Essence Stay and Play Gel Eyeliner: a Guru Score of 84%

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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✓Yay

"My favorite everyday eyeliner that I tried this year is from Essence. It's their Stay and Play Gel Eyeliner. It's longasting. It's waterproof. And when they say it's waterproof, it really is. I have been a fan of the Essence eyeliners, gel eyeliners for a long, long time. This shade is called Stardust Love. It's a really dark gray almost black. This does have some glitter flakes in it. If you don't like that, I wouldn't get this color."

All 2 takes from HotandFlashy

Best Makeup of 2025 for Mature Skin! Drugstore to High End

"My favorite everyday eyeliner that I tried this year is from Essence. It's their Stay and Play Gel Eyeliner. It's longasting. It's waterproof. And when they say it's waterproof, it really is. I have been a fan of the Essence eyeliners, gel eyeliners for a long, long time. This shade is called Stardust Love. It's a really dark gray almost black. This does have some glitter flakes in it. If you don't like that, I wouldn't get this color."

Faves + Fails March 2025

"I tried an Essence eyeliner in that video and love this. This is their Stay and Play Gel Eyeliner. It's long lasting and waterproof, so if you wear contacts or if your eyes are particularly watery, you put this on even in the waterline and it stays in place. And it's so creamy. I did my top eyeliner with this today, a little tiny wing, and also my waterline with this. This color is their dark, like shimmery gray. It's called Stardust. Love it. It does have a couple of little glitter flakes in it, so if you don't like any glittery type things in your eyeliner, pick a different color than this one."

Alexandra Anele

1.44M subs

✓Yay

"It's the Essence Stay and Play gel liner in the shade Black Raven. It's quite creamy and easy to blend. Because it's waterproof, I can use a blending brush to press it into the lash line to soften that liner. I'm using it as a base for the eyeshadow so I can build on top of it, and because it is waterproof, you can use a brush if you want to move this around a little."

All 2 takes from Alexandra Anele

Holiday Glam using ALL Drugstore Makeup

"It's the Essence Stay and Play gel liner in the shade Black Raven. It's quite creamy and easy to blend. Because it's waterproof, I can use a blending brush to press it into the lash line to soften that liner. I'm using it as a base for the eyeshadow so I can build on top of it, and because it is waterproof, you can use a brush if you want to move this around a little."

Make Small Eyes POP | A ridiculously in depth tutorial

"One of my favorites is the Essence Stay and Play Gel Eyeliner, which is a beautiful bright nude. If you are around my skin tone, I would say the rule would be to go a shade or two lighter than your skin tone. If you use white it can look really intense, especially if you have deeper skin, so just keep that in mind. Something a couple shades lighter than your skin tone is really going to make your eyes pop because all you're trying to do is lighten up this area. It doesn't need to be white, it doesn't need to look exactly like the white of your eye to make your eyes pop, it just needs to be a little bit lighter than what your waterline already is."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is Essence Stay and Play Gel Eyeliner?

A long-wearing gel eyeliner by Essence in multiple shades designed for lids and waterline application.

Is Essence Stay and Play Gel Eyeliner worth it?

Yes. All 2 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 84%.

What is Essence Stay and Play Gel Eyeliner's Guru Score?

Essence Stay and Play Gel Eyeliner holds a Guru Score of 84%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 2 expert reviewers we have collected.