Revlon Emerald/Empire PhotoReady Kajal ($8.99 for 0.08 oz.) is a dual-ended eyeliner with a bolder, deeper shade on one end for lining and defining, and then a brightening shade on the opposite end. Revlon says both shades can be applied to the water line as well as the lower lash line and should last all-day long and have a creamy formula. I found both ends to be creamy, nicely pigmented (Empire was fully opaque, while Emerald was mostly opaque), and they glided across the lash line easily without tugging, dragging, or skipping.

I wore both on the lower lash line as well as water line, and both applied with opaque color on the water line well.  The bad news is that I had terrible wear with both shades, but it was most distressing to see Empire dragged out about half an inch past my lash line like I had gone swimming for the past hour and a half, maybe with a few crying fits afterward!  I even had bits of the eyeliner on my actual lid–that’s transfer from the lower lash line onto the lid!  I didn’t see as much bleeding with Empire, but because it blended it out to my skin tone, it was hard to tell; but it had clearly faded/migrated.  NARS’ Kaliste actually looks a lot like Emerald (no, it had the exact same wear, so you can see what I mean!), and I had the same experience with that eyeliner formula as well–and it felt like a dream to apply but was a nightmare to wear.

All of this happened within an hour of wearing them.  I looked at my notes, and I thought, “Well, let’s just test it one more time,” and in fact, I tested both shades twice more today, and I had the same bleeding, smudged wear after an hour or less of wear.  It’s really a shame, because the creaminess, coupled with the rich color payoff, made this an eyeliner I wanted to rave about.

Emerald is a blue-tinted teal with a mostly matte finish–there is a smidgen of micro-shimmer, but it doesn’t appear visible applied (looks matte). MAC Blue Noon is greener. Estee Lauder Dramatic Teal is bluer. See comparison swatches. You can also see additional blue-based teal eyeliner swatches.

Empire is a lightened, warm-toned, light beige with a matte finish. Sephora Blonde Ambition is more shimmery, while NARS Rue Bonaparte is more neutral. See comparison swatches. It would also be comparable to MAC NC15/NW20.

Revlon Emerald PhotoReady Kajal

Revlon Emerald/Empire PhotoReady Kajal

Revlon Emerald/Empire PhotoReady Kajal

Revlon Empire PhotoReady Kajal

Revlon Empire PhotoReady Kajal

Revlon Emerald PhotoReady Kajal

Revlon Emerald/Empire PhotoReady Kajal + Revlon Pinkissimo Lipgloss