Splurge or Save? Urban Decay Ink for Eyes Waterproof Eye Pen vs. Essence Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

Purchased by Me 

So I was all set to review for you the Essence Waterproof Eyeliner Pen (available at Ulta and other retailers), when something occurred to me. The more I kept using this eyeliner, the more it reminded of something. Then it hit me, and that's when I decided it would be more fun to do a little comparison for you...

Urban Decay Ink for Eyes Waterproof Precision Eye Pen (retail: $20)

Essence Waterproof Eyeliner Pen (retail: $2.99)

Since I own both of these liners, I thought it might be helpful for me to compare the two, and let you decide which might be a better fit for you and your lining needs.

As you can see, you get a tiny bit more product in the Essence liner, and for about 1/6th the price ($2.99 vs. $20). The Essence pen is about the same width as the UD pen, but the Essence pen is longer.

Urban Decay ingredients (from the UD website):

Aqua (Water/Eau), Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/Octylacrylamide Copolymer, Beheneth-30, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: CI 77266 (Black 2)[nano].

Essence ingredients (from the Essence website):

AQUA (WATER), STYRENE/ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, ALCOHOL DENAT., METHYLPROPANEDIOL, CETEARETH-25, SORBITOL, SODIUM CARBONATE, LACTOBACILLUS FERMENT, PANTHENOL, GELLAN GUM, XYLITYLGLUCOSIDE, ANHYDROXYLITOL, XYLITOL, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, SIMETHICONE, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, CI 77266 (BLACK 2).

Looking at the felt-tip applicators, this is really where the similarities are strongest. They're nearly identical in shape and length, with the Essence liner being just a hair longer and wider.

As you can see, the UD liner is a slightly bluer black. It also dries to a slightly shinier finish. I do want to note here that, on the eye, the Essence liner doesn't read as brown--it does read as a true black on the eye but, looking at them side by side, the UD liner clearly has more blue to it, while the Essence liner has a bit more brown to it. That said, if you are a stickler when it comes to black liquid liners and you absolutely love your liners to be the blackest of black, then you might not be 100% satisfied with the Essence liner or even the UD liner, for that matter. I don't find either liner to be a super intense, dramatic black. But if you're not sensitive to that type of thing, then the Essence might be black enough for your needs. When I'm wearing the Essence, I never feel like, "Oh, this looks like a brown eyeliner." It does read as black on my eyes, without question.

I am able to draw the same precise line with both liners. I can get such a fine point from both applicators--that's really what triggered my memory when I was using the Essence liner. I kept saying, "This feels so familiar to something else I own," and then it occurred to me that the applicator feels nearly identical to the UD applicator. But actually, if we're splitting hairs here, I am able to draw a SLIGHTLY finer, more precise line with the Essence liner. And the very tip of the Essence liner is a tiny bit more firm, allowing for a bit of extra control that I don't get from the UD liner.

As for staying power, they're both quite similar to me. Both liners are what I would call "water resistant" rather than full-on waterproof. I can splash my face with water and neither liner runs or smudges. But if I rub these liners (after they're wet), they both smudge and run. But if I rub these liners while they're dry, they do not smudge. Both liners last all day on my oily skin, with minimal to no fading at all. And both liners do transfer a tiny bit to my lower lash line on very warm days (but honestly, I get this with all liquid liners on hot days).

Removal is almost identical as well. Neither liner removes completely with just my regular facial cleanser. I must use a cleansing oil or makeup remover to completely remove both liners.

So is the Urban Decay liner worth the splurge? Well that depends. I have been reaching for the Essence liner over the UD liner for the past few weeks, and I think that's because the tip of the Essence applicator gives me just an extra bit of control. But if I were concerned about having the darkest, blackest liner possible, I would probably be reaching for the UD liner more than the Essence liner. But frankly, that's just not a big concern for me, and I think the Essence looks dark enough for my needs. I find both the wear-time and removal of both liners to be nearly identical, so the Essence liner fits the bill just fine for me (at about 1/6th of the price of the UD). If you have been thinking about trying the UD liner, I would consider picking up the Essence liner first. If you like the way it applies but you find yourself wanting a deeper, blacker liner, then you'll know that the UD liner is quite similar in application, and darker as well.

You can purchase the Essence liner at Ulta (in-store and online) for $2.99. You can purchase the UD liner at Ulta, Sephora and directly from the Urban Decay website for $20.

I hope this comparison helps, and if you own either of these liners (or both), I would absolutely love to hear from you!

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.