e.l.f. Cream Liners: Review & Swatches

 Cream/gel liners are one of those staples that all gals should have (in my opinion). Of course you need your everyday shades such as the blacks/browns/greys, but sometimes you need a little splash of color.  Here comes in these little lovelies, the e.l.f. Cream Eyeliners. At $3 a pop, you can get nearly whatever color you want, including the basics (11 shades currently).

To continue reading the review and view swatches, click the link below.

Golden

These come encased in a plastic container that's sturdy enough to roll around in a makeup bag without cracking. The lid screws on tightly as well, so drying out is not an issue. The added bonus is that the bottom of the container is clear, so you can easily see what color the liner is. The eyeliner itself is creamy, and smooth.  You can build up the line if necessary, but I found that if you add enough product on, it's unnecessary to build it up.  The only exception was Punk Purple.  The formula dries down quickly enough that it won't smudge, but there is some play time available if you didn't line correctly on the first go.

Golden, as the name suggests is a warm gold metallic. It shows up well on the eyelid in one swipe.  I didn't have to build this one up at all, and it's the best shade of the 3 I have.

Punk Purple

Punk Purple, although not a dud, was my least favorite. The main issue I have is the color itself.  I know you can't always rely on online swatches, but I was expecting a vibrant purple.  What I got was a darkened, black based purple.  Also this was the one liner that I have to build up to show.  Part of it is that the black base isn't quite opaque, and neither is the purple. I have better purple liners, so I find I don't like using this one as much.

Teal Tease

Teal Tease is a blue based teal/turquoise color with a metallic twist.  It shows up lighter once applied because of the silver undertone. It's another liner that doesn't require a lot of fuss to obtain a saturated line. Load up the brush, and swipe on for a pretty pop of color. 

All in all, the only major problem I found with these liners is the brush included. As you can see, the included eyeliner brushes are rather horrific. It's really wide, making clean lines nearly impossible, and the edges are mangled.  A lot of drug store brands actually have nice liner brushes included with the liner, but this isn't one of those.

Swatches

The following swatches are on bare skin. As you can see below, the colors are rather vibrant and opaque.  It's a little harder to see, but the Punk Purple isn't as vibrant as the other two colors. Teal Tease is a nice bright pop of color that stands out. However, of these 3 color choices, Golden, is the star.  True vibrant metallic.

Teal Tease, Punk Purple, Golden

As proof of its greatness, Golden is still opaque, even over darker eyeshadow shades.  It pops!

Bottom Line: For the price, these are great finds. Even ignoring the price, Teal Tease and Golden are totally worth it.  It lasts and stands up against other cream/gel liners.  There's a really nice range of colors as well. You can get several without hurting your wallet.