Robert Welsh has put more than 50 eye makeup products through his paces, and his record gives a really clear picture of what he thinks works. He approved just over half, had mixed feelings on about one in five, and gave about a quarter a skip. His approval rate for this category sits at 54%, which tells you he holds the bar fairly high.
What does Robert Welsh recommend in eye makeup?
When Robert approves an eye product, the words that keep coming back are hold, pigment, and ease of use. He praised the Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting and Laminating Eyebrow Gel for surviving an 18-hour flight with an eye mask on top of it, which says a lot about wear. He loves the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil for gliding on smoothly while still being deeply pigmented and long-lasting, calling it a staple for both everyday wearers and working makeup artists. For brows in particular, he rates products that hold without looking stiff, sticky, or dusty, and his named category winner is the Kosas Air Brow Tinted Brow Gel, which he calls one of the best brow gels ever made.
Robert Welsh's eye makeup picks, in his words
"Incredible, insane, amazing. They are tinted slightly, but it's not so much where you get [...] the color on your skin or anything like that. [...] This is a black one, you'll see it's not black black. [...] It's just like a tinted gel. You can actually run your finger over this gel and it does not move. I've done an 18-hour flight wear test for this brow gel where I sleep in it, wear an eye mask, all this stuff, and it lasts throughout the whole thing. It is really really really strong."
"And it was my prized possession. When I was doing bridal makeup, I would take it out my kit and sit there like it was some kind of, like, golden egg. Yes, I have a Naked palette. And I still have it today. Not in my kit, but I keep it for sentimental value. These palettes, as the name suggests, naked, featured, like, a selection of neutral shades. And they all had a kind of, like, rough theme around them in terms of the main color."
"This is the Tower 28 Make Waves Mascara. I do have a lash lift, so my lashes were already curled. So what you see me applying right now is kind of the level of makeup that I am comfortable with when it comes to doing a really kind of natural, fresh look for every day without using the Demi Method. So this is kind of my everyday, just getting out the door and looking my best."
"Their iconic Dip Brow Pomade was like the thing to have. It started a whole trend of how we do our brows back then."
"I'm going to go in with a Colourpop gel pencil because these always have... I can always guarantee if I'm doing a really bright eye look, one of the Colourpop gel pencils is going to match the look. This one's like slightly metallic."
"But I used it for a whole day. It holds. It is really, really tough. It's a really good one. So it's a clear, drying brow gel with e.l.f.'s strongest hold yet. Perfect for creating the look of laminated brows. Lightweight feel without any stiffness. Dual end, 3-in-1 applicator applies product and combs and sculpts the brows. Water resistant, flake resistant. I agree with that. It's flake resistant. And also, it doesn't look white through dark eyebrows, which I really, really, really like."
How many eye makeup products has Robert Welsh reviewed?
Robert Welsh has reviewed 57 eye makeup products, for an approval rate of 54%. 31 approved, 11 mixed, and 15 skipped.
What has Robert Welsh skipped in eye makeup?
Robert is not shy about what he skips, and his biggest frustration with eye products is powder formulas that look dry or ashy on the skin. He was particularly blunt about the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palette and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette Trio, saying both look dusty and ashy on people, and that you can almost see the powder particles sitting on the skin. He also skipped Dior eyeshadows more than once, describing the Dior Eyeshadow Palette as pigment that cannot grip the texture underneath and just moves around the eye. For anyone drawn to high-end prestige palettes, his takes are a useful reminder that price and packaging do not always match performance.
"Ashy, dusty, volcanic mess. I do not like it. I think these palettes are awful. Even the powders themselves. When I bought them and I was like, I'm not going to use these on people. I tried to use one on myself. Dry. The dryness of them. People love it, but I just think it looks ashy on people. It looks like powder, which I know is a crazy thing to say. You can almost see the powder particles on the skin. I do not like these."
"They have four creams in the middle, love that they tried to add new formulas, but also love that they don't work. The [...] color is non-existent on the eye. I [...] think we need to talk about this Urban Decay rebrand, or lack thereof. [...] Basically, it's just like a revamped version of a Naked palette. [...] You're going to tease stuff like this to make us think we're going back to like '90s or whatever grunge, colorful, fun makeup, and you give us these. What the hell is going on?"
"It's not the best, put it lightly. The black is a waste of time and money. [...] It's so pigmented, you only need to use a little bit, which is great to have that option of controlling that pigment. But it can't sit on itself. It's really struggling [...] to grip to the texture underneath. [...] It's just constantly moving around. [...] I give it a little tap and the whole eye goes crazy. [...] I tried it. I gave it a second chance. I'm not even going to try this one."
"However, I do actually prefer the smoothness of the MUA side. [...] This looks a bit chunky and actually gross on my eyelids, a little [...] bit patchy, because it is chunkier in terms of the [...] formula. It does give more of a textured look on the lid. So if you do have an eyelid that is a little bit more naturally textured and you're not into that, it might not be the best for you, might not be the best formula."
What should you take from Robert Welsh's picks?
Robert Welsh's eye makeup record is useful precisely because he calls out the expensive misses as clearly as he calls out the wins. If you are shopping for brow products, his enthusiasm for the Kosas Air Brow Tinted Brow Gel and the Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting and Laminating Eyebrow Gel is hard to miss. And if you are eyeing a luxury eyeshadow palette, his takes on Hourglass and Dior are worth reading before you spend the money.
Watch Robert Welsh say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked PaletteSkipped itWatch at 19:15
- Urban Decay Naked Shaped Eyeshadow PaletteSkipped itWatch at 8:19
- Dior Eyeshadow PaletteSkipped itWatch at 12:12
- Patrick Ta Major Dimension Eyeshadow PaletteSkipped itWatch at 4:19
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Micro Stroke Detailing Brow PenSkipped itWatch at 6:09
- L'Oreal Brow Stylist DefinerSkipped itWatch at 7:40
- Glossier Brow Flick in BrownSkipped itWatch at 12:00
- Maybelline Express Brow Ultra Slim PencilSkipped itWatch at 12:16
- Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette Limited Edition Golden CaseSkipped itWatch at 7:34
- DiorShow High Color Eyeshadow Wardrobe paletteSkipped itWatch at 1:14
- NARS Clouded Eyeshadow PaletteSkipped itWatch at 2:15
- Sephora Collection Stretch Tubing MascaraSkipped itWatch at 9:22
- e.l.f. Instant Lift Brow PencilSkipped itWatch at 8:09
- Patrick Ta Major Dimension Eye Illusion Eyeshadow Duo in In Your DreamsSkipped itWatch at 10:59
- Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer PotionSkipped itWatch at 5:51
- Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting and Laminating Eyebrow GelRated itWatch at 0:40
- Urban Decay Naked 3 PaletteRated itWatch at 5:55
- Tower 28 Make Waves Lengthening and Volumizing MascaraRated itWatch at 32:43
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow PomadeRated itWatch at 11:31
- ColourPop EyelinerRated itWatch at 7:23
- e.l.f. Laminating Brow GelRated itWatch at 8:46
- L'Oreal Infallible Faux Brow Tint PenRated itWatch at 5:09
- Glossier Boy BrowRated itWatch at 36:32
- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Iced MochaRated itWatch at 3:27
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Robert Welsh said across his videos about 57 products in eye makeup, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.