First things first: I received a pair of Esqido Gel Eyeliner Pencils for the purpose of a review. Otherwise, I did not receive any compensation or incentive to write this content, and as always, all opinions are my own.
Background
Esqido has provided me with lashes to review in the past. Even though I didn’t become a worshipper, they reached out to see if I’d be interested in giving their new eyeliners a shot.
I’m not a huge eye pencil user but eyeliner fits into my life a lot more than luxurious falsies do; I took them up on it.
Colors
For now, Esqido offers gel eyeliner pencils in black and brown; I received both. Between the two shades, I find myself favoring the brown for daily use.
It isn’t clear whether or not other shades are in the works.
Features
The first thing that struck me as clever as hell about these eyeliners is the silicone ring on the barrel that the cap will fit snugly over. Gel eyeliners, regardless of format, are notoriously susceptible to drying out; this ring protects the product by creating an airtight seal. CLEVER. Even my husband, who obviously gives zero bothers about cosmetics, thought it was cool and clever!
The Esqido Gel Eyeliner Pencils, like most gel pencils, are twist-up. This one isn’t self-sharpening, the packaging is designed with a stealthy sharpener in the base. I have a hard time removing this on my own; I’ve taken to flipping the cap from the top to the base and then removing both together.
Application & Wear
The gel formula is easy to work with; both shades are richly pigmented and glide on easily.
The brown shade is forgiving of early-morning application mistakes (part of why I favor it so) and, on my skin tone, is dark enough to provide definition but not so much so that it is as stark as a black liner.
I don’t tend to wear smoky eye looks, but I found the black to be agreeable; it applied, smudged, and blended easily before setting. I don’t feel like I had to rush to get it where I needed it for my test.
In general, though, if I’m getting into black eyeliner, I want the hyper-precision that, due to my skill level, I can only achieve with a brush.
The Bottom Line
Will the Esqido Gel Eyeliner Pencils supplant my current favorite pencil, NARS Kohliner? I’m not sure, yet. Like most NARS products, it sits higher on the prestige price scale at $22. It is reliable and securely housed, but is otherwise no-frills.
The Esqido Gel Eyeliner Pencils retail for $16 but currently have a promotional launch price of $12. At $12, I think they’re a good buy if you’re into gel pencils. At $16, I’d still consider it if I were in the market – but I’m not so blown away that
- it’s a guaranteed thing or
- I’m rushing to stock up now.