Innisfree Gel Liner shows us that great product doesn’t need to be expensive!

Looking for a smudge-proof and waterproof eyeliner? With so many gel eyeliners out there in the market, you must be spoilt for choice. Don’t miss Innisfree Gel Liner as it is probably one of the cheapest that comes with great quality.

I’m surprised at how affordable Innisfree Gel Liner is, considering the brand’s popularity (and swept of Korean wave) and how it could have easily commanded a premium if it’d wanted to.

In today’s review, I’ll put Innisfree Gel Liner to the test and compare it against two of my favorite gel liners – Clio Gelpresso and Bourjois Metallic Eye Liner. These two, I believe, were among the pioneers of gel liners as they were selling gel liners since more than 6 years ago.

* Please see latest updates at bottom of the page. 

 

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What’s Great about Innisfree Gel Liner?

1. Yes! It’s smudge-proof!

Innisfree Gel Liner took slightly longer to dry than Clio Gelpresso and Bourjois Metallic Eyeliner. However, the time difference isn’t noticeable unless you are intentionally doing an experiment like what I was doing. 

After a minute or two, Innisfree Gel Liner dried up and was 100% smudge-proof, even with aggressive rubbing (see before-after photos below). There’s no difference between before and after photos, right?

Wait! Is it really smudge-proof? 

I’ve just discovered something today. While testing the eye liners, I noted that when these are drawn on bare skin, they remain smudge-proof even with vigorous rubbing.

However, if they are applied on skin that has been applied with a layer of oil-based moisturizer (I tested it with Innisfree Green Tea Seed Eye Cream), none of these gel liners can withstand any rubbing.

The solution? 

Make sure you set your face properly with a complete layer of eyeshadow or face powder before applying the eye liners. Or skip oil-based eye cream in the day.

2. It’s water-proof too!

You can wear Innisfree Gel Liner when heading to the beach because it is water-proof. In fact, all three brands (Innisfree, Bourjois and Clio) that I’m comparing with are water-proof. Just don’t rub them under water. 

Psst, I’ve just hand-washed a bag while having this gel liner drawn on the back of my hand. And Innisfree Gel Liner remained 100% intact.

3. Glides on smoothly

Innisfree Gel Liner glides on like a butter, making it effortless in producing a smooth and even stroke. This is similar to my experience with Clio GelPresso Gel Liner and Bourjois Metallic Eyeliner.

4. Oh. So Cheap!  

Such a great quality eye liner is selling for just S$11. Innisfree has just proven to us that a cheap product doesn’t mean it has inferior quality. Similarly, an expensive product doesn’t mean it is good.

As a consumer, we should refrain from falling into such marketing tricks. Because, most of the time, we are paying a premium for nice packaging, expensive rental and a company’s ballooning advertising and marketing cost.

Related:  15 Tips to help you save and make money!

5. You get more products than others!

So many products these days kept the price low, but secretly reduced the quantity. I have to commend Innisfree for keeping the price low and yet offering larger quantity as compared to her competitors.

Innisfree Gel Liner comes with 1.6g which is by far the most as compared to my other favorite gel liners (Bourjois at 1.2g; Clio at 0.56g).

 

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What’s not so Great about Innisfree Gel Liner? 

1. Limited Colours

There are limited colors available in my country. All the colors are either brown, black or pearl. It’s a shame that I couldn’t find any bright colors in the region, such as blue or green.

The color that I’ve bought is No. 8 (swing with trees). It is a brown with yellow undertone and I love how natural it looks on me.

2. Needs a Sharpener

I’m just being fussy by listing this as a flaw and honestly, I didn’t mind a single bit that Innisfree Gel Liner requires a sharpener whenever the tip gets blunt. It isn’t a major inconvenience since sharpening is only required every few weeks or months (I’ve yet to sharpen it since buying it months ago).

I’m listing this here so that you are aware that there are gel liners out there that don’t require sharpening or a separate sharpener, e.g. Clio Gelpresso Gel Liner. 

3. Pencil gets dirty

The white body of Innisfree Gel Liner and translucent cap meant it would get dirty easily, especially near the pencil tip. Mine looks rather unpresentable as it is smeared with its own gel and looks quite dirty as compared to older gel liners that I own.

 

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Recommendations: Who should buy Innisfree Gel Liner? 

Considering how great its quality is, I would definitely buy Innisfree Gel Liner again when I need an earth-tone or black eyeliner. This is an eyeliner that I would recommend to everyone. Don’t hesitate to get it if you see it on sales. I’ve included Innisfree Gel Liner in my Top Review list. Rating: 4.5/5

Updated in June 2018

Thought a few months were long enough to test a makeup. Apparently not.

After sharpening Innisfree Gel Liner for the first time, it no longer glides on smoothly. In fact, it tugged so badly I thought I was using an eyebrow pencil. Umm….no. It’s worse than an eyebrow pencil. I am very puzzled why this would happen as I’ve never experienced this with my Super Holy Grail Gel Liner – Bourjois Metallic Eyeliner.

That’s not the worse. When I attempted to use it the next day (after sharpening), part of the “lead” dropped onto my vanity when I twisted open the cap. Apparently, part of the “lead” broke on its own overnight, without any contact. Amazing! Hence, I’m reducing this rating to 0.5. 

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