I regularly wear full make up with the contents of my make up bag being from the Boots No 7 range, which the exception of just a couple of items. I have always favoured Boots No 7 eye pencils and although they are fairly expensive unless obtained with a £5 voucher, I find they offer easy application with accurate results. However, as I needed to replenish my stock and had no vouchers to offset the cost I decided to try out Rimmel's Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil, which I purchased in black as I favour a dramatic effect. My last experience with this brand's eye pencils would have been approximately fifteen years ago when I found the pencils were a little scratchy to apply. However, I believed that over the years the brand would have considerably improved and this review discusses my experience.

My purchase was one of desperation, particularly as my last remaining No 7 pencil was about 2 centimetres in length and totally impossible to sharpen, so it was a case of anything would have to do and seeing that our local Tesco offers very little in make up brands I had no choice than to purchase Rimmel. The fact that the Jet Black eye liner pencil (06) was named a kajal pencil was a positive factor me, particularly as it gave me the impression that it would be soft to apply to the delicate eye area. The secure fitting cap was easily removed and is firmly fixed when the pencil is not in use. The point of the pencil offered a good shape, so I attempted my first application.

My use of kajal pencils is on the lower rim of my eye where I prefer liquid liners for the upper lid. The pencil was easy to hold and identical to my application with No 7 I began at the inner corner and attempted to sweep the pencil along the lower rim to the outer corner. However, I found the pencil wasn't particularly precise as it caught in my lower lashes as I gently moved it across my rim where insufficient colour was being dispensed. As a result, I found myself having to reapply several times in order to obtain a dramatic effect without it being too heavy. Unfortunately, I did not find either the application process or the appearance as effective as No 7, but as I had nothing else to use, I had no choice. I found that I needed to apply a little more pressure than I had been used to with No 7 although I cannot admit to the application being uncomfortable or scratching the skin.

When checking my make up in work within an hour or so of application, I noticed that the outer corner of one of my eyes was smudged where the eye liner appeared to have melted. On closer examination I noticed that my eyes looked slightly red and that black pencil had gathered at the inner corners of both eyes. I carried out a quick repair and a further application, but a short while later I suffered a slight irritation where my eyes began stinging, which I can only put down to the eyeliner, particularly as I had not changed any of my other make up products. By lunchtime, my eyeliner was nowhere near as evident as it had been a couple of hours earlier and I found myself reapplying four times during my nine hour working day. I tried again the following day and achieved identical results, which I found really disappointing, particularly as it's nowhere near as effective as No 7.

Removing the eye pencil was an effortless task, particularly as a good amount had disappeared into the corner of my eyes during the day. However, I removed the remainder with baby lotion and a cotton wool ball. Unfortunately, this eye pencil has been placed into the bin and for the reasons discussed above, I cannot recommend, so it receives only two stars from me. The only positive point I should mention is that the point does not wear away as quickly as Boots No 7, which is a much softer crayon, so it's likely to last a considerably long time. However, there is a small logo on the pencil advising that it should be used within 30 months. I cannot speak of any other colours within this collection as Jet Black is the only one I've tried and it can be purchased for £2.99.

I hope you found my review useful and thanks for reading.