Reviving Your Gel Eyeliner

So, in the last entry, I talked about my gel eyeliner going dry. I really cannot accept throwing away 80% of my gel eyeliner, and as I've just bought a new product (will share it with you tomorrow), I didn't feel like buying another MAC eyeliner. I believed that there *has* to be a way to revive my gel eyeliner!

I found the answer through a Youtube channel (you can just Google on how to revive gel eyeliners and find the answer, but since you came here, Imma tell you. ^^). This is the solution that I used and feel that it works 100% :

This is the "before" picture of my eyeliner. It's the Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner from Maybelline in Black.

1) Heat up a pot of water (just about 2 ricebowls worth). You don't have to wait for it to boil, as long as steam is coming up, it's good to go!

2) Transfer the water into a separate bowl or microwavable container. Then, making sure that your gel eyeliner has been screwed on VERY TIGHTLY... put the whole thing in!! After that, cover the bowl and leave it for 5 minutes. I covered the bowl with the pot cover! :P

After these 2 simple steps, open your gel eyeliner and check the condition now :

Note :
1. Even the crusty bits along the side of the container is gone! Must've melted and gone back down where it belongs... *snicker*

2. The brush strokes on the surface which were so apparent in the 'before' picture are not so apparent in the 'after' picture, because it is no longer hardened into the gel!

3. Pigmentation did NOT change... it only looks lighter in the 'after' photo because of the extremely bright flash. Everything else is ok, in terms of smell or color. =)

According to websites, this method only lasts for 2 weeks, after that you have to keep repeating it. However, I'll stick to this method because the other method involves you mixing water into the eyeliner and then stirring it around. I feel odd about directly manipulating the content of the gel eyeliner, and this method only takes 10 minutes, and it doesn't even need your constant and direct attention. Yes, it is annoying and I wish there's a way that gel eyeliners would last longer without the need to do this. No more gel eyeliner for me after this!