Review: Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Intense Black from Maybelline

Wow, that's a mouthful!

I've been wanting a gel liner since watching various fashion vlogs, and after seeing a ginormous poster advertising Maybelline's it finally gave me the push to buy one!
The thing is, there's just so much expectation for this product. On the Maybelline website,  the eyeliner claims to last up to 24 hours, be smudge and water resistant, and carries a whole other level of expectation due to it being 'catwalk-inspired'.

The box contains a ..... pot of gel liner, and a professional liner brush. Instantly I was drawn to the packaging, as it towered above the rest of the Maybelline products on the stand.

I love the little frosted glass pot, it adds to the professionalism and looks really modern and sophisticated. The brush is what amazed me the most! It looks like a brush that you would buy separately, as i've always found that brushes that come with eyeshadow palettes or blushes aren't the best ones to use to apply the product, so I was amazed that it's actually a decent brush.
It's really strange, because the gel is so soft that you literally need to just touch the tip of the brush. The texture is a lot creamier than I thought it would be, so I needed to wipe off the tip on the side of the gorgeous pot and make it all messy so I wasn't left with too much gel.

I drew this line by using just one little dip of the brush into the gel. As you can see, it's not as defined or strong as a liquid or a pencil, but unlike a liquid it's really easy to build up a strong line of colour with expert precision. I've found that the brush makes it so easy to get the liner as close to the lash line as possible, as sometimes I end up with a stupid looking gap between my liner and my lashes! It is advised to build up the colour by using small strokes from the inner to the outer corner of the eye. You can also thicken out the line as you work your way to the outer corner and wing out to create an intense-looking effect. However, my eye-shape restricts me to a thin line :(
The gel, along with the incredibly precise and professional liner brush, has the ability and versatality to create a whole range of looks from just varying in thickness and angle and intensity of colour. I can definitely understand why it is cat-walk inspired, and wouldn't be surprised if it get's into the makeup bags of celebrities and makeup artists alike.

As for it lasting 24 hours, I can safely say it delivers in that aspect. It's taken me two facial wipes and a facial cleanser, and I still have hints of a line. Arguably, it could be a little too hard to take off, but it makes such a difference to your eyes that I don't mind that it doesn't budge for well over 24 hours.

 I didn't use it to line the bottom of my eyes, as I prefer the pencil but I love the way the brush enables you to create a thicker line without too much hassle.
I would advise that you wipe the brush clean after every use, as i've found that the gel dries really quickly and makes the brush really stiff and sharp on your eyelid :(

Overall, a well recommended eyeliner that I will definitely be using again. And for only £7.99, it's an absolute steal! You can purchase Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 24H in Intense Black and Brown at your nearest Maybelline concession stand.