Gel Liner on a Budget: My Vendetta Against Rimmel Continues...

First of all... I changed up my banner - no more London skyline! What do you think? 


Last week I wrote a post pitting the high street brand Topshop's red lipstick against the classic Chanel Coco Rouge red lipstick. Today I'm doing the same, but with two gel liners of around the same pricing - just to prove what you can get on a budget if you buy the right brands. 


Since secondary school, throughout my various friendship groups I have been known to actively try to dissuade people from using Rimmel products. Now in my ripe old 20's, this hasn't changed. I had sworn off Rimmel products at around the age of 14 due to their clumpy mascaras, favouring L'Oreal as my favourite high street make up brand. Yes, Rimmel may seem like the attractive option due to their cheap prices and Kate Moss-infused advertising, but don't be fooled! 


6 years after my decision to not use Rimmel products I was in Superdrug and browsing for a cheap gel liner. I decided to go against my better judgement and buy the Rimmel London Waterproof Gel Liner in shade 001: Black. It was an impulse buy as I'd have had to have gone back to Boots to get the product I wanted - L'Oreal's Superliner Gel. I have since bought L'Oreal's version of the same product and am writing this to show you the comparison... Let the pictures speak for themselves!

★ Rimmel London Waterproof Gel Liner (shade 001: Black): RRP - £6.49 ★ 

Here is a swatch of the Rimmel London Waterproof Gel Liner in shade 001: Black. I have also included pictures of the gel on a closed lid and open lid. All pictures were achieved by using the brush included when buying the liner. 

As you can see the product doesn't look too bad, a tad wet and a bit translucent but all in all a satisfying gel liner... Right? For full effect I decided to line the opposite eye with L'Oreal's Superliner Gel in shade 02: Golden Black. 

★ L'Oreal Superliner Gel (shade 02: Golden Black): RRP - £6.99 ★ 

I repeated the previous swatch, this time using L'Oreal's Superliner Gel in shade 02: Golden Black. Again, both an open and closed lid are lined using the product, applied with the brush that is included.

Again, there isn't that much of a difference between the 2 products, is there? After these pictures were taken I then waited 5 minutes, going about usual tasks and then took a picture of both eyes together.

Disclaimer: I did not attempt to use one eye more than the other in order to create this effect.

★ Left eye is lined with Rimmel London Waterproof Gel Liner (shade 001: Black): RRP - £6.49 ★ Right eye is lined with L'Oreal Superliner Gel (shade 02: Golden Black): RRP - £6.99 ★

As you can see there is now a clear difference between these 2 products, with a price difference of only 50p! The wetness of the Rimmel liner means that it is stubborn to dry, incredibly susceptible to transfer  and shows noticeable fading after only 5 minutes. The L'Oreal liner on the other hand has stayed exactly how it was when I applied it. Other differences include the brushes. The brush provided in the L'Oreal purchase is much longer than the Rimmel brush, adding dexterity and making it easier to use than the short Rimmel brush. The consistency of these 2 products is also completely different. The Rimmel gel is a constantly wet formula, easy to smudge and alter within the pot. The L'Oreal gel however is a solid, compact substance, turning to a creamy substance when touched with the brush.

So if Rimmel is your go-to brand on a budget, skip it if you're looking for a decent gel liner. For 50p extra you can avoid the smudges, transfer and fading and head over to the L'Oreal counter! Do you have any brands that you avoid? Let me know ☺!