I first bought a Stila smudge pot on a whim while at Sephora; I wanted an eye liner that wouldn't smudge off after all day wear, but I didn't want to use liquid, as I do not feel I have a steady enough hand or patience for it. I bought a small angled brush there as well, and took the products home. Instant love! I was able to create a sleek, cat eye look that literally lasted all day long. This product does not come off or smudge unless you want it to.
However, my first smudge pot ended disappointingly. I left it uncapped and what was left of the product dried up and became harder and harder to apply until I had to throw it away. I told myself I wouldn't buy the product anymore, but after a few months of going back to stick and pencil eyeliners, I decided to give the smudge pots another chance. I found this 4 pot set and bought it. I have had it for a few days but already notice a few things better than before.
Pros:
-Same smooth, sleek look. These, however, feel even smoother that the last one I bought. They literally glide on, and not a lot is needed.
-They finally come in purple!
-Long lasting, intense colors look sharp and professional when smartly applied
Cons:
-Tiny, tiny pots! These are hard to initially open, especially after I put on lotion during my morning routine. I had to get help with 2 of them. I shut them tight to avoid them from drying out, so I have to make sure my hands aren't greasy from applying lotion if I want them to open easily.
-Brush that came with the package seems inadequate, especially if you are going for that cat eye look. I had already bought a brush from sephora (Sephora Retractable Angled Eyeliner Brush #18), so I didn't even give the little brush a second look.
-(updated)The purple pots work best if you use more than what you would use for the black one. (Much more, in my case, since I tend to wear heavy eyeliner). It feels like maybe they haven't perfected the formula for the purple ones, in regards to how much is needed to make the color look vibrant.
I love these eyeliners and I am glad I gave them another try. I will update as I finish off the products to see if they dried out and met the same fate as the first one I bought. I hope not!
PRODUCT UPDATE:
I added another con to the review.