on the hunt for the perfect cruelty free drugstore liquid eyeliner

Discaimer: Rimmel is not cruelty free. I am a cruelty free blog and I don’t promote products and brands that don’t match my morals and ethics. I’m writing this post as a reference for what I’m looking for in a replacement eyeliner. If this sounds like a product that fits what you’re looking for I’m happy for you, but I want to make it very clear that I do not condone cruelty towards animals or the questionable practice of testing on them. This series is simply for fun and for the evaluation of good liquid liners that I will be using instead of the Rimmel one.

2020 has been the year that my eyes have been opened towards cruelty free brands, especially big ones- and that has meant a huge shift and rethink of many of my staple makeup products. One of these is my staple liquid eyeliner; the Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner.

I absolutely hate testing liquid eyeliner; trying new formulas that flake off halfway through my work day, spending an extra ten minutes trying to create a crisp line with a weird brush tip- it’s torture. So when I found the Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner and it ticked almost every box for me, I was pretty pumped.

Since I’ve discovered that Rimmel isn’t cruelty free, I’ve been on the hunt for an affordable drugstore liquid eyeliner to replace it- but the winner will have to perform! I’m starting a new series for testing cruelty free, affordable drugstore liquid eyeliners with specific targets, so that you don’t have to waste time and money testing them yourself.

This is the ‘control’ for the series;

ease of application

I always find that ease of application is dependent on what product I use on the daily. Switching from one eyeliner to the next always takes some getting used to, but I wanted to see how easy it is to pickup and create a flawless wing with little to no practise. Obviously, for the Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner, there isn’t anything to say- I’m so used to using it for years that I could create the perfect flick in my sleep.

applicator type

The Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner is a brush-and-pot kind of deal, which happens to be my favourite (over felt tip pen style for example). I adore the brush tip of this product, and I’m looking for a replacement with the same thing. It’s a sturdy felt tip that doesn’t bend or flex when you’re using it, so precise lines are a dream.

formula

The Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner is an intense matte black. There’s no faffing around, applying loads of coats- one flick and you’re done.

longevity

This is the only part where the Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner fails (aside from not being cruelty free, of course). While the formula is great and doesn’t flake or fade during the day, it’s not truly waterproof. Any kind of tears or rain and you’ll end up with black rivulets running down your face. To combat this, I add CYO’s This Line’s A Keeper on the outer corner of my eye where I tend to get watery.

affordability

The Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner is €7.99/£5.99 in Boots, which I think is pretty decent. I wait till the ‘3 for 2’ promotion to pick up three in one go, which only costs me €15.98/£11.98 for almost six months’ of eyeliner.

Please god, if you have any suggestions for cruelty free liquid eyeliners that I should try out first, please let me know! I barely know where to start.

I’m hoping to try one or two products a month, so make sure to subscribe to my blog (fill in a few details at the bottom of this page!), and follow me on Instagram @lapetitemis for updates on my cruelty free makeup! Thanks for reading, and thanks for your liquid eyeliner suggestions!