Review: Eyeliners

(from left to right)

1. Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner*
2. stila stay all day liquid eye liner*
3. LORAC Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner (waterproof)
4. e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner 

1.  My everyday liner: I'm the most familiar with this tip and I don't need waterproof for daily makeup. I like this tip because it's stiff and sharp, and the liquid goes on smoothly. 

2. During a beach trip with friends, I noticed their eyeliner was still perfectly on-point even after they came from swimming in the water. This liner came highly recommended (and well-tested) as one that applies easily and stays really well. This is the first waterproof liner I've used, and, like mascaras, waterproof ones tend to be drier and last longer. 

3. I use this one the least, but it's still pretty good. The tip is stiffer than the stila, which I like, but I do like the stila formula liner better. 

4. When I first started with liquid liner, I started with this $1.00 one from Target. I used to really like this one, but after switching to Revlon, it was hard for me to revert back to the long, flimsy tip. While it's easy to apply, it's hard to control and doesn't do a great job of lasting. 

As a not-so-longtime fan of liquid eyeliner, I'm still experimenting with different brands to find one that does the job -- the "job" meaning that it doesn't smear or rub off and it's easily controllable and applicable.

When I first started wearing eyeliner, I went with pencil, but found it rubbed off far too easily (#monolidproblems), though it was easy to apply and control. Another drawback was that some pencils/crayons would either dull quickly or be the type that you can't sharpen. My favorite pencil was one by Maybelline.

For awhile, I used gel liner after a friend persuaded me it was extremely effective and revolutionary in eyeliners. I still like gel liner, but it's more time-consuming than both pencil and liquid. While it stays better than pencil, I've found that the most effective and persistent eyeliner combo is to first draw with gel then outline and sharpen with liquid.

I'm currently a devoted liquid liner user and will be for awhile. I like the sharpness of the tip for extending eyeliner up or down, how long it lasts, the control of the tip and the darkness of the application.

Review: Mascaras

Pretty lashes top my makeup wishlist -- if I'm feeling a no-makeup day, I might just swipe a little mascara on to look more awake and ready for the day. I have short, straight lashes, so I've experimented with my fair share of mascaras to see which ones lengthen, curl and make my lashes as visible as possible. Here is a review on some mascaras I've tried and some I've worn on the daily.

*starred ones are my go-to's and favorites! I would definitely recommend these (and buy them again!)

Set 1: Drugstore

(from left to right)

1. Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Black Drama*
2. Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Flared
3. Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express
4. Maybelline Great Lash
5. CoverGirl LashBlast Volume/Fusion
6. Maybelline Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara

1 & 2:  These two are pretty similar, but I found enough of a difference in more dramatically flared brush. It really eased application, allowing the coat to go on darker and stay longer. The formula was a little wetter than what works best for my lashes, but drier than other drugstore mascaras. It does a good job of thickening lashes.

3:  The formula wetness is pretty similar to The Falsies, but I wasn't crazy about the bigger, wider brush. The special part of this mascara is that the brush is flexible, but I didn't find that feature helpful.

4:  I tried a few variations of this mascara because it was so popular and highly rated among magazines, so my expectations were a little too high. The brush and formula were both okay -- and the mascara itself? Also okay.

5:  It's hard to tell whether the formula runs out really quickly or if it's just dry. The bristles on the brush are much wider than other mascaras (so it went on a little lighter) which was nice to separate lashes -- but only after using a different mascara before it. 

6:  When this came out, I was pretty excited about the vibrating brush. I think the concept is still really cool, but it doesn't work wonders for me. The bristles on the brush are very wide, like LashBlash/Fusion, and they're also shorter and harder than most brushes.  This product has since been discontinued. 

Set 2: Department Store

(from left to right)

1. Clinique Lash Doubling
2. Benefit They're Real!
3. Laura Geller GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing* 
4. Ulta Amped Lashes
5. Mally Volumizing*
6. Urban Decay Cannonball Ultra Waterproof*
7. bareMinerals Lash Domination Volumizing* 

1:  Overall, I found department store mascaras to have better, drier formulas. I like the formula for this one, but the brush makes it a little tricky to apply. 

2:  The short, hard bristles help separate lashes after mascara has already been applied (like LashBlast/Fusion). The formula was nice, but I wasn't as crazy about the brush. 

3:  I really like the brush and the formula for this one! It's on the drier side, goes on smoothly and lengthens lashes. I wish the brush were a little shorter, but the bristles are stiff enough to make for easy application. Because it dries quickly, I like to put one or two coats on.

4:  I'm not a huge fan of harder, sparser bristles on brushes, but the thickness of the brush was nice. The formula didn't work well for me and didn't coat my lashes smoothly or lengthen/thicken very well. This one's on the cheaper side out of this section.

5:  I'm not sure if it's the swirly bristles or the formula, but this mascara coated my lashes well and was dry enough to lengthen them. Nothing to change! 

6:  After reading reviews from some of my favorite beauty bloggers and recommendations from friends, I was excited to try this super-waterproof mascara. It holds true to the waterproof and really helps to hold curl and lengthen. (tip! waterproof mascaras stay forever, hold curl better and won't smudge if you apply to your lower lashes) I really liked this one! 

7:  Along with Cannonball, my other current favorite. I hadn't heard of this one until I received it as a gift from a friend, but I love this one! It's only a little bit wetter than some of the other department store mascaras, but it applies and dries really smoothly and lengthens and thickens. It's not waterproof, but it holds curl so well it seems to curl lashes. The brush is unique but helps application. 

My favorites in order: 

1. bareMinerals Lash Domination Volumizing

2. Urban Decay Cannonball Ultra Waterproof

3. Mally Volumizing

4. Laura Geller GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing

5. Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Black Drama

What's your take? Did I miss your favorites? 

Photography by Lauren Pak