Review: Essence Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

I was in Ulta and I never bothered to buy a black liquid liner after I ran out of my e.l.f one (which wasn't bad actually.. give it a try if you're on a budget!!!) and want to get back into it. I don't like spending a ton of money and I LOVE my Essence black gel liner so I figured why not stay in the brand and try it.. let's get into the specifics:

- Here are the claims from Ulta's website:

               

- Overall basics: I got this at from Ulta and purchased it in-store for $2.99 directly from Essence's display. 

- Pigmentation: This is very opaque and pigmented so there's no annoying dipping back into the product and layering it up, etc.. very nice and black.

- Formula: Obviously a liquid eyeliner will be wet (haha), but this does dry matte. A thin line dries quick but a thick line will take a while... but we'll get into that with the applicator.

- Wear: No flaking, long wearing..

- Waterproof??: This is waterproof UNLESS you apply pressure and rub.. Just running the swatches under water, there was no smudging. Basically, it is water-resistant but not waterproof. Because of this, it is longwearing and does not fade; always a plus.
-Packaging: Here is where the problem begins for me.. the stopper in this bottle does not clean off the applicator as much as I would like..

- Applicator:

Okay guys this is the problem with this product.. This has an applicator I've never seen with a liquid liner. I was expecting a brush tip but it is a sponge material. Not a nice, solid, felt tip pen; NO a sponge!! This picks up just too much product so I experienced transferring because the applicator picks up too much product.
(Here is what I mean when transferring.. there is so much product on the applicator because of the stopper and thus applied to the eye that it takes so long to dry and then..this happens):

I find it very hard to get a thin line and do a precise wing with this applicator because it doesn't come to a fine tip.. Here I'll show you guys the thickness of some swatches:

(Ignore the dot of liner in the top of the picture)

The thinner line was made by only using only the very tip of the applicator which is not ideal during application because of the way we hold things like writing tools and because the applicator is so flexible. The thicker line was made with the technique I use when applying liquid, which is using the side of the applicator; basically holding it as I would a pencil.

Would I recommend?

This product would have been amazing if it were a brush tip applicator! The formula is fab but the applicator is SO crucial in liners. So I would not recommend this.. it just makes it messy. If you want a long wearing black liner check out their gel liner in "Midnight in Paris"; which is a HG product for me.