I bought a few of these about two years ago, to compare Stila’s gel-formula pencils to the NYX pencils that I frequently use. There’s a definite difference - they’re a bit “slipperier”, though they do dry faster and stay in place longer. They also work very well as liners, though when I want to do that I will generally grab a fine-detail brush rather than try and get a point on these pencils. There is a built-in sharpener, but I don’t use them much. They’re not super-sharp, and they shape more than sharpen.

Photos that show how the product actually performs...! See how I create my swatches

While most of the colors apply quite well, Pink Violet is a tiny bit patchy. The upside is that it will layer fairly well, as long as you wait for the first coat to dry (not thoroughly cure, just dry quite well) and either apply a second coat, or dab some more on the thinner spots. Rose and Kitten are both great "general use" / all-over shades, and Midnight Blue has good pigmentation without being either blackened, or too bright.

I also found out - quite by accident - that Smoke makes a good brow color for me. The color is ashy with some gold shimmer when the light hits it just so, but when I use it as a super-easy-to-apply brow gel, I get the ashy brown color rather than much of the gold shimmer. Since so many brow colors are either too dark or too light, this was a great find. (I was also able to stock up one year when Stila had these pencils at 60% off, during their Friends and Family sale.)

This collection contained:

• Antique — champagne-taupe pearl
• Black — jet-black creme
• Dazzle — black with silver glitter sparkle (exclusive to Sephora)
• Kitten — champagne pearl
• Midnight Blue — dark navy pearl
• Pink Violet — medium-deep fuchsia creme
• Rose — medium rose-red pearl
• Smoke — medium-deep tan-taupe creme
• Umber — medium-deep brown creme

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