Tag: eyeliner

Retro Style

Retro revival has been inspiring me all year and I decided to collect some of my favorite products to recreate the look. Yesterday, I picked up Red Revival lip color from Maybelline. It is so incredibly hydrating and long-wearing. (side note: I also recommend Fifth Avenue Fuchsia) The application is creamy, but highly pigmented. What a great color range! And the price, great excuse to pick up two or three!

For the eyes, my first step was a rediscovered favorite: Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eye Liner Black Ebony. I spray some Shu Uemura Depsea Water Facial Mist in Bergamot on the Laura Mercier Flat Eyeliner Brush, a couple swipes on the cake, and tuck the brush along my lash line. Don’t drag the brush , just press and repeat until you have covered the entire lash. The look is definining and demure – but utterly sexy.

A bold brow is the cornerstone of the retro look, and requires a brow pencil. My favorite these days is Le Metier de Beaute Brow Bound Eyebrow Pencil. It has a gel consistency and I work it onto the hairs rather than the skin. I blend and tame flyaways with the brush include on the other end of the pencil.

Dramatic mascara extends the pigment from the lash line through the lashes. Lancome Hypnose Custom Volume Mascara adds just the right amount of volume. A little highlighter like the gorgeous Lumière Sculptèe de Chanel Highlighting Powder on the inner corner of your eyes and cheekbones and you are set!

Chantecaille Gel Liner Pencil

I am a sucker for innovation. So, it wasn’t tough to get me to try the first ever gel liner in a wooden pencil format. Add in an amazingly high quality brush on the other end and I was sold.

Chantecaille recently released this pencil in two colors: Jet and Hematite. Jet was stunning, but the smokey, metallic grey called my name. The color is quite dark, and full of pigment. But it is a great alternative to black. You definitely can detect the silver/grey when applied, but its effect is still inky.

The application is exactly like a gel liner applied with a brush. There was no pulling, but the application lent to precision. Flipping over to the other side, the brush was perfect for fine-tuning and striking the perfect mini-wing.

Just like other gel liners, the liner stayed like a champ all day. And there is something so retro and rewarding, sharpening that wooden pencil, old-fashioned style.

Maybelline Eye Studio Master Drama Eyeliner

In a blind test, I know I would guess this liner is far more than its $7 price tag. The pigment is insanely rich, the roll-up pencil glides beautifully, and staying power is unbelievable.

I created a cat eye with Midnight Master – easy to fine tune, worked well on lower lashes and dramatically pigmented. The packaging, overall, is adequate. There were a couple hiccups rolling up the pen, but with the quality product and amazing price, I am not going to complain.

This fall, bright hues are huge, so I plan on picking up Sapphire Strength or Vibrant Violet. This is a great option to experiment with a trend with a relatively small investment.

Guerlain ‘Terracotta – Terra Inca’ Khôl Kajal

I love a tight, neat pen liner but sometimes you crave some smudge and ink. And inky eyes are definitely “in” for the fall. So heavy your hand and don’t look back. And might as well do it with a cult favorite.

The Khôl Kajal by Guerlain reminds me of a crayon, and I couldn’t fathom how I was going to get a precise application when I saw it. But, trust. It delivers. Marcus, the absolute go-to artist, recommended applying it to the bottom lid and blinking to lift the liner to the top. Amazingly, this works! The line is precise but thicker. You can freely work with it on the eye to smudge and blend. If I want to go bolder, I apply it on top too.

What is so dreamy about the liner is its rich color. Don’t be intimidated about the packaging… just glide the tip of the marker along the lash line and you can’t go wrong. It is creamy in application and then a champ in staying power. I won’t let this gem out of my sight this fall, while rocking an inky eye with a nude lip.

YSL Dessin du Regard Long-Lasting Waterproof Eye Pencil

A pencil that looks like liquid? I am in! I have two colors of this powerhouse liner and have been really pleased, especially on these hot summer days. What really shines about this product are the colors. I always love a deeply inky black, but have fallen hard for the Ultramarine. Although they call it aqua, I think it has a hint of navy or true blue. It really does look neutral on my eyes, but just adds that slight bit of unexpected. In some ways, it adds a subtle sparkle and shimmer.

Because these are such soft pencils, all it takes for a beautiful application is a quick sketch of a line. The application does mimic liquid, with a deep, very pigmented look. However, you can’t get that really fine line that is possible with a liquid eyeliner, so don’t recommend it for lower lids because it ends up looking rather thick (unless you are up for a deeply smokey eye). I think the staying power is great. I do find some migration below my eye on those really long nights, but for a pigment, I think its worth the trade off.

1 Black Ink (inky black)
2 Patent Leather (deep brown)
3 Ultramarine (fresh aqua blue)
5 Shimmering Burgundy (plum brown)
6 Amazon Green (rich blue green)

stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

Have no fear, those of you who think you can’t handle a liquid eyeliner pen. This stila applicator is really a breeze!. The pen is precise and you can build the line with layers of application. But that is just the beginning. When I say “staying power”, I mean this sucker isn’t going ANYWHERE. I can rub my eyes, shower and even wash my face and the line remains solid and pigmented as ever. But along with no smudges comes a super fast dry. So be sure make adjustments as quickly as possible. I generally prefer a black liner, and this is a wonderful, deep and inky shade. But it is also offered in Indigo and Dark Brown as well. At $20, this is a good alternative to the Le Metier de Beaute Precision Liquid Eyeliner ($42).