Here’s a little gem I dismissed when I first got it, as ‘nothing special.’ The KATE Matte Black Gel Eyeliner is one of the things I got from my Japanese drugstore explorations, because of many wonderful reviews online.

I tried it and didn’t really care much for it, until I tried it with another brush.

The line it draws is very black and opaque. It’s rather creamy, though it’s not especially creamy, if that makes sense. It’s a little hard to glide it onto your eyelids, so I usually either pack my brush with a lot of product, or double-dip (lol) after doing half the length of the eye.

The great thing about it, though, is that it stays put pretty well. This is after I smudged it off with a makeup remover wipe. Impressive, yes? I think this would be particularly awesome for humid climates like the Philippines!

While it comes with a brush, similar to the Maybelline gel liner and the MAC 211, I find that I had the easiest time and best results when I applied it with a MAC 266, which is a stiff angled brush.

All in all, a thumbs up for me! 🙂

Though I bought this in Japan, KATE by Kanebo is available in Watsons and SM Department Stores nationwide. KATE is not cruelty-free.