Beauty UD Glide-On Compared: Perversion Black Vs Emerald Green Now
Perversion black and Electric Empire metallic green are two of the most loved Urban Decay Glide-On shades. We compared their pigment, versatility and best uses to help you pick.
| Factor | URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eye | URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eye |
|---|---|---|
| Shade | Perversion is a true matte black, the most versatile eyeliner shade ever made. | Electric Empire is a metallic green with shimmer, a bold statement shade. |
| Pigment | Perversion delivers intense opaque black in one stroke. | Electric Empire gives rich metallic green color with a luminous finish. |
| Best looks | Perversion suits classic wings, tightlining and smoky eyes. | Electric Empire suits creative looks, festivals and making hazel eyes pop. |
| Everyday use | Perversion works for office, evening and everything between. | Electric Empire is more of a weekend or night-out shade for most people. |
| Winner for most | Perversion wins for versatility and daily wear. | Electric Empire wins if you already own black and want something fun. |
Our Verdict
Perversion wins for most buyers. The matte black shade works for every occasion, from office to evening, and its pigment is unmatched in one stroke. Choose Electric Empire if you already own a great black liner and want a bold shade that makes hazel and brown eyes glow. It is a fun second pencil, not a first. Most makeup bags need the black workhorse before the statement green.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: Those wanting a softer shimmering brown alternative to harsh black liner.
URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil (Bourbon - Dark Brown Shimmer) - Smudge-Proof, Transfer-Proof, Smooth No-Tug Formula, Hydrating Vitamin E & Jojoba Oil - 0.04 Oz
- Dark brown shimmer Bourbon shade
- Waterproof smudge-proof wear
- Creamy no-tug glide
- Vitamin E and jojoba oil enriched
Pros
- Softer than black for daytime
- Flatters blue and green eyes
Cons
- Shimmer not ideal for all looks
- Premium price
Want the Full Picture?
Which Eye Colors Do Perversion and Electric Empire Actually Flatter?
Black liner flatters everyone, but the interesting question on this page is who should bother with Electric Empire at all. Metallic green sits opposite red on the color wheel, which is why it makes hazel and brown eyes look more golden: it pulls the warm flecks forward. Green eyes get a different effect, since green liner on green eyes can flatten the iris, so a thinner line or just a wing tip works better than a full thick stroke.
Blue eyes are the surprise winner here. Teal and emerald tones deepen blue irises the way navy clothing does, so Electric Empire along the lower lash line can make blue eyes look startlingly bright. This is also where Bourbon earns its place. Dark brown shimmer is the daytime compromise: it defines the eye like Perversion but reads softer in office light, and the shimmer keeps it from looking flat on tired eyes. The honest hierarchy is Perversion for maximum definition, Bourbon when you want definition without the drama of black, and Electric Empire for evenings when the light is low and the color can glow.
One more pairing note that no swatch chart tells you: metallic liners look best with a crisp, deliberate shape, since a wobbly green line reads as a mistake while a wobbly black reads as smoky. The wing angles in our guide to the Charlotte Tilbury Feline Flick transfer well to colored pencils, since a flick gives metallic shades the structure they need.
How Hard Is Waterproof Glide-On to Remove, Really?
Competitor guides praise 24/7 Glide-On for staying put, then skip the second half: a pencil that resists smudging for 16 hours does not rinse off with face wash. An oil-based or dual-phase remover dissolves the waterproof binders first, so the pigment lifts off instead of being dragged across the skin. Plain micellar water on a cotton pad will move Perversion around but often leaves a gray shadow along the lash line by morning.
The reason this deserves its own section is lash health. The most common way people lose lashes to eyeliner is not the liner itself, it is the scrubbing. Repeated rubbing at the lash line loosens lashes at the root, and a waterproof pencil used daily with aggressive removal adds up over months. The fix is simple: press a remover-soaked pad against the closed eye for 20 to 30 seconds before wiping, so one gentle downward wipe does the job. If you tightline regularly, this step is not optional, since product sits directly against the lash roots.
Removal effort also differs by shade. Dark matte Perversion leaves the most visible residue if removed lazily, while Electric Empire's metallic particles can linger in the lash line and read as green glitter the next day. If you wear waterproof liner daily, our waterproof eye pencil guide compares formulas on end-of-day removal effort, not just wear time.
Tightlining With a Pencil: Where the Product Actually Goes
Tightlining is the single best use of Perversion, and most tutorials describe it wrong. The product does not go on the waterline, it goes into the base of the upper lashes, in the tiny gaps between lash roots. Done right, it makes lashes look thicker at the base with no visible liner line. The technique: look down into a mirror so the upper lash line is exposed, then use short pressing motions to dot the pencil between the lashes rather than drawing one continuous stroke, which skips the gaps and smudges.
Two mistakes cause most tightlining irritation. First, pressing the pencil into the actual waterline and dragging, which deposits product against the eye and invites watering. For the lower lash line, keep the product on the lashes below the waterline, or skip it entirely. Glide-On's creamy texture helps here because it does not require pressure, and pressure is what pushes product where it should not go.
If your eyes are sensitive or you wear contacts, tightlining deserves extra caution, since product migrates more easily when the eye waters. Our kajal guide for sensitive eyes covers waterline-friendly formulas least likely to sting, and the same rules apply near the lash roots.