Desi women and their favorite kohls are almost inseparable. Even in the most rural parts of the Middle East and South Asia, you’ll find women flaunting their beautiful eyes with rich, black kohl. We can proudly tell the rest of the world that no one carries off kajal quite as beautifully as us desi belles. We’ve collected a list of the best Indian Kajal brands available to you, so make your pick!

Whether you’re fond of retractable pen packing or tube packing, there’s something for everyone.

Lakme Eyeconic Kajal:

Apart from the wordplay in the kajal’s name, this one is also known because it’s endorsed by Kareena Kapoor. It claims to have a wear time of 10 hours and is smudge-proof. It is also waterproof. Though not much is known about the water-proof claims, it does stay on my lids for more than 8 hours unless I wipe it off with makeup remover. Lakme is also the brand that introduced colored kajal in India. While their white iconic stick may be a little too bright for desi tones (a nude /beige pencil suits desi tones better ) , the brown, green, blue and grey look good on medium tones. The grey from this range works great for simple smokey makeup and is a lot less dramatic than black.

Price – Rs. 250 (retails for 200 online)

Maybelline Colossal Kajal:

This is probably the best budget Indian kajal available. I say that with conviction because, not only is this kajal a huge crowd pleaser, it also offers the blackest black finish and has a dark matte finish (similar to bourjois kohl). Put simply, this is the best kajal to pick up on your next trip to India. Maybelline recently released a turquoise blue in the same range that received rave reviews.

Price – Rs. 199 for black ,Rs. 250 for blue

Lotus Herbals Natural Kajal:

This one comes with extracts of licorice ,almond and camphor. Since it is all-natural, it’s actually good for your eyes and lashes. Texture-wise, the quality isn’t as great as a few others mentioned here. It does smudge and also is packaged more like a chubby stick than a kajal (reminiscent of lakme’s original satin kajal). It is quite pigmented though and comes reasonably priced. Great for smudging.

Price – Rs. 115

Loreal Kajal Magique:

Loreal’s Magique comes in a retractable pen packing. The name seems almost french and the product is endorsed by brand ambassador Aishwariya Rai. So many cosmetic companies try to outdo each other with longer staying claims of their products today, and Loreal has jumped on the bandwagon claiming this product stays for about 12 hours! The kajal stick itself glides on easily and stays smudge proof for long hours. It does however, not deliver as black a finish as Colossal Kaajal . This might not be your best pick for outlining your waterline as it requires a couple of swipes to get a nicely pigmented finish.

Price – Rs. 245

Shahnaz Hussain Herbal Kajal:

Think authentic Indian herbal products ,and Shahnaz Hussain can never be out of the picture. This kajal has some form of minty smell to it and gives a nice cooling effect when applied. It doesn’t irritate the eyes and has that nice old world kajal charm to it. It comes in a lipstick shaped tube and does require sharpening after a point. It is a little overpriced considering the packaging, functionality and brand value of the product.

Price – Rs – 275

Himalaya Herbal Healthcare Kajal –

Another herbal brand, Himalaya offers a decently priced, huge quantity of kajal which is slightly glossy in texture. This kajal also has cooling properties and feels almost like an eye gel after application. It stays on for about four hours before it starts to smudge. What peeves me though, is the cap that is extremely fragile and might crack or break if you drop the kajal.

Price – Rs. 105

So that was our list of popular brands of kajal available in India.Which one would you opt for? Are there any brands we missed?