Showing posts with label eye pencil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eye pencil. Show all posts
Ever since last year when Nars released the Soft Touch Shadow Pencil I wanted more colors in this range. The three original pencils became frequently used items in my rotation and I've come to rely on them when looking for a quick and reliable look. So the release of Palladium, a turquoise loaded with silver shimmer, as part of the fall 2010 collection was very welcome. Not that I get why this bright turquoise is a fall color or how exactly it works with the rest of the collection, but that's Nars for you. The secret for using most of their seasonal items is by combining them with neutrals from the permanent line.
Palladium is bright and fun. I started using it right away, since I love turquoise in summer. I wear it as an eye shadow on the lid blended well into a beige base or as a pop of color on the lash line. I also experimented with applying it into my bottom lashes and smudging it a little. The result was pretty and worked even better than I expected.
I've heard complaints about the Soft Touch pencils' staying power from people with oily skin, but since I don't have this issue the color stays put on me until I go after it with Bi-Facil. I've actually found that Palladium requires even more effort to remove, so I do a second cleansing with Almay wipes.
Bottom Line: Probably not an essential color, but lots of fun.
Bottom Line 2: Dear Francois, can we get a navy and a taupe next?
NARS Palladium Soft Touch Shadow Pencil for Fall 2010 ($24) is available from Sephora, many department stores and narscosmetics.com.
All photos are mine.
A quick rummage through my makeup drawers revealed I don't own any other Shiseido eyeliner, and that's going to change soon because I'm very happy and impressed with the Smoothing Eyeliner Pencil's performance. It's soft enough to glide easily without pulling the lid, which is a major consideration for me. The line can be drawn thin or thick and smudged with the sponge tip on the other end of the pencil. Smudging doesn't dilute or fade the rich pigment which stays in place over a lid primer for as long as you need it. I've worn the eyeliner throughout a couple of hot and humid days with several outdoor forays and it didn't budge until I removed it at night. An accidental eye rubbing didn't do much damage, either.
Black Sand is a gorgeous almost black color with a hint of dark olive green and fine gold shimmer. It can be the focus of a dramatic evening look if applied heavily and smudged into a smoky look, but the mellow not-quite black is also very daytime appropriate because it lacks the harshness of a true black. I can't think of anyone who can't pull it off, it's really that easy and flattering.
Bottom line: I wish Black Sand would become part of the regular line.
Shiseido Smoothing Eyeliner Pencil ($20) and the rest of the 2010 Ocean Summer Collection is available from Sephora and most decent department stores, including online.
All photos are mine.
The Make Up Forever display at Sephora is so big and engaging it makes me forget and ignore how much the store itself annoys me. It's all about the colors, and I've been in the mood for some interesting eyeliners. Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils come in 24 shades, from the classics to some that are really out there (metallic fuschia and yellow, if that's your thing).
The pencils are, indeed, waterfoof. Still, they glide on very smoothly without tugging or pulling and can be nicely smudged to shade the lid (see swatch). They maintain their texture in heat and humidity, don't melt even after a hot shower and require a good makeup remover when you want to take them off. I'd predict these Make Up Forever crayons are going to be my summer staple, especially for long days spent outdoors.
20L is a blue based dark green. I've been after this color for a while and this is perfect (use with sand or beige eyeshadows and blend with a little taupe or mocha color on the lid to keep it from looking too 80s). 5L is a golden khaki with a metallic finish. It's easy to wear and would look flattering on many a skin tone, tan (fake, please!) or not.
Bottom line: As good as it gets.
Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils ($17 each) are a Sephora exclusive, also available online.
Photos by me.
These two Chantecaille items, the Shine Eye Shadow in Jungle and Kohl Pencil in Green, were part of a recent Neiman Marcus GWP event. Both colors are part of he regular Chantecaille line, which makes the gift feel very nice.
The Shine eye shadows pack both shimmer and pigment. Jungle is a fantastic evening khaki-green color that brightens up the eyes, gives a pop of color and blends beautifully with neutrals like ivory or champagne for an elegant look. It can be used in the crease or along the lashes and also create a modern smoky eye. The texture is silky and applies as flawlessly as every Chantecaille eye shadow I've tried so far. The color is intense and requires a light hand and a good brush. Lasting power is excellent- used over a primer nothing can make it crease, flake or budge, and there's no shimmer fallout.
I'm loving kohl pencils and pigments lately. Nothing beats their intensity and dramatic effect. I avoid black, though, because it tends to look too much- my eyes and lashes are dark enough as it is, so I prefer to soften the look with other colors. Green is perfect for most people with brown eyes- it brings out any hazel or gold flecks we might have. This Kohl Pencil from Chantecaille is especially lovely. I find that it's a bit lighter than Chanel Black Jade, so I'm happy to have them both. The texture is soft and creamy, so application is easy with no tugging and pulling and the result is a dark line in a rich shade that can be smudged a little or blended with an eye shadow.
Chantecaille Shine Eye Shadows ($28) and Kohl Pencils ($22) are available from Saks, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. As I've mentioned above, I received both as a GWP.
All photos by me with the help of my sweet Thomas.
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