Swatch n Compare: My Current Purple Eyeliner Collection

A few months back I noticed that I might be developing a slight problem when it comes to purple eyeliners. It’s always the first colour liner I check out within a brand and I always seem to have at least one on my wishlist (currently its two from MAC - Permaplum and Prunela). I love pairing mauvy, plumy, smoky and taupy purples with my brown eyes and dark lashes so my purple liners get quite a workout, much more than any browns or black/greys I own. With the addition of my most recent eyeliners a few months ago (Stila Black Amethyst and Bobbi Brown Black Plum), I thought it was time to put them all together in a Swatch n Compare including how they performed over a typical day.

While I did test them during the height of the Australian summer, I tested them on days where I spent similar amounts of time inside in the in air conditioning, in the car and outside in the heat. I also used the same makeup conditions, ie, I primed my eyes with Urban Decay Primer Potion and set it with Wet’n’Wild Brulee all over the lid, Velvet Revolver from the original Too Faced Natural Eye palette in the crease and outer corner, and Maybelline Colossal Mascara on the top lashes only. All eyeliners were only applied to the top lashline and waterline to get a better feel of how much an eyeliner might transfer or smudge during the day.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 013 Purple

This is a fairly flat matte mid purple colour. Initially it's a bit patchy going on and actually flakes on application as you try to build it up. It moved around on my waterline a lot, transferring from my top to bottom waterline almost immediately, and over the day it smudged further onto the bottom lashline and gathered into the corners of my eyes. On a positive note it did set where I drew it above my lashline and while it wouldn’t rub off until removed at the end of the day, it did fade somewhat.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in #19

This is a deep purple with micro shimmer and is supposed to be waterproof. Very pigmented, soft and creamy - it applied very smoothly and richly to my upper lashline however on my waterline it simply would not apply with any intensity. Repeated swipes to try to build the colour up just pulled it back off again. Over the day it moved around quite a bit, transferring from my top lashline onto my bottom lashline and smudging colour and micro glitter under my bottom lashline. Most disturbingly it ran on the outer corners of my eyes giving me a droopy eye look. It continued to smudge right up until I removed it 13 hours later - it has no staying power. Really disappointing considering it’s supposed to be waterproof. It ran without the benefit of any water so I’d hate to see how it looks in the rain or if I cried.

 

Models Prefer 12H Kohl & Liner High Impact Eye Pencil in Smoky Haze

Models Prefer is Priceline’s own brand of cosmetics and on the whole doesn’t usually appeal to me but I was very impressed by the performance of this eyeliner. This is a blackened purple with blue micro shimmer. The pencil is soft and creamy so it wears down quickly but it goes on effortlessly. It has a dense colour payoff with no skipping and is very easy to work with however it occasionally flakes off the pencil itself and catch on the lashes. It applies easily on the lashline too with only a very small initial transfer to the bottom waterline. I tested this on a very hot humid day and by the end of the day there was the smallest amount of running/smudging on the outer corner of one eye due to my sweating and some noticeable transfer to the lower waterline but no fading or smudging under or around the eyes.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Black Amethyst

A rich blackened aubergine rather than an amethyst, it has a subtle pink micro shimmer which is barely visible on the eye. This is intensely pigmented with a smooth and creamy application that didn’t skip and set almost immediately so if you want to smudge it you need to do it straight away. There was no transfer on the waterline once it was set though 12 hours later it had partly worn off the upper tightline and there was a minimum of smudging onto the bottom lashline and waterline. The top lashline however still looked freshly applied. Another waterproof claim but this one I’d believe.

Bourjois Kohl & Contour Eye Pencil in 75 Prune Moderne

A soft creamy pencil that is very smudgeble but doesn’t set. The colour is a subtle purple mauve with a grey brown undertone and a satin finish that becomes smokier as it builds. It isn’t as pigmented on the waterline though it does layer to a decent level of colour without wiping back off. It transferred to the lower waterline and by the end of the day had gathered in the outer corners of my eyes and also smudged a little under my eyes but there wasn’t any fading on the top lashline. Despite its average performance, it's one of my favourites due to the perfect density of colour that isn’t too bold or too subtle so it makes for a perfect pretty day wearable colour for my brown eyes.

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencil in Black Plum

The colour is very similar to Urban Decay’s Rockstar including the pink micro shimmer but the undertone is warmer. A pigmented pencil that applied smoothly to both the waterline and lashline, setting quickly on the lashline with only slight transfer to the lower waterline. It wore beautifully all day and didn’t move around at all so definitely a long wear pencil as the name suggests and it’s worth noting that I had no problems removing this so it’s a lovely formula to work with.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar

While the colour is almost a dupe for the Bobbi Brown eyeliner though with a cooler undetone, it performed very differently. It applied well to the upper lashline but was easily smudged if touched by accident. It also took some work to apply to the waterline, applying a little patchy until it layered enough to look opaque. Within 2 hours it began smudging onto and around the lower lashline as though I had applied it with a mild smoky look in mind – it looked fine but it wasn’t what I had intended at the start of the day. By the end of the day it was apparent that this should not be applied to the bottom lashline or waterline unless I was going for a very smoky look as it’s far too mobile.

Savvy by Designer Brands Kohl Eyeliner in Plum

The lightest of all my purple eyeliners, this has a satin finish with an almost red undertone and is a lovely every day wearable colour. It builds easily on the waterline and above the lashes and with only the slightest of transfer to the lower waterline. There was no smudging under the eyes over the day but it did fade a little on the waterline. By the end of the day the lashline still looked freshly applied and couldn’t be smudged. Almost every other Designer Brands product I’ve tried has been crap but this is a surprisingly good performer for such a cheap drugstore brand.

 

Out of all of these, the MUFE is the only one I hesitate to use since I almost always apply liner to my upper waterline and not my lashline to save on lid space on my hooded eyes and it really is a pain to apply to the waterline. With the rest I prefer to choose them by colour rather than texture or wear time or any tendency to move around as really, in any typical day by the time my makeup is starting to look shabby and too lived in, I'm home and no one sees me other than hubby and the kids.