Milani eye tech vs. Maybelline master precise (pen liners)

      

             The battle of the drugstore pen eyeliners!! (maybe could be a series for reviews? That's something to consider...) Milani and Maybelline are two of my favorites brands in the drugstore in terms ot the quality and price of their products, but when it does come down to price Milani wins by a longshot.

What?
     What are pen eyeliners? They are exactly what they sound like they are; liquid eye liners in pen form. The two specific ones I'm reviewing have a tapered thin foam tip whereas other pen eyeliners may have thin brush tips. For example, the Physicians formula pen eyeliner or the Jesse's Girl pen eyeliner have brush tips.

First impressions

Milani:
- thin brush tip
- easy to apply
- slightly watery formula
- opaque black but needs some layering
- dries to a shiny finish
- smudges at the corner of my eye (my eyes water at the end of my eye)

Maybelline:
- even thinner longer foam tip that comes to a sharp point
- point is flexible so you can even draw with it
- easier to make thin lines
- waterier formula than milani
- slightly more opaque than milani
- still smudges at the ends of my eye

Ingredient list:

MAYBELLINE	MILANI
Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Black 2 (CI 77266), Styrene / Acrylates / Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Coco-Glucoside, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Laureth-12 Sulfate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate. *note: claimed to be paraben-free	Aqua/Water/Eau, Butylene Glycol, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Coco-Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta, Sodium L Aureth-12 Sulfate, Trisodium Edta, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate. May Contain/Peut Contenir: CI 7266/Black 2.

                            

left: Milani (2 layers)
right: Maybelline (2 layers)

left: Milani
right: Maybelline

running water over them

after taking my hand out of the running water

after wiping my hand off and the residue that's left bhind

                                         

THE SHOWDOWN

	MAYBELLINE	MILANI
Waterproof	NO	NO
Lasting power	12+ hours (stays on but smudges towards the end of the eyes and onto my lower lashline)	12+ hours (stays on but smudges towards the end of the eyes and onto my lower lashline)
Smudge proof	NO(see pic above)	NO (see pic above)
Finish	MATTE	SEMI-MATTE (still catches light)
Easiest to apply	X (Longer and thinner tip, see pic above)	Thicker and stubbier tip
Packaging	decent	Slimmer and has a grip pad
Opaqueness/ formula	TIED (not watery)	TIED (not watery)
Star ratings	★★★ (and a half)	★★★
CONCLUSION	WINNER!!!	LOSER!!

 

Conclusion: I have very oily skin and eyelids so anything I tend to put on becomes smudgy and faded after a couple hours. But I think these two eyeliners are some of the best ones out in the drugstore. I swear by them, I usually have one to travel and one at home (either one is good) but like I said in the chart I likr maybelline just a bit more. And also a tip for storage to prevent them from drying out! Make sure you store them horizontal and not vertical like a pencil or the tips will dry out. Thanks for reading this review ;D and share your opinions in the comments below