Black Eyeliner Comparisons

Are there shades of black? Indeed there are! Not every black eyeliner is the same. There are soft blacks, medium blacks, and deep blacks (and of course, variations within those categories). To try and make some sense of it all, I’m going to assign numerical ratings based on how black each liner is, with 10 being deep, dark black, 1 meaning so light that it’s almost no longer black, and 5 meaning a medium black.

• Shiseido Black Noir (BK 901) Smoothing Eyeliner Pencil has an amazing creaminess to it, and it is almost a true, deep black. (Review) 9
• MAC Black Black Chromagraphic Pencil some creaminess but has some hardness (but not in a bad way–it’s not rough on eyes at all), and it is a true dark black — leans on the warm side. (Review) 10
• MAC Feline Kohl Power is a rich, deep dark black that’s easy to smudge. It is a limited edition product, so it’s not currently available but is often repromoted. (Review) 10
• Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Liner is a rich, deep dark black–creamy without being runny. (Review) 10
• Urban Decay Zero 24/7 Liner is a softened, medium black. It is a slightly warmer black on me. (Review) 4
• MAC Engraved Powerpoint Eye Pencil is a darkened medium black. 6
• MAC Smolder Eye Kohl is a dark black with cool leanings. 8
• MAC Graphblack Technakohl is a medium black. 5
• Milani Black Liquif’Eye Liner is a dark black with a cool pull. (Review) 8
• Stila Stingray Smudge Stick is a dark black with neutral to cool undertones. (Review) 8
• YSL #1 Eye Pencil is a rich black, almost ultra black, with a very matte finish.  (Review) 9
• Bobbi Brown Black Kohl Eye Liner is a rich, glossy black. The glossiness makes it look less inky, though. (Review) 8
• Benefit BADgal Liner is a creamy, dark black with warm leanings. (Review) 8

I included review links when I had them to share, but I had some wear issues with YSL’s #1 Eyeliner, Bobbi Brown’s Black Kohl Eyeliner, and Benefit’s BADgal.

The darkest: MAC Black Black Chromagraphic Pencil, MAC Feline Kohl Power, Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Liner

Dark: Shiseido Black Noir Smoothing Eyeliner Pencil, YSL #1 Eye Pencil

Medium-dark: MAC Smolder Eye Kohl, Milani Black Liquif’Eye Liner, Stila Stingray Smudge Stick, Bobbi Brown Black Kohl Eye Liner, Benefit BADgal Liner

Medium: MAC Engraved Powerpoint Eye Pencil, MAC Graphblack Technakohl

The lightest: Urban Decay Zero 24/7 Liner

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Row 1: Shiseido Black Noir, MAC Black Black, MAC Feline, Urban Decay Perversion, Urban Decay Zero, MAC Engraved
Row 2: MAC Smolder, MAC Graphblack, Milani Black, Stila Stingray, YSL #1, Bobbi Brown Black, Benefit BADgal

Shiseido Black Noir, MAC Black Black, MAC Feline, Urban Decay Perversion,
Urban Decay Zero, MAC Engraved, MAC Smolder, MAC Graphblack, Milani Black,
Stila Stingray, YSL #1, Bobbi Brown Black, Benefit BADgal

Shiseido Black Noir, MAC Black Black, MAC Feline, Urban Decay Perversion, Urban Decay Zero, MAC Engraved

MAC Engraved, MAC Smolder, MAC Graphblack, Milani Black, Stila Stingray

Milani Black, Stila Stingray, YSL #1, Bobbi Brown Black, Benefit BADgal

Long-lasting Eyeliner on a Budget:  Milani Liquif’Eye

Milani Liquif’Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencils ($5.49 each) are new for spring and available in five shades: Black, Silver, Gold, Aqua, and Brown. As far as I’m concerned, there is always more room in the world for metallic/chrome eyeliner. These do remind me of L’Oreal HIP Chrome Eyeliners in many ways, though these are a little firmer and more metallic than chrome finish. They’re definitely similar, though.

Liquif’Eye is soft, smooth, and richly pigmented eyeliner. It glides on like my beloved Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Liners and looks just as smooth. I get good wear out of these–no smudging, budging, or migration eight hours later. They don’t look faded either! Surprisingly, they stay well on my waterline, too, for several hours (but I do have a more watery waterline at times), which isn’t something most liners can do for me.

At just $5.49 each, they’re hard to resist. Not only are they excellent in every way–quality, long-lasting liner that is rich in color and smooth in texture–but they’re priced just right. I tried out four of the five shades, and I found each one to be just as good. I hope to see Milani release more shades in the future–how about a green, copper, and violet?

• Black (#01) is a rich, deep dark black. It’s an absolutely smoldering black that’s truly black–there’s no gray here.
• Silver (#02) is a bright and shiny silver with a metallic finish.
• Gold (#03) is a toned down, burnished gold. It’s not a true yellow gold, but it’a step down from that. Little more “antique” gold in it.
• Aqua (#04) is a bright aqua-blue. It isn’t quite as metallic as either the gold or silver shades, but it still has that metallic sheen.

Even the packaging is anything but cheap.  It’s a matte black that looks and feels sleek.  If you blindfolded me, I couldn’t tell you that these didn’t feel like other high-end eyeliners, like Smashbox and Urban Decay.

Have you tried these yet?

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

• Product: 30/30
• Value: 10/10
• Ease of Use: 5/5
• Packaging: 5/5

Recommendation: Next time you’re near a Milani display, these are definitely worth a little look-see.

Availability: Local drugstores, MilaniCosmetics.com

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