Faced with similar products and similar promises, what's a bargain hunter to do? For the sake of comparing apples to apples (instead of a splurge with a steal), I picked up both the Almay and Revlon long-wear eye liners each promising to last 16 hours. I planned a couple days to test these out but, at the end, I'm still undecided. Since everyone has different expectations with makeup, I noted key points about each. To hear my thoughts, .

Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner ($7.50) [1]

• Product: Black retractable pencil with a sharpener in the base.
• At application: Flatter, fatter point (even at its sharpest) that glided on well but smudged easily.
• By bedtime: A bit smudged but still very visible.

Almay Eye Liner ($7.50) [2]

• Product: Black retractable pencil with a sharpener in the base
• At application: Smaller point required a steadier hand but allowed to get a smaller line super close to the lash line.
• By bedtime: Less smudged, but also less visible.

My conclusion – If you're going for a smoky eye, I think the Revlon gives a more dramatic smudgeworthy appearance but for day-to-day simple lines, Almay may be the better bet for you.