Review (4/5): Next best kajal next to Lakme (since Lakme is no longer avail on Amazon!!)
Lakme Eyeconic was my FAVORITE Kajal. Why did Amazon pull them off their site???
I tried many other kajals to find a close replacement, but they all paled in comparison....until I found this Elle 18 brand.
Elle 18 Kajal is very deep black, but....it is NOT as stark a coal black as Lakme Eyeconic, which I loved. I like deeeeeeeeeep stark coal black liner, BUT Elle 18 is still darker than any other US brand (revlon, loreal, Maybelline, UD, MAC, etc).
Elle 18 goes on smooth, BUT not as smoooooooth as Lakme. Lakme felt like a gel liner...it hugged your lash line. Yet, Elle 18 still goes on smoothly compared to any other US brand I have tried. I am a smokey eye/nude lip kinda girl so eyeliner is life! Lol
Elle 18 Kajal has a bit of a glossy sheen to it. I am not crazy about that because the sheen softens the intensity of the black. I like my liner to be matte, as it makes the black look super intense. Lakme Eyeconic was matte, which I just adored so much!
Elle 18 does NOT irritate my super sensitive eyes at all. Neither did Lakme. Both of these brands are FABULOUS to line your lash line, as well as to tight line your waterline.
Elle 18 lasts on me ALL DAY LONG. So does Lakme Eyeconic. I have worn both brands while working out/sweatjng, while swimming at the beach, and while in the shower. They do NOT budge! The only reason I ever reapply Elle is if I want to re intensify the black pigment after I have touched up eyeshadow if there is fallout. Again, I think the glossy sheen just makes the black a bit less intense. With Lakme Eyeconic, I never needed to touch-up the intensity.
Overall, Lakme Eyeconic IS the BEST and DEEPEST black Kajal I have ever found, BUT Elle 18 is a close 2nd; and Elle is by far superior to all US drugstore brands I have tried, as well as even better than Uurban Decay 24/7 black pencil, and better than MAC Cosmetics' black eye pencils. Laura Geller's black Kajal eye crayon is very deep black and long lasting, but it is much more expensive and it is a fat crayon, so harder to get a nice sleek tight lash line.
As long as Elle 18's price point is THIS low, I will continue to only buy their Kajal! Great price for such a fantastic eyeliner pencil!