Beauty Rimmel ScandalEyes Duel: Kohl Kajal vs Gel Pencil Liner Now
The Kohl Kajal and the Gel Pencil both wear the ScandalEyes name, but they create different effects. One is a creamy intense kajal for waterlines and smoke. The other is a smooth gel pencil for precise defined lines. Your eye look decides.
| Factor | Rimmel ScandalEyes Kohl Kajal Liner, Spa | Rimmel ScandalEyes Gel Eyeliner Pencil, |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Waterproof Kohl Kajal | Waterproof Gel Pencil |
| Shade | Sparkling Black | 001 Black |
| Texture | Creamy, intense | Ultra-smooth gel |
| Best use | Waterline, smoky eyes | Defined lines, wings |
| Waterproof | Yes | Yes |
| Smudgeability | High, blend fast | Moderate, sets faster |
| Eye safety | Ophthalmologist tested | Suitable for sensitive eyes |
| Price point | Budget | Budget |
Our Verdict
Pick the Kohl Kajal if you want intense waterline color and smoky blending. Pick the Gel Pencil if you want smooth, precise liner that resists water and heat. Both are waterproof, so choose by application style.
Tightlining Technique for Beginners
Tightlining is the technique the Kohl Kajal was made for, and it is routinely explained wrong. The product goes between the lashes, at the very base, in the tiny gaps where the lashes meet the lid, not on the waterline. The difference matters because waterline product migrates and fades within hours, while product worked into the lash base stays put and makes the lashes themselves look denser without any visible liner line. This is the no-makeup makeup eye in a single step.
The technique is simple but specific. Look down into a mirror, gently lift the upper lid with a fingertip, and use short dotting motions with the kajal right at the lash roots, not a sweeping line. Short dots deposit product without dragging the delicate skin. The most common beginner mistake is pressing too hard, which deposits a thick line that transfers to the lower waterline and creates the raccoon effect by noon. Light pressure and multiple dots beat one heavy stroke. The gel pencil can tightline too, but its firmer tip demands an even lighter hand on the lash base.
The Lower Lash Line, Done Honestly
Lining the lower lashes is where eye makeup most often goes wrong, and the honest guidance is that less is more. A full, heavy lower line closes the eye down and reads as harsh in daylight, which is why so many people feel their liner ages them. The flattering version is a soft, diffused line along the outer two-thirds of the lower lash line, blended with a fingertip so there is no hard edge. The Kohl Kajal's creamy texture is ideal for this because it smudges on purpose.
Placement decides the outcome. Product on the lower waterline gives the most intense, dramatic effect but also the most transfer risk, and on smaller eyes it can make them look smaller. Product just below the lash line, on the skin rather than the waterline, defines without shrinking. For daytime, many people skip the lower line entirely and let tightlining on the upper lashes do all the work. Raccoon-eye prevention is a system, not a single product choice. Set the lower line with matching eyeshadow pressed over it, apply concealer before the liner, and if your eyes water, the gel pencil outlasts the kajal on the lower line. Our volumizing mascara guide covers the lash side of the equation, because balanced lower lashes keep liner from looking heavy.
Removal Difficulty, Ranked by Format
Not all waterproof eye products remove equally, and ranking them honestly saves lashes. The gel pencil removes easiest despite being waterproof, because its firmer film lifts in pieces with an oil cleanser and does not embed in the lash line. The Kohl Kajal is harder, because its creamy formula works itself into the waterline and the spaces between lashes, where only thorough oil cleansing reaches. Traditional waterproof mascara is harder still, and waterproof liquid liner is the most stubborn of all.
The removal method should match the format. For the kajal, massage cleansing oil along the closed lash line for thirty seconds before wiping, giving the product time to dissolve out of the waterline. For the gel pencil, a balm or oil on a cotton pad pressed gently over the line for ten seconds lifts it without scrubbing. Do not scrub with a dry pad or pick at the waterline with a fingernail. The skin at the lash line is thin, the lashes there are fragile, and repeated rough removal causes the exact lash loss people blame on the product. If liner consistently survives your remover, the remover is too weak, not the liner too strong. Our makeup removal guide walks through matching removers to waterproof formulas across the whole face.
Eyeliner for Contact Lens Wearers
Contact lens wearers should treat kajal and gel pencils differently. The Kohl Kajal's creamy formula migrates more easily, and migrated product on a lens causes the gritty, filmy feeling that makes people blame their lenses for what is actually a makeup problem. If you wear lenses and love the kajal waterline look, keep the product strictly on the outer waterline, away from the inner corner where the lens edge sits, and choose the gel pencil for the inner half. Tightlining the upper lash base is the safest kajal technique for lens wearers, because the product sits above the lens, not beside it.
At night, remove lenses before removing makeup, so no dissolved liner washes across the eye while a lens is still in. Lens wearers with dry eyes should know that any eye makeup increases particle load, so the gentlest effective removal matters twice as much.
More Top Picks in This Category
Not sold on either of these two? Here are more bestselling options worth considering.
Best for: gel liner fans wanting drugstore value
Rimmel ScandalEyes Gel Eyeliner, Black
- Potted gel eyeliner
- Rich black pigment
- Brush-friendly formula
Pros
- Professional gel finish
- Very affordable
Cons
- Dries out if left open
- Needs a brush