Chanel Stylo Yeux Long Lasting Eyeliner in Noir Intense and some Dupes

Chanel Stylo Yeux Long Lasting Eyeliner in Noir Intense (available here) - $30

Waterproof, smudge-proof eyeliner delivers long-lasting definition with a twist of the wrist: Colour winds up when you need it, winds down when you don't. Gentle, soft, silicone-enriched formula delivers smooth, even lining. A built-in sharpener at the opposite end detaches for quick refreshes.

Chanel's Stylo Yeux Long Lasting Eyeliners are basic twist-up eyeliners that offer long-lasting, smudge-free color.  Noir Intense is part of the newly released Les Essentiels de Chanel fall 2012 makeup collection.  The liner comes with a detachable sharpener at one end and the liner at the other.  The tip is retractable, so it does go back in if you accidentally (or intentionally) twist out more than you need to.

Noir Intense is a darkly pigmented black.  The eyeliner is just soft enough to apply easily without tugging or pulling.  The one thing I notice with black eyeliners is it's a balancing act between the softness that gives greater pigmentation and a harder texture that makes it less prone to smuding.  With Noir Intense, I believe Chanel manages to find the perfect balance.  It is quite black, coming pretty close to UD's Perversion (my pick for the ultimate black eyeliner), though the texture is much more firmer.

Chanel Style Yeux in Noir Intense, true to claims, is waterproof and smudge-proof - staying on my lashline until I take it off with makeup remover.  On my waterline, it manages to stay on 2 to 3 hours - nothing lasts longer - and it fades gradually over time without leaving any mess.  There isn't a fault I can find with this liner, and the sharpener is a bonus, helping to keep the tip sharp for a fine line.

Chanel Style Yeux Noir Intense - Dupes/Options:
Urban Decay Eyeliner in Perversion and Avon Glimmerstick in Blackest Black

All said and done, though, Noir Intense is a basic black eyeliener - a pretty good one - but it's not that easy to cough up $30 for just that, even for a a black liner fanatic like me.  While I loved this liner, I did find some options which don't cost as much:

Avon Glimmersticks Eyeliner in Blackest Black (available here) is an exact dupe, with the exact same twist-up mechanism but does lack the handy sharpener at the end.  The texture is a little more firmer than the Chanel version, and it might be tad lighter on the waterline, but that apart, there's hardly any difference between the two.  Cost:  I picked this one up for less than $2.

Urban Decay's Perversion (available here) is my favorite black eyeliner.  It's supersoft, gives a deep dark black at just the slightest touch, and it's waterproof and smudge proof.  You do have to sharpen the pencil quite often, though, so it might suffer a bit in terms of convenience when compared to the Chanel liner.  At about half the cost ($18), I wonder if that would be too much of an issue :P

Chanel's newest eyeliner - Noir Intense - is a fabulous product in terms of quality, a perfect waterproof, smudge-proof black with the added bonus of being convenient and travel-friendly.  The perfect black liner if you don't mind the steep-ish price tag.