ELF Lock On Gel Liner in Yes to Nude Review
I first bought the ELF Lock On Gel Liner after reading several rave reviews about this product. It was part of a new ELF release and shades were quickly selling out. I purchased the Yes to Nude shade thinking it would be perfect to use on my lower water liner. Using a nude liner here can really help to make your eyes look brighter and more awake.
Claims: “This unique gel-based eyeliner is smudge-resistant, fade-proof, and lasts all day. The creamy formula can create bold lines or can be blended with the sponge-tip applicator for a smoky look. Provides a long-wearing, high-performance look on both the inner rims and eyelids. Sharpen with your favorite sharpener or get ours to get the most out of your liner. “
Continue reading the Lock On Gel Liner in Yes to Nude Review!
Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Isododecane, Copernicia Cerifera (Canuba)Wax, Ceresin, Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcrystalline), Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyisobutene, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol. MAY CONTAIN: Mica Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)
Pros: Highly pigmented. Very creamy formula. Easy to apply. Cruelty free and vegan brand.
Cons: Breaks often. Difficult to sharpen. Nearly impossible to have the product be pointed after sharpening yourself.
The Verdict: As I was prepping to write this post, I realized that they never re-stocked the ELF Lock On Gel Liner. And I can understand why. While the gel pencil product itself was creamy and pigmented, I had nothing but issues with this product. It broke immediately when I went to use it. I used the ELF sharpener suggested by the brand to sharpen it. The first time, the pencil sharpened a little bit. It was usable, but it had a wide and flat top which made it difficult to use as a liner. The second time I sharpened it, there was nothing I could do to get it to sharpen again.
What I noticed was that, beyond the first 1/4″ of the product, the tube was only filled with the product on one side. It was basically a half circle of the ELF Lock On Gel Liner in the tube. I figured that this must just be a weird spot and kept sharpening, checking the product often to see what it was like. After sharpening away another 1/4″ of half-filled liner, the tube was simply empty. There was only about 1/2″ of product in the entire liner pencil, which was the same size as a standard liner pencil. I read some of the reviews on the ELF site and many people experienced similar things.
I think having a self-sharpening pencil would have improved this product a lot. The formula was creamy and pigmented and very pretty on. It seemed alright from the two times I was able to use it. Unfortunately, two is not enough uses to form much of an opinion about the product. As far as how little product was in my ELF Lock On Gel Liner, I am unsure if that’s common with these liners or not. Even for a cheap liner, that was still disappointing. I haven’t given up on the brand, and I am actually glad to see that they didn’t bring this liner back. To me, that says a lot about the product. If the product was still for sale, I would not repurchase this product.
Did you try the ELF Lock On Gel Liner? What was your experience?
If ELF is a vegan brand, why is it that their costs are so low?
Being vegan and having high prices don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand. I think retail prices are often based on the quality of ingredients used. There are lots of vegan-friendly ingredients that brands can source at low prices. Plenty of affordable brands offer vegan options too.