elf No Budge Precision Eyeliner At A Glance
• Colorful fine-tip eyeliners.
• $5 each and comes in 9 shades including basic black.
• Matte formula that is ultra saturated.
• Retractable packaging.
It is not every day that a drugstrore makeup brand tries to put out a quality colored eyeliner. Enter the elf No Budge Precision Eyeliner line, featuring a super slim tip. I have had a bad go with skinny retractables in the past. In this review I will be testing and swatching all of the shades to see if they are worth it before you buy.
Details & Claims
To get access to all nine shades, you need to shop elf’s website. Ulta’s only has three shades. The pencil format is a super skinny retractible, and they are $5 each.
These liners should have a creamy formula that is long-lasting and smudge resistant so that no touch-ups are needed. They feature a micro tip for precision. You should be able to glide them on smoothly without skipping. The pigmentation should be ultra saturated.
Top apply, use one full turn to twist up the tip. For your lower lash line or water line, work from the inner to outer corner.
Swatches & Shades
Below you can see the shades.
Marshmallow
While making this article I realized that I accidentally did not buy the white! I bought these in a large elf order.
Canary
Cream
Bubblegum
Peach
Lime
Cerulean
Royal
Black
Review
Now it is time for my review. The tip easily breaks off or crumbles during application, no matter how little you twist the liner up. I find the formula to be dry, which does cause skipping and tugging on the eyelid. The dryness paired with the tiny tip is also uncomfortable to use with a scratchy feeling. All of this causes you to have to build up the color, which is difficult. I did not see transfer on the eyelid.
The liner applies much smoother to the waterline, and that is where you can see the color. Howevever, it does not last as long as it should. After a day of wear, you can see signifcant wear off at the inner and outer corner, as well as overall fading. I have many other pencil liners in my collection that work better on the waterline than these.
In terms of the swatches, we can see that the liner is very pigmented and matte. There is definitely inconsistencies with the formula. Lime, Canary, and Peach are much smoother or less dry than the other colors. Ultimately, I cannot recommend these eyeliners in good faith, and I expect elf to discontinue them. You would be better off reaching for their elf No Budge Cream Eyeshadow and applying them as eyeliner with an appropriate brush.
Amanda’s Review: ★★
Shop The Liner
These are unfortunately a miss for the brand. They do not put out duds very often, but these simply do not work well or live up to their claims. They have ghastly reviews on elf’s website, which are justified. How often do you wear colorful eyeliners instead of basic black?Until next time, continue to let your true beauty shine.
