Eyeliner Review :)

So here is a detailed review of two of the eyeliners I am currently using. I will touch on the subject of using black eye shadow as eyeliner, but I want to focus on products that are only used for lining :)

 

Kat Von D’s Tattoo Liner – Trooper

At first, I was a little skeptical about this liner because it’s a felt-tip pen liquid liner. And I don’t like liquid liners. However, I decided to give it a go since I was in the market for a new eyeliner and the product seemed promising. It’s small enough to fit in your bag but it’s very easy to hold and manipulate. I hadn’t read any reviews on this product before purchasing it so I didn’t know what to expect. 

First time I used it I was in love! Fantastic application that dried fast without leaving streaky marks on the lids that you have to clean up later. So don't worry about blinking while you’re applying, it will not transfer onto the rest of the lid. The felt tip pen applicator is also one of the best I have ever seen: it creates thin lines as well as thick and overall is a very easy to use applicator. 

And another thing… The product just doesn’t come off!!! Once you put it on, it stays there until you decide to remove it with a makeup remover. That’s great, considering the fact that you’re probably running around all day and the last thing you want is that little puddle of eyeliner that appears at the inner and outer corners of your eyes at the end of the day. I also hate it when I leave the house with a perfect cat eye and when I come back there’s some product left on my lids and the rest has smudged left and right on my eye area… Anyway, this product is literally indestructible :P It managed to survive when I got caught in a summer rain storm in New York and while the rest of me didn’t look so good, I at least had an awesome cat eye look. I even tried rubbing it off once (just to see what would happen) and it stayed the same.

Having said that, I do need to add something in the “disadvantages” section… This liner is a great tattoo liner that won’t come off unless you use makeup remover. Which is, like I said before, great but none the less keep in mind that if you make a mistake when applying, you can’t just rub it off with a cotton swab and start over. If you rub too hard you will end up hurting your eye area and that’s not good. You can always dip the cotton swabs in makeup remover but that might ruin your concealer and makeup. But there’s a solution to that: just trace the line of your eyeliner with an eye shadow that matches your eyeliner and then go over it with the tattoo liner!

Maybelline New York’s Eye Studio – Blackest Black

This was my first gel liner ever and before I discovered tattoo liners, I only used this or eye shadows to line my eyes. This is an overall great drugstore product (whereas the Kat Von D liner is only available at beauty stores, like Sephora) and it also comes out in a plum color, which is very beautiful if you want a pop of color for your eye makeup. The brush that comes with it did nothing for me, so I opted for an angled eyeliner brush instead. 

The product comes in a little jar-looking case which is very travel-friendly. It also lasts for a very long time, since I’ve had the same jar for almost two years now. I don’t use it every day of course, but it is great that it hasn’t dried out of just gone bad in any way. Application is also pretty good, except that it will most likely leave streak marks on your lids, even with an eye shadow primer on. You can easily build up the product and create thick and thin lines but it is definitely less long-lasting than a tattoo liner. On humid days, I can almost never use this, as it will most likely melt off and create those little puddles of eyeliner on the sides and inner corners of my eyes. However, for dry and cold weather, it’s a great choice! And it comes off extremely easy if you make a mistake! However, once it dries, it can stay that way if the weather permits it :S 

Lining your eyes with eye shadow

This is a great alternative to gel and liquid liners because it offers a softer look and you can even create a light smoky look if you like. Liquid and gel liners can sometimes make the eyes look heavy but lining your eyes with eye shadow is more discreet and subtle! Here are some eye shadow pallets, whose colors are great for using as liners!

These are eyeshadow pallets that I own and have been using for a while now. 

 

All the colors in this "Stylish Smokes" Maybelline pallet are fantastic but the black color is a great choice for lining your eyes with eyeshadow. It is very long lasting (even without an eyeshadow primer).

 

 Another eyeshadow pallet where the color meant for the outer corner of the eyes (in this case, the black color) is a great color to also line your eyes with. Like the black color from the above pallet, it has a bit of shimmer in it, which adds a bit of glam to your liner :)

*S