New Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner

Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils have been a favorite product of mine for as long as they've existed and now they have a waterproof liquid counterpart perfect for creating waterproof winged liner looks. The Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liners are waterproof (obviously), colorful and will be replacing the old-style, non-waterproof Urban Decay Liquid Liners (*tear*).

I had the opportunity to test three of the new shades:

Sabbath, Retrograde and Woodstock.

The new waterproof 24/7 liquid liners come with a very, very skinny brush. No sponge or felt tip applicator on these.


Took a bunch of pictures to try to show the sparkle in the two shimmer shades. You may need to enlarge the pictures to see it, but Retrograde has some really pretty shimmer to it.

Woodstock is the color I've been waiting for in an eyeliner. It's a candy pink that's not too light and has some shimmer to it to keep it from looking chalky. It's not necessarily bright but it is vibrant. Seriously, how long have I been looking for a good pink liner?

Retrograde is not the color I thought it would be. It's a blue-black base with some shiny, dark blue-purple iridescent shimmer particles in it. It's not noticeably purple on the eyes, like, say Ecstasy or Delinquent, but it does have a purple shine to it. Very dark.

Sabbath is a matte navy blue liner. Darker than Stila's Cobalt liquid liner but not so dark that it looks black.

Here's what Retrograde looks like on me:

See how it looks mostly blue-black with some shiny dark purple sparkles? Goes really well with green shadow.

My thoughts?

What I liked about the new Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner:

• Attractive packaging that matches the color inside which makes it easier to find the color you're looking for. Not big and clunky like the old eyeliner packaging. Very aesthetically pleasing.
  
• Thin brush gives a precision application, thin lines possible.
• Waterproof formula only comes off when you want it to.
• Good color selection, especially nice to see a hot pink liner.
• Good value, reasonably priced; $18 for 0.25 fluid ounces.
• None of the colors stained my eyelids.

What I didn't like:

• The formula is very runny. I wasn't expecting it and ended up with an eye full of liquid liner the first time I used it! You must shake these very well before use.
• Woodstock and Retrograde weren't opaque on the first stroke, I needed two to three layers for complete coverage.
• The brush is a little bit short, I had an easier time applying with the longer old-style brushes.
• I wish Retrograde was more purple! They need an Ecstasy equivalent in the new formula.

Overall, I liked these- especially Woodstock. Can't tell you how happy I am to see a good pink liner here. I'm also pleased with the price point- $18 for 0.25floz of product, making this one of the most cost effective waterproof liquid liners out right now.

Though, I must say, I am sad that they are completely discontinuing the old liquid liners and not bringing back the old colors. No more Gash (SO SAD ABOUT THIS!!!), no more Ecstasy, no more Lucky or Acid Rain. I really, really hope they bring out more shades in the new formula because I don't know what I'll do when I finally use the last of my old liners.

The new formula is nice and smooth, waterproof and has immensely improved packaging, but still... No more Gash!

These are available now at Sephora and everywhere else that sells Urban Decay.

(These were sent to me for review.)

Illamasqua Precision Ink Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

Waterproof liquid liners seem to be the big 'thing' right now. Nearly every brand has them, including Illamasqua. I've been testing out Illamasqua's Precision Inks for quite some time now and I can honestly say that out of all the waterproof liquid liners I've tried to date, these are my favorite.


They come in a sleek, skinny, glossy black tube with the Illamasqua logo on one side and the shade name on the other. No color indication other than the shade name.

(Top to bottom: Glister, Alchemy, Abyss.)

The applicator is a small, firm and very pointed felt tip. You might want to view this picture full size because the blue and purple shimmer in Glister shows pretty well here.


Left to right: Abyss (pure, shimmer-free black), Alchemy (bright, shiny gold sparkle) and Glister (mauve-nude base with purple, pink and blue shimmer).


I've posted lots of looks with me wearing Abyss as it's become my favorite black liquid liner, but I don't believe I've ever posted a look with Glister:

Glister looks much darker against my pale skin, but lighter against dark shadow as you can see here. It is an unusual color, but it looks gorgeous on the eye. It has this eye-widening, brightening, 'awake' effect that I really like.

The colors are amazing. Abyss is the darkest, smoothest, most velvety black. Alchemy is the most amazing gold eyeliner I've ever seen. It's intensely sparkly, but not chunky glitter type sparkly. It's like a gold glass fleck polish in shadow form. It's bright and shiny and just so incredibly pretty that you have to see it to believe it. I haven't seen it in person, but I think the new Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid liner in El Dorado might be similar. And Glister? Awesome. I want to say that MAC did a similar Liquidlast color a few years ago, but the formula of Illamasqua Precision Ink is way better. The color is both weird and wonderful and the pink and purple sparkles are lovely.

Here's a quick rundown of my thoughts:

What I liked about Illamasqua Precision Ink:

• Firm, durable precision applicators allow me to make a thin line if I want one, something you can't always get with softer, less pointed felt tip liners.
• The applicator is also firm enough to create a sharp, defined point on winged liner.
  
• The formula isn't runny or watery so it doesn't bleed, though you must shake them to be sure the consistency is right.
• The liners are waterproof and smudgeproof, won't come off until you take them off.
• Gorgeous colors.
  
• Can be used for nail art.
• Dries quickly.
• Very easy application.
  

What I didn't like:

• Excess liner can collect around the neck of the tube and cause the inner ring of the tube to come out when the wand is unscrewed.
  
• The price is the highest of all the waterproof liners at £17.00 / $27.50 for 0.06 fluid ounces.
  
• There is nothing on the outside of the tube that indicates the color of the liner which can be confusing if you have lots of liners. However, the packages do look upscale and uniform because of this.
• You must shake them before use to ensure proper mixing of the pigments.

Illamasqua originally suggested that I use these to create some freehand nail art, but that didn't work out so well. Not because of the liners, which were really cool when I used them on my nails, but because I'm apparently not blessed with natural artistic ability. At least not when it comes to imagining nail art designs. Who knew that drawing a straight line could be so hard? What I was able to do successfully was use these to fill in areas in already stamped Konad patterns to create multicolored designs. So, if you have these, try them on your nails! The fine point and quick drying formula are way easier to use for me than those squeezy nail polish pens.

These are definitely my favorite of all the waterproof liquid liners, but I really wish that they were priced similarly to the other brands.

Anyway, for US shoppers, Sephora carries two of the three shades of Precision Ink. Illamasqua's website has all three shades but Alchemy is currently waiting list only.


(These were sent to me for review.)

Makeup Monday: New Stila Liners for Spring 2011

Stila introduced a few awesome new products this spring, and I had the opportunity to review three of them. Well, it's technically only two products, but three shades. Two new colors of the Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner and one brand new Glitter Liner. Take a look:


Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Indigo and Dark Brown plus Stila Glitter Eye Liner in Kitten.


The Stay All Day waterproof liner comes in felt tip pen form. Note how the tip of the pen comes to a very fine point. The glitter liner comes with a thin brush style applicator.



Left to right: Stay All Day Waterproof liners in Indigo and Dark Brown (applied with pen tip and then applied using the side of the pen) and Kitten Glitter Liner applied thin and thick.

The Stay All Day liners really impressed me. I have never been a fan of felt-tip liners for a few reasons. I feel like I don't have enough control over my line with a felt tip liner. I also experience skipping and tugging and lines that aren't smooth, and the pens I've tried tend dry out really quickly. The Stila ones are some of the nicest I've ever used.

First of all, the tip is long and tapers into a very fine point. This is good because the length of the felt tip means it will hold more liquid. More liquid means it stays wet while lining and you don't get the lumpy looking line that happens when the tip dries out. And then there's the obvious: The fine tip means you can get a fine line. But that doesn't mean you're limited to a fine line, you can use the side of the tip to make a thicker line just as easily.

Second, the formula is very workable. It stays wet long enough to finish your line, it's opaque enough to get perfect color and coverage without layering, but it also dries fast enough to not ruin your line when you curl your lashes. The formula also has a sticky-rubbery quality to it that keeps it from bleeding and running like some felt tip liners do.

And third, also an obvious fact: It's waterproof. Once it dries, it's there for good. It doesn't smudge, doesn't run, doesn't come off at all until you make it come off with makeup remover. Felt tip eyeliners I've used in the past have such a thin, marker-like formula that they start running at the first sign of moisture. Not these. These last all day (and all night if you sleep with your makeup on, oops). I've been removing mine with jojoba oil or Almay makeup remover pads as they don't come off with regular soap and water.

There are a few negatives to balance out the positives. The tip of the pen can get covered in eyeshadow from application and it can alter the color a little. This is a minor annoyance, but it was the one thing I noticed the most. It can be solved by wiping it on a clean paper towel or on the back of your hand after using it. Also, since it's a pen, it will dry out eventually. After a few weeks of testing, I noticed that it didn't flow as easily as it did when it was new. When felt tip pens start to dry out, they become more difficult to use.

Now, for the glitter liner. It was a surprise! Stila doesn't strike me as a flashy-glittery type of brand, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

The formula of the liner is about average for liquid glitter liners, except the glitter is much smaller so it's not as chunky. It has a tiny metallic type of shimmer that provides most of the bulk and color in the liner and it's accented with tiny flecks of bronze, gold, copper, pink and iridescent metallic microglitter. It's thick, wet and gel-like like your standard glitter liner, but the small size of the particles and lack of large chunky glitter makes it much more smooth and even when applying. The formula contains chamomile extract that's supposed to be soothing to the skin, so that's a nice touch.

I had expected a chunky type of glitter liner, but that's not what this turned out to be. It's a smooth metallic sparkle type of glitter, it flashes several different colors and it is rather shiny, but it's not flashy or wild or over the top. If there could be such a thing as office-appropriate glitter, this would be it. Conservative glitter. How about that? It can be worn sheer or layered for more sparkle. And it's not strictly eyeliner, either. You can dab a little on over your shadow like a glitter gel, or wear it as a solid glitter shadow, or even put a little on your lashes like glitter mascara.

What I like most about this shade of glitter liner (Kitten, after their best selling eyeshadow) is the eye-brightening effect. The reflective quality of the metallic shine really brings some light to my eyes. It makes my dark brown eyes sparkle.

I think this would be great for a subtle bronzed look in the summertime. Maybe a little hint of a shimmery light nude or cream colored shadow on the lid and a big slash of Kitten glitter liner with tons of mascara, maybe some bronzer and a touch of warm coral blush... Maybe a natural lip with it?

Here's how it looks on my eyes:


You've seen this already, but it's relevant so I'm posting it again! This is the Dark Brown waterproof liner along the lashline and Kitten glitter liner just above that. They go very well together.


This is the waterproof liner in Dark Brown all by itself. Nice smooth line, easy to control the thickness and wing it out at the end.



Here's Indigo and a funny story to go along with it. Not my best application, but I can explain... Was I was applying this to my eye, I noticed that I had a little splatter of it next to my nose. I brushed it off and kept on lining. The I started to notice that my hand felt weird and itchy... I stopped lining and looked at my hand and HOLY CRAP. There was blue liquid running down my arm, pooled under my fingernails, soaked into my cuticles... I don't know how I didn't notice that it had exploded until it was literally dripping off my hand. I don't know what I did to it that made it overflow! I emailed the company and asked what I did wrong, and they said it was just a defective pen and they haven't heard of it happening to anyone else. Why does this kinda thing always happen to me?

And here's the Kitten glitter liner all alone. It takes on a more bronzed look when worn alongside bronze shadow. Against a darker, cooler toned shadow, it looks brighter and more golden.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed all three items. Nice, easy application, beautiful bold color, bulletproof longwearing formula. I'd love to be able to buy these liners in more shades. I know they have a black, but I'm thinking... forest green? Deep violet? Oooh yeah, a violet one would be amazing.

The Stay All Day liquid liner is $20 for 0.016 oz and the Kitten glitter liner is $16 for 0.10 fl oz.

(These were sent to me for review.)