Make Up For Ever M80 Matte Plum Aqua XL Eye Pencil ($21.00 for 0.04 oz.) is medium-dark, plummy purple with warm, reddish undertones and a matte finish. It had medium coverage in one pass, which was buildable to opaque coverage, likely due to the very smooth, creamy consistency of the product that enabled me to go over the initial layer without issue. The color wore well for five hours on the waterline, eight hours on the lower lash line. Urban Decay Plushie (P, $20.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar). MAC Flourish Me Beautiful (LE, $18.00) is darker, more muted (85% similar). MAC Graphic Content (P, $23.00) is darker (85% similar). Fenty Beauty Purp-a-trader (P, $22.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar). Sephora Eggplant Matte (P, $13.00) is darker, brighter, warmer (85% similar). Sephora Sangria (DC, $10.00) is warmer (85% similar). MAC Bordeauxline (LE, $16.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). Charlotte Tilbury Mesmerising Maroon (Matte) (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (80% similar). ColourPop No Shame (P, $7.00) is darker (80% similar). Chanel Cassis (83) (P, $34.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). ColourPop No Shame (P, $7.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). Marc Jacobs Beauty Blacquer Currant (P, $25.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). Urban Decay Rockstar (P, $22.00) is more shimmery, warmer (80% similar). Makeup Geek Royal (DC, $9.00) is lighter, cooler, lower quality (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Make Up For Ever I90 Iridescent Pop Purple Aqua XL Eye Pencil ($21.00 for 0.04 oz.) is a medium-dark violet purple with fine pearl. I had a tough time applying this one, as it was stiffer and tended to apply in short chunks–it was almost as if it had dried out, despite being brand new (though it could have dried out while waiting to be sold). It was hard to apply an even layer, and it was harder still to really build-up the color as the color would thicken on itself and appear even more uneven than a single layer looked. On the lower lash line, it wore for eight hours. Buxom Door's Unlocked (P, $17.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). L'Oreal Pure Purple (240) (P, $8.99) is lighter (90% similar). Urban Decay Vice (P, $22.00) is warmer (90% similar). MAC Wakanda Proud (LE, $25.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar). Urban Decay Voodoo (PiP, $22.00) is warmer (90% similar). Milani Perfect Purple (P, $6.99) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Urban Decay Psychedelic Sister (P, $22.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). ColourPop Ho Ho (LE, $7.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar). KVD Beauty Roxy (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar). MAC Designer Purple (P, $15.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Zoeva Regency (P, $7.50) is cooler (85% similar). KVD Beauty Homie (PiP, $10.00) is cooler (85% similar). LA Girl Sequins (P, $4.49) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar). Urban Decay Ransom (LE, $22.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Make Up For Ever M92 Matte Pastel Purple Aqua XL Eye Pencil ($21.00 for 0.04 oz.) is a light-medium lavender purple with cooler undertones and a matte finish. It had semi-opaque coverage in one pass, which was somewhat buildable to greater coverage, though I found it difficult to get really opaque results even after three passes. The texture was lightly creamy and didn’t drag on my lash line. This shade stayed on the waterline for three hours and on the lower lash line for eight. ColourPop Cry Baby (P, $7.00) is lighter (90% similar). ColourPop Cry Baby (P, $7.00) is lighter (90% similar). NABLA Cosmetics Lavender (P, $18.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar). elf Wildflower (P, $5.00) is lighter, warmer (80% similar). Lethal Cosmetics Loop (P, $15.50) is darker, warmer (80% similar). Urban Decay Shock (LE, $22.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). Marc Jacobs Beauty Mist Me (P, $25.00) is darker, more muted (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Make Up For Ever M40 Matte Pastel Yellow Aqua XL Eye Pencil ($21.00 for 0.04 oz.) is a pale, light-medium yellow with soft, warm undertones and a matte finish. It had semi-opaque coverage in a single stroke, which I didn’t find to be that buildable, so it always had some translucency to it. I would say it works better as a base product with a yellow eyeshadow patted on top to help even and smooth out the overall color. On the waterline, it lasted for four hours; on the lower lash line, it lasted for eight hours. ColourPop Meadow (LE, $7.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). Fenty Beauty Banana Blaze (LE, ) is darker (90% similar). Stila Canary (P, $22.00) is darker, brighter, warmer (85% similar). Maybelline Citrus Charge (LE, $8.99) is darker, warmer (80% similar). MAC Permanent Vacation (P, $23.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar). ColourPop Extra Frosting (P, $7.00) is lighter, warmer (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

FORMULA OVERVIEW | Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencil ($21.00 for 0.04 oz.) is supposed to be a “long-wearing,” “waterproof” pencil eyeliner (requires sharpening) with “one swipe color” that will not tug or skip. There is a fair amount of variance between shades with respect to color payoff, texture, wear, and application. They do not, personally, wear well at all on the waterline for me–three to four hours at most and darker shades can get really messy whenever I attempted wearing them on the waterline (they are supposed to “work great in the waterline”). They wear better on the lower lash line, which is about eight hours on average with faint thinning/migration to the outer corner. A lot of the color is intact, and the colors didn’t fade. I found them harder to remove and had to use more makeup remover (on a cotton swab) than average to get them off. I found the texture to be waxier than the prior Aqua Eyes formula for most shades. They were waterproof with respect to actual water, like I could take a shower and not have a smeary mess at the end. I would use some shades again, but it wouldn’t be the first formula I reached for–for me, they’re just not nearly long-wearing or pigmented enough to merit the extra effort for removal.

I’m not sure if it was just my bad luck, but almost every shade’s tip broke off when swatching, which is unusual (usually if I break one, I can fix the pressure to avoid doing so 10 more times!), though I didn’t have any issues with the tips breaking off when applying to my lash line.

Make Up For Ever M80 Matte Plum Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever M80 Matte Plum Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever M80 Matte Plum Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever I90 Iridescent Pop Purple Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever I90 Iridescent Pop Purple Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever I90 Iridescent Pop Purple Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever M92 Matte Pastel Purple Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever M92 Matte Pastel Purple Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever M92 Matte Pastel Purple Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever M40 Matte Pastel Yellow Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever M40 Matte Pastel Yellow Aqua XL Eye Pencil

Make Up For Ever M40 Matte Pastel Yellow Aqua XL Eye Pencil