Skip to main content
Beauty

M.A.C. Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliner Review

These vibrant eyeliners add the perfect touch of color to my hooded eyes

Three multicolored eyeliner pencils against a green background. Credit: M.A.C. Cosmetics/ Reviewed

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

  1. Product image of MAC Colour Excess Gel Pencil

    MAC Colour Excess Gel Pencil

    Pros

    • Bright pigments

    • Long-lasting

    Cons

    • Expensive

    Buy now at MAC Cosmetics

Having what some people call “hooded eyes”—that is, a deep fold between my eyelid and eyebrow—has proven to be the ultimate challenge when getting my eye makeup to show. But thankfully, I have found ways to let my hard work shine through, like brushing my eyeshadow above my deep-set crease—a tip I learned from beauty TikToker Nikki de Jager (better known as @nikkietutorials)—and by coloring in my inner fold with bright eyeliners. When I heard the news of M.A.C. Cosmetics launching its Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliners, I decided to see if they could enhance my eye makeup looks.

What are the M.A.C. Cosmetics Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliners?

Established in 1984, M.A.C. Cosmetics is a premium beauty brand that sells makeup products across the categories of eyes, lips, and face. The brand also creates makeup brushes to help your application. Its products are sold in stores such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, and Ulta.

The Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliners are available in 12 shades and claim to be “ultra-pigmented, waterproof, transfer-proof, and smudge-resistant.” The retractable liners also purport to wear for more than 24 hours on the eyelids and 12 hours on the waterline. Each eyeliner retails for $23.

What I like about the M.A.C. Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliners

Bright pigments

Two images of a person wearing colorful eyeliner.
Credit: Reviewed / Sara Miranda

The Excess Gel Pencils in shades “The Last Word” (left) and “Commitment Issues” (right) managed to add a bright hint of color to the inner folds of my eyelids.

The Excess Gel Pencils’ range of 12 colors—iterations of blue, purple, yellow, red, and teal—is what initially drew me into taking these eyeliners for a spin, and I’m happy to report that they delivered on pigmentation. I tried two of the four shades I was sent, based on my own color preferences, and “The Last Word” (turquoise) and “Commitment Issues” (lavender) successfully managed to show up on the folds of my eyelids, though it took two layers of each liner in order for the color to appear as bright as I wanted it to. If you don’t mind the extra few seconds of layering on the formula, you’ll be impressed with how bold these can look.

Long-lasting

Two images of four multicolored eyeliner pencils.
Credit: Reviewed / Sara Miranda

The Excess Gel Pencils’ vibrant color impact never faded during a full day of wear.

Like its bold, bright color claims, the eyeliner did not disappoint when it came to its assertions of great staying power. From the early morning hours until it was time to get some zzz’s, the eyeliner’s vibrant pigments never wavered. Its waterproof abilities were also made evident when I took a shower and my Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser wasn’t enough to take it all off. Shortly after washing my face, I had to reach for a cotton ball and soak the area with the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water to get rid of any remaining traces of eyeliner on my lids.

What I don’t like about the M.A.C. Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliners

Expensive

I don’t have any hesitations about the formula, but $23 is not cheap for an eyeliner. Drugstore brands like Revlon and NYX have their own interpretations of bright-colored eyeliners for less than half the price of M.A.C.’s. That said, if you decide to purchase the Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliner, I’d only buy the color(s) that you see yourself reaching for most often. For occasional wear or a specific event, I’d consider trying a more affordable option that fills the bill color-wise, even if the quality isn’t quite up to par.

Are the M.A.C. Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliners worth it?

Yes, but only the colorful shades.

The Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliners may be on the pricier side, but as someone who’s picky about her eyeliner colors, I found the $23 price tag justifiable because the shades “The Last Word” and “Commitment Issues” are what I’ve been looking for in fun-colored eyeliners.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend investing this much money in the line’s neutral-toned offerings like “Glide Or Die” (dark black), “Skip The Waitlist” (warm brown), or “Sick Tat Bro” (cool brown) because a more affordable, quality black or brown liner isn’t a rarity in the way brighter tones are. Again, I’d point you toward Revlon and NYX, which offer neutral tones at about $9 each. Ultimately, your money will be best spent toward one of M.A.C.'s brighter shades—they’re the real stars of the show.

Related content

  • best-right-now

    The Best Liquid Eyeliners of 2024
  • magnetic false eyelashes ad vs reality

    feature

    People are obsessed with magnetic false eyelashes—are they really worth it?

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Up next