Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner (Blackest Black, Plum) Review, Photos, Swatches
Affordable Gel Eyeliner from Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner ($9.99) is a gel eyeliner that comes in a glass pot with a screw-on lid. Lasting Drama is currently available in four shades: Black, Brown, Grey, and Plum. I’ve only tried out the Black and Plum myself. Each glass pot of gel eyeliner also comes with a small, flat bristled brush with a dome shape for lining. I personally didn’t find the brush the right kind to line with (I prefer angled or very, very thin and pointed), but it’s a nice little bonus.
I’m pleased to report that after testing the wear of this liner that it is indeed lasting! (I wore it in this look.) Blackest Black didn’t smudge, budge, or fade on me throughout eight hours of wear–though Maybelline does advertise “24-hour wear” (I’ll leave that test to someone else…). I found it was plenty black for me–and I love me some rich black pigment–so I was quite surprised at how well it translated onto the lid. I used MAC’s 208 angled brush to apply Blackest Black to my upper lash line, and it was smooth, easy to apply, and gave me good color intensity off the bat. I didn’t have to go back over to darken at all, which was yet another concern alleviated.
Blackest Black is very much a true black. It doesn’t have much of a sheen, though it’s not completely flat, and it doesn’t have shimmer. Plum, on the other hand, has a higher sheen and plummy-mauve shimmer in a dark plum base. The consistency of both is thick without being goopy and very smooth when applied. They’re not creamy like Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliners, but they can be blended or smudged so they’re not too thick. They seem to dry without much of a fuss, but they don’t dry instantly, so you may have to wait a few seconds before you squeeze your eyes shut to avoid any transfer.
At $9.99 each, they’re on the pricier end for the budget beauty maven, but Maybelline frequently goes on sale, so at buy one, get one free or buy one, get one 50% off, I think they’re definitely worth picking up if you’re in the market for an affordable gel eyeliner. The packaging has a surprisingly “high-end” feel for Maybelline (whose packaging I’m generally not impressed by) — they look and feel much like MAC Fluidlines.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! 🙂
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you’re looking for an affordable gel eyeliner, keep an eye out for Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner!
Availability: Ulta, your local drugstore
See more photos and swatches!
Plum
Blackest Black
Plum, Blackest Black
I love plum color!!!
Hi Christine,
Are these in Canada yet?
I don’t know, Janella – they should be!
I really hope they are as the discontinued the HIP cream liners here.
I hope they’re available soon! I live in Quebec and I have never even seen the HiP cream liners! We’re so unlucky here 🙁 I talked to the sales lady at my local Pharmaprix and she had never heard of them… but then again.. maybe she’s just not up to date on these things.
i picked this up at shoppers today!
they didn’t have any on the shelves so a asked the cosmetics lady, and she opened and drawer and got me one. she said they’re in stock, but they’re not supposed to put them out yet…
Yayy!
Just picked up the black one at Shoppers Drug Mart yesterday :)!
It’s my first gel liner and I like it a lot
which shoppers did you get it from??? I’m in Toronto/mississauga and and looking for these gel liners
i must buy the plum color
hey girl!
I was wondering which lip colour you were wearing in your bobbi brown tinted balm review?
Thank you, that colour is so gorgeous!
From which photo?
Love the plum color. Will buy it tonight!
Do these make good bases? Or are they too thick for that..
Nope, they can be used as bases!
you rated bobbi brown as a B+. would you say this is better than the bobbi brown? how is it’s lasting power compared to the other brands?
They work and last about the same, but I do like the texture of this better (it’s thicker, whereas Bobbi Brown is thinner/creamier). The lasting power is on par with all of the other popular gel eyeliners, IMO!
Thank you so much for writing a review on this product! I’ve been hearing so much about it and can’t wait to try it out. I’m definitely going to pick up the black one for sure this weekend! Maybe even the plum, the color is gorgeous!
Wow… those look awesome. I’ll have to check these out!
The plum color is gorgeous!
I’m looking at Ulta.com. Is “plum” the same as “eggplant” ?
It should be… I know I was on L’Oreal’s website to check colors and only saw four…
I *love* the plum! I am definitely getting that one.
I’m really glad you reviewed this product. I saw the display at CVS a couple of weeks ago but they were all sold out. The downside of drugstore brands is that you can’t try them on first and can’t return them once they’re opened. I’ll have to check the store again this week.
you actually CAN return them if you didnt like them. thats what i love so much about CVS/walgreens. just keep the receipt, and if you didnt like it, go back and say id like to return this, it didnt work the way i wanted it to. if you have the receipt theyll give you cash. if you dont, they usually give you a moneycard. (a card with preloaded money on it that can only be used at CVS)
almost all drugstores have this policy, its really wonderful. 🙂
I like the plum color! but it looks like it’s Barbie loves Stila’s Little Black Dress!
i will pick up the plum color 🙂
I was just looking at this at a drug store. they were all out of plum. it looked beautiful. but, honestly, i am so skeptical of drug store brands since I try them and usually get disappointed/waste money. There are few items Ive bought that really hold up! and honestly, it seems like drug store brands are beginning to climb up the price scale and at this point, I might as well invest in a trusted brand that I could try first!
I can see myself doing a cat eye with the plum =)
omg i want the plum colour! i am obsessed with purples recently
I almost got this last night at Target! I kept looking at it but didn’t get it mostly because it is a drug store brand and usually don’t have a good experience w/them. I think I’ll have to pick it up this weekend!
Plum looks gorgeous!
But how does Blackest Black’s texture compare to Blacktrack?
It’s not as matte/flat as Blacktrack, but they’re pretty similar in terms of blackness.
wow,that plum looks so great,i hope these liners will come out in europe too:D
thanks for the swatches
Rite Aid is having a 40% off sale off all Maybelline products right now, so you could purchase the eyeliner for just a little over $5. I bought the blackest black one and it works just as well as my Mac Blacktrack fluidline.. but for much much less! 🙂
Thank you for that update Geraldine! I think I will go to RiteAid right after work
thanks 4 the tip about rite aid i picked up the plum and the black 40% off (5.69)
I have the gray – which is really more of a metallic black. I find it works well for thin lines but takes a bit of effort and layering if I want to do a thicker cat eye. While I prefer my angled brush, I thought the brush that came with it to be one of the best brushes I’ve seen packaged with a product. It has become a spare concealer brush in my stash.
Ooh, I like the plum color.
How does this compare to the Sonia Kashuk liners, Loreal HIP liners, and the Wet n Wild ones? There seems to be quite a bit of drugstore gel liners nowadays! I think most are priced in the $8-10 range, but I remember the Wet n Wild one is $3.99
These are thicker/more gel-like than Sonia Kashuk, maybe a smidgen thicker than HIP, and not as “creamy” as Wet ‘n Wild. All three you mentioned work well, as does this one. I don’t think any of them are particularly superior over the other (none of them have huge drawbacks, you know?). Kind of a price/color decision!
I’ve been dying to try these! I’ll have to go pick one up now, thanks for the review.
Thanks for posting this! I saw the ad yesterday and saw it on their website and was curious about it. I have gel liners from Smashbox, but can’t get myself to pay another $16 for purple. I can justify $9 though (or whatever it will be on sale). Would love to see looks & reviews for the other eye studio shadows they came out with too!
Can’t wait for their release in Germany!
Thank you so much for reviewing these! I saw an ad for them in a magazine a while back and was curious.. I am a die hard Mac fluidline user, But I am really wanting that plum color now! Thanks again:)
I thought about getting myself one of those when we were at Park City – but I couldn’t handle any kind of eyeliner that wasn’t a pencil one, so I ended up letting it go.
But after reading your reviews, I’m totally purchasing those next time I travel to the U.S.!
I got the blackest black for like 7 dlls at walmart 🙂
Thank you so much for reviewing these! I appreciate it!!!
Wow, the plum looks just like MAC’s Macroviolet! Awesome!
Walgreens is also having a discount on Maybelline right now!
i just bought the plum and black today 40% off at rite aid. i love the black it is so dark and intense and goes on so smoothly. i wasn’t crazy about the plum as a liner however….it is perfect as a base, i put it under Mac’s (beauty marked) and OMG amazing!! i also put it under (smudged violet) from the shadowy lady quad, nocturnelle,shale,trax and it made all those purples just pop. i highly recommend it as a base!!
I’m definitely going to buy the black one when I see it! I’m loyal to MAC but I find it smudges below my lower lash line!! wonder if that happens to anyone else.
I would love to try the plum. Very pretty and would make an interesting alternative to neutral browns.
I really like the color of this one, although I’m not a Maybelline fan. The price it’s OK for me and the swatch really looks good. 🙂
Would these work well as bases?? Like would the black be a good substitute for MAC Blacktrack fluid line that you use in some of your smokey eyes?
Yes, they’d work as a base 🙂 I think it would be fine to substitute it in!
Hi Christine!
Are these better than the LoReal HIP gel liners?
Which I officially HATE now. They dry up SO terribly! and they are hard to blend. After about 1 month of owning a jar, I have to go back and buy ANOTHER @ nearly the price of MAC fluid line….. *tsk, tsk*
I find them a smidgen thicker, but otherwise they’re similar. I haven’t owned them for long, so I couldn’t tell you if these dry out, though I haven’t had my L’Oreal ones dry out yet!
I’ll have to get the plum one.
Impressed, Maybeline is really catching up with big brands, this looks very nice!!! the plum seems like a pretty color and the black as you said really black, this is exciting, maybe save a little on makeup
Hi there,
I have only scanned the comments below but can you tell me if you think this is like Smashbox Jet set or Shadow liner?
The black looks allot like jet set while the plum looks slightly transulant much as Shadow liner?
Also have you so far had any problems with the eyeliner drying out? As Smashbox did and the same style pot was re designed to make a more air tight one.
I am in the UK and these wont be here for some time but will look forward to comparing it.
Also i would highly recommend Smashbox Brushes for this product the Smashbox arch angled brush #21 works so well with the Jet set while the Smashbox waterproof Shadow liner brush #30 are amazing for a smokey eye if this is a similar texture (it truly does the smoky eye for you you just stroke it under the eyes and voila smokey eyes ditto upper lids.
Cant wait for your take
Love your blog
BTW
I like it better than Jet Set, but I find Jet Set a little thicker/drier to work with myself!
This product is exactly the same product as Smashbox Gel Liner and FACE Stockholm Gel Liner. It’s made and distributed by Your Name cosmetics. Maybelline offers the cheapest price.
Are these as good as L’oreal HIP’s gel liners?
I think they’re better 🙂
oh thats good to hear! since HIP is continuously discontinuing items
These are huge in Korea and Japan.. A lot of makeup artists use them!
Plum is so gorgeous. I might have to stalk the sales for this one hehe – though… I don’t use gel liner… yet!
oh I love this gel liner and I love the brush that comes with it even more! lol…
I found this eyeliner much longer lasting and easier to deal with than MAC fluidline. The brush isn’t the best – MAC’s 209 lining brush is, for my money, the best brush to liquid line with – but the wear and texture of this liner is one of the best I’ve come across from any brand, luxury or recessionista style 🙂
will they sell these gel liners in the UK? and on which date? can someone advise! thanks
Not sure 🙁
Hi, do these work well in the waterline and tightline?
I didn’t try them on my waterline for very long, sorry!
Are these available in the UK?
I think so!
I’m thinking about buying this eyeliner, but currently I have the Loreal HIP cream eyeliner in black, Any ideas if the Maybelline product is better than the Loreal?
I like this one better myself!
Someone can tell me a store that sale this product, on internet, please. Thank you!
Try Target!
Hello,
I am from Germany and I am soooo excitet about this product. So my question is how can I get on it? I have not found it in Germany ;(
Please help me!
I am not sure 🙁
does plum look anything like mac macroviolet?
Similar — probably not quite as red, and I think Macroviolet has very, very subtle shimmer.
Worst gel eyeliner ever!! I bought it thinking it would last and not smudge – after about 1 hour it smudged on the top of my eyelids looking horrible – really waist of money – terrible!!!!!
Omg I know right? Uggh :[[
It’s pretty, but I have to go over it with liquid liner if I want a normal/thick line
I HAVE USED THIS EYELINER! It is the best lasting eyeliner I have EVER tried,no eye sensitivity-just perfect no black eyes,does not run or melt.PRICED VERY WELL & LASTS AND LASTS!
Does this actually stay on the waterline?
I didn’t really try ’em on the water line, since they’re a bit creamy.
I don’t know why, but I just got my pot of eyeliner (in the plum/eggplant shade) and it already feels like it’s drying up on me 🙁 …It has these little clumps when I try to apply it? Do you have any tips on how to apply gel eyeliners?
Oh no 🙁 It shouldn’t clump or dry – maybe return it?
Hey Christine!! I love your blog and your wonderfully detailed reviews!! 🙂
I just bought the Maybelline Eye Studio gel liner, but for some reason, mine does not apply very smoothly at all and even seems to be quite dry and clumpy…? Is there anything I can do to revive it, or is there a way you would recommend to apply this? How do you apply the gel liner yourself?
If you could answer these questions, it would be very much appreciated!! Thanks!! 🙂
I didn’t have any issues with it being dry or clumpy – I’ve microwaved a paint pot once before, not sure about gel eyeliner… I use the 208 brush.
Thanks for your help 🙂
I love you Christine! 🙂 haha, thank you for the review. you are such a help 😀
No prob, Natasha!
i got mine at ride aid for about $5 and they are always on sale
Where did you purchase these? I can’t seem to find them at my CVS…
These were samples!
i’m using the brown one and i love it.
it’s definitely not creamy just like the post says.
if you like creamy ones like Bobbi Brown, you’ll find this hard to like.
Also, i find this dries fairly quickly and very longlasting.
Not smudgeable, pretty waterproof and durable in hot, humid weathers like my country’s (Malaysia)
It is however very hard to remove. With makeup remover even.
Seriously. It will take some effort to remove.
But i guess that’s just what happens when its so durable.
Agreed. Its so hard to remove even with makeup remover and I end up rubbing and rubbing my eyes to get it off. But it is very good and easy to work with. Doesn’t run.
This stuff is actually SUPER amazing! Most eyeliners I have worn in the past start to smudge or fade off within an hour even, but this stuff last me ALL day! No lie, like I wore it all day to school and didn’t not have to touch it up once, it stayed the same all throughout the day, and then I went to practice, then home and it was still good!. I even fell asleep by accident and woke up the next morning and it was STILL almost perfect! The 24 hour deal is no lie! I highly highly highly recommend this!!!!
dope but mac fluid eyeliner is way better:)
Thank you so much for this review! I’ve seen this in stores but have been reluctant to buy it as I’ve been very disappointed with gel eyeliners from cheaper brands before. Definitely going to give this a try
This is best, longest lasting black eyeliner for waterline that I have ever tried. I bought Urban Decay 24/7 cuz it reviewed so well, and it was nowhere near as black and long lasting as Maybelline Eyestudio Gel. Great product at good price!
This stuff is great! I have mastered using the provided brush and can do my eyeliner pretty quickly. For a finer wing though a different brush is a good idea. I usually clean up and re-fine my wing with a q-tip n a little vaseline or lotion. Also, have found vaseline works best for removal. I do also like the felt tip pen style liners, but the gel is more forgiving and dries quicker. Especially, when I don’t have much time. I need to try the other colors. I’m stuck on the black