lashes, I can't say whether it does or not because I didn't notice any difference. Perhaps with regular use of this Liquiliner (I like the name of it by the way), it could help stimulate hair follicles.

Pros (+) and cons (-):

+ Packaging is plain yet unique in a way

+ Rectangular lid could make it easier to grip

+ Good size (7g)

+ Formula is free from irritants and is hypoallergenic; great for people with sensitive eyes

+ Bio-Boost formula promises to be beneficial

+ Slim flexible brush made with natural hair is very soft and easy to use

+ Glides on smoothly without any tugging or needing to stop

+ Can choose the thickness of line depending on the pressure applied to the brush

+ A very pigmented black

+ Flake-free

+ Line can last all day

+ Minimal smudging

- The flexible tip may be hard to use for beginners; it may be quite slippery

- Thick lines do not set instantly

- Can still have smudges or smears

- Not 100% waterproof

- Requires great effort to remove

- Not the most affordable liquid eyeliner (RRP $48.25 AUD)

Recommend and/or repurchase?

Although I had found many positive things about this liquid eyeliner, it is not a liquid eyeliner that I could see myself purchasing. It didn't fully deliver as a liquid eyeliner that is waterproof and smudge-proof with no worries which I found to be quite disappointing, especially considering its price. Without a doubt I will continue using it but when it runs out I will bid farewell to it and move onto another.

If you are happy to spend this much on a liquid eyeliner which may have plenty of benefits for you (hypoallergenic, gentle, glides on smoothly and lasts all day) then yes I would recommend this. The direct link is here if you're interested: Liquiliner - Anisette

~

Questjen of the week:

Which Western branded liquid eyeliner is your favourite?

I have tried plenty of Asian-brand liquid eyeliners like K-Palette, Dolly Wink, Heroine and yes I do love them all but I'm also curious about non-Asian eyeliner brands both drugstore (i.e. Maybelline, L'Oreal) and high-end (Lancome, Dior). I like trying all different brands as I tend to not just stick to one!

♥ Jen xx

Disclaimer: Product was provided for review. This is not a sponsored post. No monetary compensation was/is provided and there are no affiliate links.