Gel eyeliners. Its been a while.
In fact, its been so long that I’ve tossed out most of the ones I owned before (mostly from Bobbi Brown) because they had all dried up. That’s how long its been since I’ve used a gel eyeliner. I’ve been using pencil and liquid liners most recently because they are quick and practical, but like riding a bicycle, you never quite forget how to apply gel liner 🙂
The Tsuya Tsuya Angel Eyes Gel eyeliner landed on my desk recently in a fascinating colour called Tanzanite Purple. (No, I don’t get the Angel Eyes reference either)
The packaging is small (surprisingly small) and compact in a plastic pot and comes sealed with a foil seal. I like that you don’t get prying fingers digging into the product and you have a lower risk of it drying out in transit because this is sold in the pharmacy aisles after all. It also comes with 2 brushes but mine only came with one – with slim but firm bristles that draws a surprisingly thin smooth line.
Its compact and the brush can be disassembled and stored within itself so the whole package is very well designed indeed. But all that aside, how does the product fare?
And here’s where I felt a little bit let down. Tanzanite Purple is a deep purple shade of eyeliner with a bit of shimmer in the pot. Don’t worry about looking like a maverick at the work place. Once you apply it on your skin, it looks black or at best, a dark colour and there is no shimmer. I would have liked it better if it did show up purple with shimmer because otherwise, I might as well use the black shade. I’ll clarify. I like the formula of the liner – I just wish it’s show up more purple which you can enhance by dabbing purple shadow over it.
Tsuya Tsuya Angel Eyes Gel Eyeliner L: Tanzanite Purple R: Coal Black
The black shade is decent although its not terribly dark. I somehow felt it was a very very very dark grey or perhaps what I’d term Charcoal Black, which when you think of it, isn’t quite black. It makes a good liner shade though. And the slim brush that comes with it is great for getting nice and close to your lash line. You can even use this to tightline (lining from underneath, close to your lashline) because the texture is quite lovely and smooth and doesn’t smudge.
I do not have oily lids so for me, it lasts all day. Coal Black stays on nicely all day long although I do find that Tanzanite Purple tends to crease or disappear by the end of the day. Nothing dramatic but again, I don’t normally have oily lids so I don’t know this will last on you if you do. What I like is that it doesn’t smudge around so on application, you can blink and not get it everywhere.
The tub is really very small. Here it is nestled in my palm which isn’t very large to start with.
Personally, just based on the product, I’d be comfortable saying that its pretty good and you might want to find space in your life for this.
However, I balk at that, because I have a problem with the price. This gel liner retails at RM79 each. For a relatively unknown brand and available at Watson’s pharmacy, I personally think the price point a little high and brings it within the Bobbi Brown range and those who do use Bobbi Brown liners are less inclined to switch over. If prices were lowered, I’d be more inclined to say pick these instead of the other budget buys available because I like that they include 2 brushes, and the formula is great.
In a nutshell
Nice smooth gel liner formula that is easy to apply and does not travel upon application. The purple colour isn’t bright enough but is a decent alternative to black. The purple shade also tends to crease or fade on my lids as compared to the black which lasts pretty much all day. The tub is small and it comes with 2 brushes. The slim brush is firm and very good for getting a nice thin line. However, the price point is a little high when compared to others in its category.
Pros: Foil covered top keeps product fresh, No chemical smell, Applies smoothly and does not smudge, The black lasts all day on my lids, Brushes are included
Cons: Pricey for its category, Small tub, Some colours last longer on lids than others
Since using these gel liners for the past couple of weeks, I’ve rediscovered how much better a gel liner is for me. Also this slim brush that’s been included with the Tsuya Tsuya liner is seriously awesome. It looks all floppy, but it in fact is firm enough to draw a nice line, and I’ve been using it for tightlining with great results. You see, when I use a kohl or pencil, there is always a tendency for it to smudge or transfer or just simply disappear from the waterline throughout the day. With a gel liner, it lasts a lot longer 🙂 So its great to rediscover this fact 🙂
If you have tried this Tsuya Tsuya Angel Eyes gel eyeliner, I’d like to know what you think. As this is sold in Watsons’, I have to compare it with the other brands available in Watsons’ and really, I do think a price reduction would place it in better stead when there’s Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner and the L’Oreal 24 Hour Super Liner breathing down its neck in the pharmacy category (the formula in Tsuya Tsuya is better but the others are almost half the price). In the alternative, watch for it to go on sale before picking it up because I do think its quite good if you are comfortable with the price 😉
Paris B
Tsuya Tsuya Angel Eyes Gel Eyeliner comes in 3 shades – Tanzanite Purple, Coal Black and Cedar Brown – and retails at RM79 at Watsons’ pharmacies and you can also get it online at tsuyatsuya.com.sg for S$24
I use Bobbi Brown’s gel liner in black ink ^.^
It just stays there with a primer, even through a 10 hour school day, ahahaha!!
I used to be all about Bobbi Brown gel liners too. They were good for me too but I prefer using Sepia or a brown because its just less stark. Their colour ones although not so vibrant aren’t bad too.
Bobbi brown has the best range in terms of colours and shimmers etc. But I also like maybelline, silky girl and Kate.
Inglot has an excellent range for colours and they are really bright colours too! But I don’t recall any shimmer ones 🙂 Bobbi Brown is good for something a little more subtle 😉 I haven’t tried the Silkygirl one you know – strange huh? Kate smelt too strongly of chemicals for me but perhaps they have changed the formula (I hope!)
For someone who is incredibly loves browsing through the aisles in Watsons, I have never seen this brand there. I must be blind in one eye or something 😉
Speaking of gel liners, I LOVE THEM!! They are probably the most amazing and long-lasting liners I have ever come across as they actually stick to my waterline. I know it is not recommended that we put any sort of liquid or gel products near our eyes, but I have been doing it since I was 17 and so far so good. Shu Uemura’s painting liner and Bobbi Brown’s gel liner have been my faves for the longest time ever. Bobbi Brown’s Ultra Fine Eyeliner brush is my go-to gel eyeliner brush and does a better job IMO if compared to those slanted/angled eyeliner brushes. 🙂
I think they are just rolling out in Watsons’ or perhaps they are just tucked away somewhere. I’m not too sure 😛 Gel liners are truly great stuff and worth taking note of. I cut my eye lining teeth on gel liners and once you get that right, everything else is a piece of cake! 😀 I usually go with BB too but I’m going to give Inglot a try. I hear they are nice too.
Very pretty! I am hooked on Bobbi Brown Gel Liner, though.
As most of us are! 😀
I have BB’s in Caviar Ink and it seems to dry up quite quickly. It has a tendency to get a little flaky too but I don’t really read many people having issues with BB’s. Maybe I got a bad batch. I still like Maybelline’s simply because it’s so affordable 🙂 If only they can come out with more shades. I’m looking to try Inglot’s next.
I had about 4 bottles of BB Gel liners. Only one Cobalt I think it was, dried up into a blob. The rest, purchased at the same time were fine. So I think its a quality control thing. I personally have good experiences with BB but I have also heard of people who complain it smudges or creases on their lids. I guess we’re all just different 😀
Is there a black pencil eyeliner that you could recomend for the gel liner phobics in us? =)
Teehee… gel liners are amazing – trust me. They rarely smudge unlike pencils. But some of my fave pencils that do the job well are Guerlain Kohl pencil ($$$), Beautilicious (if you can find it), Smashbox liners
Have you tried Urban Decay’s 24/7 liners? I love them 🙂
You’d probably be shocked, but they smudge on me like no tomorrow >.< UD is another brand that does nothing for me, just like MAC. I'm a maverick that way I guess 🙂
Bobbi Brown’s gel liner has a cult following. I’ve also recently tried MAC’s and it’s pretty good. You’re spot on though – RM79 for a drugstore brand is a little too much to pay!
I on the other hand, disliked the MAC ones. Smudged all over 😛 But there was an amazing green shade I loved from their first formula which I don’t think they do anymore
Really? I’m surprised to hear that. I have oily lids and mine didn’t smear on me, not even when I used it to tightline. Hhmmm….. But still, Bobbi Brown’s is just iconic!
Its one of those things 😛 MAC and I aren’t very friendly it appears LOL! They are also the only brand where the eyeshadows fade on me. Very strangely, because everyone says how bright and pretty they are. On me, its a mess by the end of the day. I do much better with most other brands 🙂
Smudged on me too and I don’t have oily lids! Gave it away after a few uses.
*high 5*
I love gel liners because they really last on me, considering I have oily lids. I am using Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner because it is very affordable and it works for me! 🙂
The Maybelline Hypersharp liquid liner is pretty good too! Give it a go if you have the chance 🙂