If you are Asian with anything other than open double eyelids, or have oily skin, chances are you’d have this problem: smudgy eyeliner. I, unfortunately have been hit with the double whammy – single eyelids AND extremely oily skin, which means eye pencils just love transferring themselves to my under eye area, giving me the ever-alluring panda eyes 
Only two eyeliners have alleviated this problem: Liquid Eyeliner and Gel Eyeliner. But the former doesn’t allow for any blending for a smokey effect, and the latter is just so damn troublesome.
The Solone Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil was rated as the number 1 budget eyeliner pencil by Taiwan’s leading beauty forum, FashionGuide, so naturally I had to pick up, err, 3, as a part of my Taiwan haul.
What they say:
- Dries in 10 seconds
- Super waterproof formula
- Waterproof, sweat-proof, oil-proof
- Soft and easy to use formula
- Available in 8 colours: Black, Silver Black, Brown, Gold Black, Platinum, Sapphire, Purple, Silver.
Ingredients:
CARNAUBA WAX, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX, 2-Ethyl Hexyl Plamitate, Castor oil, Glycerine Tri-Capryl Caprate, Pigment.
My experience:
- Glossy, black finish
- Great value for money, especially when it comes with a sharpener as well
- Easy to use, formula is soft but sets reasonably fast
- Blendable, great for smokey eyes
- Longer-lasting wear – for me it stays put for about 5 hours
- Shimmer particles in the colours other than Black and Brown
Unfortunately, this will NOT guarantee the end of your panda eyes if you are a chronic sufferer of them. For a full day wear, I still can’t get away with using this without an eye primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion is best), setting it with eyeshadow and going over the upper lashline with a liquid eyeliner.
Still, it fairs better than most eye pencils which still transfer within 2 hours even when I’ve done all of the above. I also really like the glossy finish, which is more like a gel eyeliner than a traditional eye pencil.
So for me, I have to leave this for night wear or short days, especially if I want to use it in my upper waterline (where you can’t use primer, eyeshadow for setting). But if you only suffer a slight case of the dreaded panda eyes this would be great.
Solone Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil is NT $100-$199 (~AUD$7) and is available in all good pharmacies in Taiwan. For non-Taiwanese residents please try reputable Ebay sellers.
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I’m still to find the elusive eye liner that doesn’t smudge. I’ve tried UD, MUFE aqua liners, Illamasqua, Jemma Kidd pencil liners… whatever promises they make it’s doesn’t come true for my smudge-prone Asian eyes.
Like you say, some fare better than others by giving an hour or so of staying power before smudging but still no silver bullet. Only the japanese liquid liners have worked for me so far by staying put 10+ hrs (see my Kissme review).
Have heard good things about Maybelline Master liner so have to go and hunt one down to try and see if it delivers on its promise to me.
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I am sadly coming to the conclusion that no pencil eyeliners will ever stay put for the whole day, for severe smudge-prone Asian eyes like ours. Liquid is the way to go, followed by gel (the ones in a pot).