Chromaline Gel - Hi-Def Cyan vs Unstoppable Eyeliner: which is safer?
Chromaline Gel - Hi-Def Cyan is the clear pick. Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
MAC
Chromaline Gel - Hi-Def Cyan
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleHeavy metals in colorants (iron oxides, titanium dioxide, mica)
PossibleFormaldehyde releasers (preservative system)
Possible1,4-dioxane (contaminant in polyethylene glycol or emulsifiers)
Maybelline
Unstoppable Eyeliner
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleBacterial growth and contamination (brush applicator)
ReportedEye irritation from polymer film residue
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Heavy metals in colorants (iron oxides, titanium dioxide, mica), Formaldehyde releasers (preservative system), 1,4-dioxane (contaminant in polyethylene glycol or emulsifiers) and Eye irritation from film formers or fragrance compounds on the MAC and not on the Maybelline.
- We flag Bacterial growth and contamination (brush applicator) and Eye irritation from polymer film residue on the Maybelline and not on the MAC.
- The MAC is gel pigment formulation (primary ingredients not publicly disclosed for proprietary reasons) where the Maybelline is liquid polymer film/waterproof coating (composition undisclosed), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the MAC is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Maybelline grade, at 35% confidence against 65%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More eyeliner: see the full ranking