GUERLAIN Eye Liner in #00 Metal d’Or Review and Swatch

Hello, dear readers.

It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed any Guerlain product. Today, I’ll review Guerlain liquid eye liner.

When it comes to eyeliners, I’ve always preferred a stiff applicator to the brush one. However, finding Guerlain Eye Liner in the shade Metal d’Or for like $11 (the full price being close to $40), I couldn’t resist.

Guerlain Eye Liner comes in a pebble-like frosted glass bottle which contains 5 ml. It is a bi-phase product, so you have to shake it well prior to using it. When it is not used, it will separate to watery and pigment phase.

The brush is thin, but not too soft. The handle of the brush is long, making it very easy to manipulate. I can get all sorts of lines with it – from the thin to the thicker.

The shade Metal d’Or is a metallic gold with a hint of copper. I find it very appropriate for either holiday or summer season – it goes well with the festive gold or summer bronze skin. It is very pigmented, so you won’t have to worry that it will leave transparent patches.

The eye liner is very longwearing. Once applied, it quickly dries and it won’t budge until you remove it with the make-up remover, no matter how much you rub your eyes. My huge fear was that if would simply flake off the eyes, but it doesn’t.

All in all, this is a HG. Once I spend Chanel Mirifique and L’Oreal All Night Blue eyeshadows, I’m switching to these.

Guerlain eye liner in Metal d’Or swatch:

SEPHORA Flashy Liner Waterproof in Flashy Violet Review and Swatch

Sephora Flashy Liner was often offered as a dupe for Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners. Since there is no Urban Decay in Croatia, I have hoped that this will be an available dupe.

I have found the shade #13 Flashy Violet on the sale for $4. The shade is gorgeous – a blue based purple,  but the quality isn’t as good.

The texture and consistency is ok – very creamy.

The colour payoff could be much better. If you try to apply a thicker layer to get better payoff, you’ll realize that the pencil applies patchily.

For the purpose of the review, I have tried it on the waterline too and I could barely get any colour.

Since the texture is very creamy, I have expected that I’ll have to sharpen it very often, but after applying it only once on the upper lash line, the nib of the pencil was completely gone. A bit disappointing if you’ll have to sharpen the liner after every use. For your info, I have to sharpen UD 24/7 pencils after 5 uses and Dior Khol Waterproof after 10 to 14 uses.

As for the waterproof claim, I can say it is true. When I tried to wash the eyeliner from my skin after swatching it, it didn’t go away by using only water. On the lids, it stays on without fading or smudging for at least 8 hours.

Overall, this is a gorgeous, gorgeous shade of not so good quality. I’ll maybe purchase another shade to see whether the quality issues are only with this shade or is it a general problem with all flashy eyeliners.

MAKE-UP STASH INVENTORY (January 2012)

I think it’s high time for me to start to control my impulsive purchases and redirect the money I spend on cosmetics I don’t need on something else. I’ve had much more self-control before I started to get involved in beauty community. Before, I’d purchase something only when I would need it, but now I’ve been buying things only because they seem pretty or I think that I simply must have it (even though I’ll probably use it several times before the product is lost in my stash.

I don’t like feeling overwhelmed every morning when I’m doing my make-up with all of the products which I have. Sometimes it takes me literary 10 minutes only to decide which eyeshadow I should use. I’ve tried the concept of creating “looks” which would include several products and then wearing the look for the next week. It is a good concept, but this means that 90% of my stash sits there unused while I’m wearing the “look”.

I do not plan to use up all of my make-up. I’ll use eyeshadows only until I hit the pan (especially if it is a discontinued or LE product). The same goes with lipsticks. I always leave a millimetre or two of the lipstick in case I ever need to find a dupe. After that, I put the product in the original packaging and put it in my “finished products” drawer. I know this sounds a bit ridiculous, to keep the boxes after you have spent the product, but I have paid a lot for these products and I cannot imagine throwing the compact of, let’s say, Guerlain eyeshadow away.

I have taken a photo of all the items in my stash, for my reference (I’ll do the same the next year). Compared to the previous stash pictures, you can see that I have spent some items (yay! for me) and hit the pan on many others.

GUERLAIN Terracotta Loose Khol in Mirage Review and Swatch

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Guerlain Terracotta Loose Khol is a loose eyeliner which comes in a 2 grams bottle (30 euros). The vial is a bit inconvenient as its shape doesn’t allow it to stand up. The top of the vial openes by pulling out the wand-applicator (it resembles a toothpick) which is immersed in the powdered pigment.

You can apply Loose Khol in two ways: one is to apply it “normal” way – above upper and lower lash line (this is how I usually wear pencil). The other is to tightline. Tightlining basically means to apply the eyeliner on both lower and upper waterline.

Loose Khol can be used as an eyeshadow, too.

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SHADE DESCRIPTION:

Mirage is a neutral brown matte shade which looks extremely natural. It was a limited edition from Terracotta Summer 2010 collection.

The regular shades available are Noir (matte black), Brun Dore (very similar to Mirage, but with golden shmmer) and Bleu.

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REVIEW:

This is the only one eyeliner for which I can swear that it won’t smudge on the waterline. Since I have really small eyes, I find the shade Mirage softer and more appropriate for my features.

The khol is very pigmented and sticks immediately to the skin. If you decide to use it as an eyeshadow, be sure you have very precise application, as it won’t be very easy to remove.

The tricky part of this kohl is the application: there is a plastic wand – no longer than a toothpick, which is fixed to the cover. Since it is constantly immersed in the loose powder, I don’t know how hygienic such applicator is.

The applicator really isn’t appropriate to apply the kohl the “normal” way. If you apply the kohl above the lashes, the applicator won’t deposit the kohl evenly. You’ll just end up with a lot of mess and no eyeliner.

On the other hand, the applicator is really made for tightlining.It gives a very natural, but emphasizes eyes perfectly. I think it might work on all eye shapes and sizes. I was a bit afraid of this look, but my eyes lined in such a way doesn’t look as small.

It is extremely longlasting: it will fade a bit on the waterline, but it will never smudge. I’ve worn it for over 12 hours and it only faded a bit.

Guerlain Loose Khol is definitely worth of checking out if you are on the hunt for a longwearing eyeliner.

P.S. You can find a step-by-step tightlining tutorial with pictures HERE (unfortunately, there will be no video as I don’t have a good quality camera).

Project 10 Pans and Sample Challenge Update #4

It’s been ages from my last update. I can’t believe it took me so long to finally spend all of these products. However, I haven’t been as disciplined when it comes to the new purchases. I’ve got several nailpolishes and a primer. I’m also planning on a foundation purchase (even thought I have half a bottle of Clarins Everlasting and half a bottle of Dior Airflash) if the foundation I’m currently testing proves it is worth it.

Here are the original posts: Project 10 Pans, Sample Challenge

CHANEL Illusion D’Ombre #85 Mirifique (Fall 2011) Review and Swatches

Chanel Illusion d’Ombre is the new line of Chanel eyeshadows launched with Fall 2011 line. These will become a part of a permanent line and will be replacing Chanel Ombre d’Eau (stock up on these if you like them).

My Stash: Eyeshadows, Mascaras and Eyeliners

We have finally arrived to my favourite part: eyeshadows. I think that if I’d stop to buy eyeshadows today, I’d still have enough to last me a lifetime.

As for the eyeliners, I’m not a great collector. I prefer black, but here and there I use colour eyeliners.

SISLEY PARIS Phyto-Khol Star #1 Black Diamond Review and Swatch

Sisley Phyto Khol Star is among my favourite eye-pencils, but the price ($53 for 1,5 grams) makes me cringe. However, I was lucky enough to get the eyeliner together with mascara and lipgloss as a part of a limited edition set which was around $110, so the price per item was a bit lower.

Sisley Phyto-Khol Star is a black eyeliner with silver glitter. The eyepencil comes in a black velvet pouch and there is a genuine Swarovski crystal, which is the same colour as the glitter in the pencil.

The pencil is soft (but not as soft as Urban Decay 24/7 pencils) and silky. It applies smoothly and it is very pigmented.

The glitter particles are big, but they are very fine and the pencil won’t be scratchy when you apply it. Once applied, the glitter stays on and there is no fallout. I’m a contact lens wearer and I never had a problem with glitter causing irritation.

The eyeliner is wonderful, althought I’d prefer if the black colour were a bit deeper and more intense.

Even if you are not a glitter person, you don’t have to be afraid of this eyeliner. The glitter is very subtle and it becomes noticeable only from the close.

Phyto-Khol Star is a longwearing pencil. It stays the same even after 8 hours. It doesn’t smudge (but keep in mind that I do not wear pencils on waterline) and doesn’t fade.

Overall impression:

GIVENCHY Magic Kajal Review and Swatch

Givenchy Magic Kajal Eye Pencil is a thick black eyeliner which retails for $22 for 0.09oz. The pencil comes with its own sharpener. The thickness of the pencil might make it difficult to control, especially if you want a thin line. To achieve a thin line, I  suggest you to hold the pencil almost parallel with the skin and just lightly press.

Magic Kajal is an intense carbon black shade and they claim it is suitable to apply to the waterline. I wouldn’t advise you to do it, because it is very prone to smudging, not to mention that it will disappear pretty quickly. If you want to line the waterline, use Guerlain Loose Kohl.

The eyeliner itself is extremely soft and very pigmented. I really like the rich black colour and it is probably one of the blackest eyeliner out there. The eyeliner seems a bit more waxier than my other eyeliners.

A little goes a long way and you really need only slightly touch the skin with the eyeliner to get an intense colour. Unfortunately, this is the most smudgeable eyeliner I’ve ever had. I usually apply the eyeliner only on my upper lashline, so I usually don’t have problems with smudging. However, Magic Kajal somehow manages to smudge under my eyes, even though I’ve put it over the primer and only on the upper lashline. Therefore I can only wear it in winter, because it is not as smudge prone during the dry, cold weather.

Overall:

MAX FACTOR Kohl Pencil #020 Black Review and Swatch

I’ve received a mini size of Max Factor Kohl pencil with a mascara. My Dior eyeliner is almost finished, so I’ve decided to test the pencil hoping to find the same quality for much less (especially after I have read the article on Beauty and the Bullshit blog).

The colour of this pencil is not very intense black (it looks more like a really dark brown), but it is good for a day-time look. The pencil stays on for the whole day. On the upper lash line the pencil doesn’t smudge easily, but I don’t know how it would work on the waterline (I only wear pencils on the upper lash line).

What I hate about this pencil is that it is very hard and I prefer them soft. I need to press the pencil in order to get a decent amount of colour and it often irritates my eyes.

Even though this pencil didn’t impress me enough to purchase the full-size, it is still a decent eyeliner, especially if you prefer harder pencils.

Overall:

DIOR Crayon Eyeliner Waterproof #094 Trinidad Black Review

The eyeliner comes in 3 shades: 094 Trinidad Black, 254 Captivating Blue and 594 Intense Brown. There is a smudger on the other side of the pencil and the sharpener is included. My shade is #094 Trinidad Black. The pencil has 1,2 grams and it retails for $28 (20 euros). The pencil has a smudger and it comes with a very good sharpener included.

For a very long time I avoided pencil eyeliners, because I’ve never found the right one – either they were too hard or they were smudging and disappearing really quickly. Dior was my first foray into high-end eyeliners and I’m glad I wasn’t disappointed. This has become my favourite eyeliner since, and now I cannot imagine going out of the house without it.

The texture of the pencil is soft (but not as soft as Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners) and the pencil slides evenly, leaving a rich pigment.

The shade Trinidad Black is a nice black colour. It would be ideal if the colour were just a tiny bit more intense, but I’m satisfied with how it is.

As for the staying power, the pencil stays on until I remove it, without fading or smudging. I have an oily skin and fading has always been an issue for me, but I’m glad that my assessment of Diorliner has been spot on and it performs impeccably. I usually don’t wear the pencil on the waterline, but I have tried it there (just for the review) and while the eyepencil fades, it doesn’t leave smudges in the undereye area.

I’ve had this pencil for over two years and I’ve used it at least three times per week. Today, this pencil is a tiny bit smaller than Urban Decay eyeliner you get with Book of Shadows, and I believe that it will last for at least one year.

Overall impression:

URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Zero Review

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On pencil ($17)in Zero is a matte black eyeliner.

It is very pigmented, but the colour isn’t as deep black as I would like it to be. Also, the colour fades slightly after several hours of wearing.

As I’ve said in my review for the shade Bourbon, Urban Decay eyeliners are extremely soft (even too soft). This eyeliner doesn’t stay for a long time on the waterline (but, as I’ve said, the only thing which looks good there is Guerlain loose kohl).

Very good eyeliner, but not my favourite.

Overall:

 

 

URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Bourbon Review

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On pencil ($17) is probably the softest eyeliner I have ever found.

The shade Bourbon is a warm brown shade with tiny golden micro-shimmer. It is very pigmented, you only need a light swipe to get a rich colour.

This eyeliner is very soft and creamy and it lasts for a whole day without fading or smudging (on the upper eyelid). On the waterline it is not very longlasting, bu then, nothing besides Guerlain loose kohl has lasted for longer than an hour there.

My last objection goes to the softness of the pencil. I love softer pencils because they do not tug the eyelid when I apply them, but this one is ridiculously soft. While I sharpen my other pencils after I’ve been using them for 7 days (sometimes even longer), 24/7 has to be sharpened after every use.

Overall impression:

 

MAX FACTOR Haul

 

This is my recent haul from Max Factor.

The set contains:

Masterpiece mascara in Black (full size)

Vibrant Curve Effect lip-gloss in #14 Majeste (mini size)

Nailfinity nail polish in #900 Ruby Fruit (mini size)

Second Skin Foundation in #70 Natural (mini size)

Kohl Pencil in Black (mini size)

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I’m planning to purchase Chanel Inimitable mascara, but I’m not willing to shell out $30, since I’ve never used mascaras with such a  brush. I’ve noticed that many compare Max Factor Masterpiece mascara with Chanel’s, so I’ve decided to check a cheaper version.

 

GUERLAIN Ombre Éclat Duo & Liner in #380 L’heure Fumée Review and Swatch

 

I have already reviewed Guerlain Ombre Eclat Duo et Liner in shade L’Heure Rose. Recently, I’ve purchased another shade from the line #380 L’Heure Fumée.

L’Heure Fumée offers much better colour payoff than L’Heure Rose. It consists of two eyeshadows (2,5gr each) – one is shimmery pearly beige and the other is medium warm taupe; and a dark taupe cream eyeliner (1,6 gr). You also get two applicators: one sponge tip and one eyeliner brush (which is excellent, but too short); and there is also a mirror.

As I’ve said, its pigmentation is considerably better then in the other set I have.

The eyeshadows are very longlasting (even without a primer).

The eyeliner, which is my favourite part of this set is also very longlasting and very pigmented. I really wish they would continue to make only the eyeliner. It is not gel eyeliner, so it won’t dry out. I’d say it is more like a cream eyeshadow and I believe it would be possible to use it that way. Although on the photo I’ve taken the eyeliner looks shimmery, the shimmer isn’t visible when the eyeliner is applied.

This set is absolutely amazing – you can get both subtle smoky eye and the dramatic make-up. It is definitely one of the most used items in my stash.  

Overall:

GUERLAIN Ombre Éclat Duo & Liner in #360 L’Heure Rose Review

 

This beautiful golden square compact contains all you need for an ideal eye make-up: 2 gorgeous shades of eyeshadow (light and dark ) and one cream eyeliner. There are several colour combinations: L’heure bleue, L’heure brune, L’heure d’ ambre, L’heure fumée, L’heure rose and L’heure bronze. I’ll review shade #360 L’heure Rose (pink combination).

Even though I adore Guerlain, eyeshadows are not their forte. Don’t get me wrong: the eyeshadows have a fine creamy texture, they never appear chalky, they look silky and they don’t crease for a very long time (even without a primer) but the pigmentation is in the range of a cheap drugstore eyeshadow. The testers in the store can be deceiving – every Guerlain eyeshadow I’ve tested in the store offered a decent pigmentation, only to disappoint me when I try it at home. I am not particularly dark (NC15-20), but it takes a lot of time and a lot of eyeshadow (applied with a brush over primer) to get a bit of colour. The pigmentation is slightly better if I apply it over greasier eyeshadow base (for example Clarins Instant Minute) compared to applying it over Primer Potion. The eyeshadows have a tiny shimmer, but it is barely noticeable and not over the top. I think it gives a nice dimension to the eyeshadow, preventing it from looking too flat.

Light pink shade is very light and I usually use it as a wash (a thin coat) and I apply a bit more i the inner corner of the eye.

I have to be careful with applying the darker colour because, if I apply a layer too sheer, I look as if someone had punched me in the eye. A thicker coat of darker eyeshadow prevents it from looking like a bruise.

The cream eyeliner is, on the other hand, very good. It looks very solid, but it applies easily with a brush and offers a very good pigmentation. It is also very longwearing. At first, the color (deep dark plum purple) seemed very similar to Guerlain eyeliner in Bohemian (from Beaute Slave collection), but Bohemian is much colder and has a hint of blue that the eyeliner from L’heure Rose does not have.

The compact is quite big: the eyeshadows have 2,5gr each and the eyeliner has 1,6gr. There are also two brushes included: one sponge tip applicator and one eyeliner brush (which is very good, only the handle is too short).

Despite the lack of pigmentation, I like this combination very much. I find it appropriate for a day-wear, it gives polished and elegant look. This would be ideal for those who can’t or don’t want to wear super shimmery/dramatic make-up.

I suggest to those who like this product to stock it up, because it seems it MIGHT get discontinued very soon.

GUERLAIN Retractable Eyeliner in 03 Bohemian Review

 

This retractable eyeliner was released as a part of Beaute Slave collection for Fall 2009 and it is definitely the worst eyeliner I’ve ever used.

The shade 03 Bohemian is a warm eggplant purple – it is really gorgeous and I liked it ever since I saw the swatches. I have to mention that the eyeliner, when new, doesn’t look purple. It is covered with some light grey coat, but as soon as you swipe the eyeliner on the skin, the grey coat disappears and you can see the purple colour. This greyish coat doesn’t influence the performance of the eyeliner. Once applied it doesn’t smudge and it is very longlasting.

Unfortunately, the colour and the packaging are the only good things in this eyeliner.

The eyeliner is very hard. I may be spoiled by UD 24/7 eyeliners, but the texture of Guerlain one reminds me of those horrible cheap eyepencils I bought when I was a kid. I have to press the liner really hard so that the colour appears, which means a lot of tugging and scratching of the fine skin on the eyelids. I have to apply several coats to get a decent pigmentation. For an eyeliner of such brand I expect much more.

The pencil contains 0,3gr of the product.