Sudden explosion of liquid eyeliner population at madokeki HQ.

obviously, this post is dated because now my eyeliner collection has grown from 3 to 4 (addition of dollywink).
this post will do a simple comparison between the qualities that matters to me the most (i assume they matter that much to you too).

THE CONTENDERS //



MAYBELLINE hypersharp liner (black), HEROINE MAKE smooth liquid eyeliner (black), KATE super sharp liner S spider liner II (BK-1).

click on individual link for their respective reviews!

SWATCH//


swatched on my arm, all are one swipe only.

COLOUR: all three of them are jet black. MAYBELLINE seems a little diluted because it was brand new when i swatched it.

FINISH: MAYBELLINE is the only matte black liner, while HEROINE MAKE and KATE both has a slight sheen to it.

RUB TEST//


i think this is self explanatory. you can see the results for yourself.

RUB RESISTANCE: HEROINE MAKE > KATE > MAYBELLINE

WATERPROOF: all claims to be waterproof, but MAYBELLINE is the one with a waterproof formula, while HEROINE MAKE and KATE are film type eyeliners.

OIL PROOF: they all claim to be oil proof, but i think HEROINE MAKE is the only one that really does the job well. MAYBELLINE and KATE might melt when there's oil AND heat.

MAKEUP REMOVAL: both HEROINE MAKE and KATE are film type eyeliners, they can be removed with warm water. HEROINE MAKE can come off easily with an eye makeup remover too, but KATE leaves behind a black stain for some reason. MAYBELLINE must be removed by an eye makeup remover and it cannot be removed by warm water at all.

RELIABILITY: HEROINE MAKE is the only eyeliner i can trust since it never melted or smudged on me. KATE and MAYBELLINE both melted on my eyes before (especially if i didn't powder my eyes).

IN A NUTSHELL
based on the formula alone, i really like heroine make's smooth liquid eyeliner because it can be removed by either water or eye makeup remover. why does this matter? because it means i can use it at all times, whether it's water proof makeup (that requires eye makeup remover) or it's a simple makeup (that can be washed away by just water or micellar water).

however, that doesn't mean there's no value in maybelline's hypersharp liner, because i will definitely use it when wearing waterproof mascara since they will be removed altogether by the eye makeup remover! convenient much! plus i really like it for being matte!

as for kate's super sharp liner, it's just not as reliable as heroine make smooth liquid eyeliner. it doesn't add any value to my life at all.

also, if you haven't seen my 2015 favourites, i explained why i love heroine make smooth liquid eyeliner. :) i don't want to sound like a broken record so.. watch it to find out!

did i miss out any qualities that you're interested in? leave me a comment if i did!

Heroine Smooth Liquid Liner VS Kate Super Sharp Liner

a while ago i purchased the kate super sharp liner in BK-1 while it was on sale, i've also done a separate swatch and review on it. i've been a long time user of the heroine make smooth liquid liner. i can't remember what made me want to buy it several years back, but i've since been in love with it as it has worked so well for me, i actually repurchased it because for that price point, this liquid liner is just perfect.



TIP SIZE:
kate: 0.03mm
HM: 0.1mm

honestly, it looks like the heroine make is finer in the photo. both eyeliner tips are made of thin fibres instead of felt tip. the heroine make tip is a little more flexible and soft than the kate's.


can you make a guess which heart is drawn by which pen?

the left is drawn by kate, the ink seems a little lighter in shade because it was brand new when i did this swatch and the ink isn't flowing as nicely yet, but the apparent difference in the thickness of the line is telling of the tip.




FINISH:
heroine make has a slight sheen to it after it's dried down. it actually feel like a thin layer of polymer on top of my skin.
kate dries down to a matte finish, and it sure dries quickly!
this swatch was taken after i used the kate eyeliner for a few more times, so the ink is definitely flowing a lot better, but you can tell it's still on the dryer side.

COLOUR INTENSITY:
both produce an intense black colour.


pardon me for the weird position of the eyeliners.

the first 2 lines and the last 2 lines are kate's, while the one in the middle belong to heroine make. why this odd placement? because after two swipes of kate, i went on to swatching the heroine make only to realize this isn't fair because kate's ink wasn't flowing as smoothly yet. so i swiped another two lines with kate to show that its ink is actually pretty dark too. #thingsthatcangowrongwhenswatching



OIL PROOF TEST:
both comes off pretty easily when rubbed in vaseline, but the kate eyeliners stained my skin.

WEAR TIME:
i'm recalling this from memory, but both eyeliners lasted me the entire day. they stay beautifully on my lids, they don't melt off after exposure to my sweat or oils.

however, they weren't as reliable on my inner corners. it's fine if i don't touch it there, but if i do, it's likely they'll get rubbed off by a tissue after soaking in tears for the entire day.

EASE OF REMOVAL:
heroine make is definitely easier when it comes to being removed by my eye makeup remover. it can be removed by warm water too, but i don't usually do that. it'll come off in a sheet if you do decide to use water.

PRICE:
heroine make: SGD18.90
kate: SGD17.90

i actually bought the heroine make eyeliner in HK, it's only HKD78 over there.

CONCLUSION:
being the kate fan girl i am, i'm actually not too impressed by this eyeliner. even though both of them fare similar in terms of colour intensity and wear time, i'm not too fond of the fact that it stains my eyelids. i'm also used to the more flexible and bendy tip that heroine make offers, i don't think i'll repurchase another kate eyeliner in the future.

Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner (Swatch and Review)

this eyeliner is so affordable and good, i bought another 1 after i exhausted my first ever heroine make eyeliner.

the first ever liquid eyeliner i used was the body shop liquid eyeliner, those where you have to dip the felt tip head into the bottle containing the ink. not very beginner friendly at all.

the second one was a maybelline impact express eyeliner. i quite like it back then as it was a hard felt tip, it was rather easy to control. sadly, the ink wasn't very water resistant nor jet black enough.

my third has been my favourite so far, which is why i repurchased it.


IN A NUTSHELL
1) jet black
2) very smooth
3) dries quickly
4) lasts all day on my eyelids
5) easy to remove


each pen contains 0.4ml of ink, and the previous one lasted me for a year (but i use it sporadically, so i can't give a good gauge of how many uses it translates to).

the eyeliner has a few claims:
1. oil, sweat, tear, and water resistant, able to keep for the entire day.
2. even though it's long wear, it's amazingly easy to remove in the shower (washes off in warm water).


the tip of the pen is as fine as 0.01mm, OH WOW. the tip is actually just a very fine fibre.


compared against the maybelline gel eyeliners (on the left), the heroine make smooth liquid liner (the three stripes on the right) appears to be a jet black with a glossy finish. the liquid liner are swiped once with different strength (and hence, thickness).

even though it's a liquid type eyeliner, it doesn't seep into my fine lines on my hands (let alone the folds on my eyes).


you can see the sheen when under flash photography.

IMHO

to address those claims, it actually does what it says.

the eyeliner is very long lasting on my eyelids, once it sets it doesn't budge or smudge even though i perspire. i do get some oils on my eyelids of late, but the eyeliner is still jet black at the end of the day.

it dries pretty fast too, i don't have to worry about it staining my eyelids (but then again, my lash line doesn't get "swallowed" by my double lids). i tried using this on my inner corner, it works fine most of the time unless my eye was tearing up as i line it. the tear will dissolved the freshly drawn eyeliner as it's still in the liquid state. otherwise, it last the entire day on my eyes. on my inner corners, it does soften up and can be wipe off easily with a tissue paper after the entire day, but if i don't touch it at all, the eyeliner will just stay there on the surface of my skin.

is it really waterproof if you can wash it off with warm water? i tried removing it in room temperature water, it takes some rubbing to smudge some of the colour, but most of the line still remains. it's clear that this eyeliner is not water soluble once it sets. with warm water, what happens is this - the eyeliner will come off in a "film", it's very much alike to the film type mascara that washes off with warm water. i'm not very sure of the exact mechanism, but i suppose it loosens the entire sheet of polymer and it gets washed off the skin just like that. no dissolving involved (as with usual makeup remover), and no stains left behind.

as the name suggest, the application is very smooth (unless you dry up the pen that is). if the tip is wet enough, it'll just glide over my skin effortlessly. my past experience with the old eyeliner tells me if it's dry, it'll tug. i also find that some of my eyeshadow do stick onto the pen, it's a good idea to clean the tip between a piece of tissue to get rid of the buildup, or the ink won't flow through as efficiently as it should.

what's worth taking note off is that this eyeliner doesn't smudge or budge, but it does crack if you try pulling your skin taut. but please don't do that to your eyes.

due to the fact that fresh ink does dissolve in my tears, i only use this eyeliner for my eyelid and part of my inner corner, never used it for tight lining my waterline.

while my gel liner may risk smudging on a very hot and oily day, i am perfectly confident that this doesn't do so on my eyes.

i love to bring this with me when i'm have to stay overnight else where as it's convenient to use. though i'd be very careful with the storing as excess ink sometimes bubble through the tip for some unknown reason. maybe it has motion sickness? (just kidding)

the price point is very inviting, at HKD$78, i can't help but want to repurchase this as it's so reliable. but i did try to force myself to try other brands, you'll read about that soon.

i purchased this in HK's sasa.

Heroine Make, Canmake, Maybelline Haul and Swatch (Video)

before you jump to the conclusion that i haul very often.. i don't. as mentioned in the video, my dad got back from HK so i thought it's a good chance to get some items that i've been eyeing for a while! you probably won't be seeing another haul anytime soon.

this time it's a mini haul from hong kong. i called it a sasa haul, but it's not entirely true because some items were bought from other shops (like colourmix and bonjour).

if you haven't already watched the video! unlike the korean cosmetics, all of the items i tried are unscented (except for the solid perfume)




the family photo!

HEROINE MAKE__________________________________________________________________


long and curl mascara super WP | volume and curl mascara super WP


brush design for: long and curl mascara super WP | volume and curl mascara super WP

i haven't opened them yet because i need to clear out some of my stash before i open them up. they have to queue up to be used :'D i bought back ups for a few of my older mascaras so i have to use those first. BUT i will open these soon enough. wait for it.

i already own the third generation, the volume and curl mascara S. hahaha now i'm wondering what the 5th generation will be called.. maybe super duper X.

price: HKD82 // SGD21.90
size: 8g
official website here

HEAVY ROTATION__________________________________________________________


heavy rotation coloring eyebrow 03 ash brown


brush design: heavy rotation coloring eyebrow 03 ash brown


more information: heavy rotation coloring eyebrow 03 ash brown

i used to have a brow mascara from fasio, but it has grown old and it stinks (omg germ alert) so i have been left without one for quite some time, which doesn't actually bother me because i'm no longer into that super light brow look. but deep down i'm still more inclined towards japanese style makeup, i wanted to keep one handy. i was debating between kate's eyebrow mascara and the heavy rotation. this won because.. of that cosme ranking. hahahahahha why not try something new, right? after all i've already owned so many kate products, time to expand my stash.

i haven't opened it yet because i don't want it to have the same fate of my previous tube. i'll use it in my future tutorials, so you'll see it in action soon enough!

i got it in 03 ash brown, which is a more yellow tone and darker shade (if you can refer to the image above, there's a small chart that shows you the difference between all the colours. it goes from yellow to orange from left to right, and bright to dark from up to down)

price: HKD59
size: 8g
official website here

CANMAKE___________________________________________________________________


glow fleur cheek 04


more information: glow fleur cheek 04


swatched: glow fleur cheek 04

i think canmake's product development manager saw the anna sui blush and drew inspiration from that. they look too eeriely similar - if i de-pot this and laid them both next to each other, i'll probably pass both off as the same product.

i got this in 04, strawberry fleur. what a suitable name, because i do think it reminds me of strawberry milk! shade 5 and 3 are pink and the more pigmented ones, with 5 having the stronger colour. 2 and 4 have a peachy colour, while 1 is a very light pink. all tends to be sheer and pearly, with micro shimmer.

on the back of the packaging, they suggest swirling the brush 2-3 times around shades 2-5 to apply onto the cheek as a blush, and to apply 1 on the protruding parts of the cheeks as a highlight.

price: HKD96
size: 5g
official site here



MAYBELLINE________________________________________________________________


lip polish glam 2 | glam 14

lip polish, lip elixir, they're the same thing with a different name. i got them in two shades, glam 2, and glam 14.


lip polish glam 14 | glam 2



lip polish glam 14 | glam 2


lip polish glam 2 on my lips


screen shot from my video! a comparison of how glam 2 looks like on my hand and my lips.

glam 2 is a vibrant hot pink while glam 14 is a nude beige colour. maybe some will call it taupe. it's a 3 in one lip product - lip stick, lip balm, lip gloss. whatever, to me it's just a pigmented and slightly more moisturizing lip gloss. it's texture is slightly heavier and creamier than a usual gloss.

see above swatch and watch out for the shimmers. VERY SHIMMERY. those little dark spots on glam 2 are the glitters that were reflecting light away from the camera. at first i thought i have some infestation (they look like insect eggs!!! URGH) going on, scared the crap out of me.

my first impression of this lip product: a tad too heavy for my liking, easily results in uneven application. however, thanks to the thick-ish formula, the product is very moisturizing and hydrating.

price: HKD89
size: 5ml
official site here


CRABTREE AND EVELYN___________________________________________________________


iris solid perfume.
this is not a purchase! my dad gifted it to me :D since it's a solid, it's very travel friendly, and the scent lingers quite well on my skin too. a very soft floral scent, very relaxing.

i can't seem to find this product on its website though!? is this old? hmm, whatever! it smells good :D

price: ??? dad threw it in as a gift :D
size: 2.3g
official site here


BEFORE AND AFTER


wearing the canmake glow fleur cheek (too heavily) and maybelline lip polish in glam 2 (blotted)

i blotted the shine off, the lippie stains a little as you can see in the photo! a glowy hot pink! also, even though i commented that the blush looks very sheer when i swatched it on my hand, they are actually quite pigmented when i got it on my cheeks. i think 1 swirl will probably be enough.

saw any product that you would like me to try first? let me know!

xoxo
karman

Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara S (Swatches and Review)

volumnizing mascaras are a must in my arsenal because they makes my lashes visible to the naked eye. the heroine make mascara is my second volumnizing mascara and i always compare it to the maybelline cat eyes mascara since they are supposed to perform the same task. anyway, that'll be another post on its own.

it claims to add 30% volume to your lashes, keep your lashes curled and separated, and its water and sebum proof! i didn't think too hard before picking it up because its price point of $78HKD makes it very affordable to try.

am i sold? YES.


it comes with girly prints on the tube. i love the little details!


they come in two colours, black and brown. i picked up black (01) of course.

THE BRUSH__________________________________________________________________


the brush is slightly different from the usual brushes out there. first, it has a tapered tip, and it's perfect for reaching the corners of my eyes where my lashes tend to be shorter, also, it makes it easier for me to apply mascara to my lower lashes too. it actually looks a little like a kite shape.

secondly, the you may have noticed that in the bottom image that the brush isn't uniformly cylindrical in shape. the sides are actually slightly longer than the top and bottom, giving it a flatter cross section. what this means is your lashes can be in touch with more product when you use the flatter side to apply the mascara, as most of the product is lodged in the centre of the brush. i think it's a pretty awesome idea! due to its design, i like to load up the mascara first using the flatter side, and then proceed on to using the longer sides to brush through my lashes to distribute the product evenly.

on it's official website, it says that there's a groove on the brush. let's just say i never noticed the groove, turns out, the groove is just the part with shorter bristles.

THE BEFORE AND AFTER______________________________________________________


naked lashes vs 1 coat vs 2 coats, lashes curled prior to mascara application.


comparison with eyes opened. (urgh, sorry about the eyeliner getting in the way.)


i stole this off my instagram :P



THE CAPABILITIES___________________________________________________________

the volumizing power is quite apparent, as my lashes went from barely visible to "staring in your face" (it's more obvious for my lower lashes!). *yay! i have lashes!* however, i can't attest to the claim of increasing the volume by 30% though. i enjoy the way it adds bulk to my lashes while still looking natural.

as the brush is rather dense, it is able to do a good job at separating my lashes to give it a one-by-one feathery effect (as compared to the clustered effect from the maybelline cat eyes mascara). even though it doesn't contain any fibres, it seems to have lengthened my lashes a wee bit!

i always curl my lashes prior to mascara application. this mascara is able to hold the curl for the entire day, but it didn't surprise me as it's a waterproof formula after all, so this is part of the waterproof package. since it's waterproof, bye bye panda eyes! i'm talking about sweltering heat of 30 degrees celcius in singapore! if this doesn't melt off in this heat (and my sweat), it has definitely passed my test.

speaking of curling my lashes, i tried using this mascara before i curl them with an electric lash curler. i'm happy to report that it doesn't melt off and end up clumping with each other after the heat treatment! lashes stay curled the entire day too!

if i wait till the first layer is fully dry before applying the second coat, the lashes feel as though it's stuck in the brush. therefore i make it a point to load up the second coat before it dries out completely, this can prevent clumping.

lastly, it is relatively easy to remove with an eye makeup remover, however, i find the maybelline cat eyes mascara the easiest to remove despite both being waterproof formula.


IMHO:
i have actually neglected my other volumnizing mascara for a good while after i got this one because it just seems to volumnize so much better (because it's fresher, hence it deposits more product onto my lahses). what i love the most about this mascara is the separated lashes it helps create! the brush design also makes it really easy to use on my lower lashes and hard to reach corners. curls do last all day, and my lashes actually feels soft instead of rock hard. it's slightly harder to remove as compared to the maybelline cat eyes mascara, but it's still considered easy to remove (by letting the cotton pad sit on my eyes for 10s before swiping it off).

all in all, the quality i'm getting is more than what i paid for. LOVING IT!!!

IN A NUTSHELL
this mascara is good for you if you want
1) separated lashes that looks feathery and somewhat fluttery
2) volume
3) curl
4) some help in the length department
5) a reliable mascara that doesn't melt off your eyelashes

i bought this for HKD$78 in hongkong's sasa.

MakeUpDiary #11B Romantique Featuring Kate Colorcious Diamond BR-1

here comes the second look i created with the colorcious diamond palette! i called it ROMANTIQUE because it's a soft and romantic look to me. what can look more romantic than rose gold, brown eyeliner, and pink blush!? this look is perfect for day time, a first date, or for anyone who's middle name is "sweet".

the key to this look is the feminine eyebrows that are skinnier and longer than korean eyebrows, and it has a slight arch. the entire eye look is kept very soft with the help of brown eyeliner. since rose gold is actually brown with a slight reddish undertone, it pairs really well with a pink, hence i used it for both my cheeks and lips.

if you're interested in the base makeup steps, it can be found here (complete with pictorials and instructions).

watch the video here!



PRODUCTS USED____________________________________________________________


from left to right, clockwise:
1. media cheek color A (PK-1)
2. kate colorcious diamond (BR-1)
3. maybelline volum'express hypercurl cat eyes mascara (black)
4. kate designing eyebrow N (EX-4)
5. nature republic by flower triple volume tint (05 peony)
6. canmake highlighter 05 (product is not shown in this video or pictorials, but you can refer to my part 3 of my beginner makeup guide where i show you how to highlight)
7. maybelline eye studio gel liner (brown)

COLOUR LEGEND___________________________________________________________


A: high light colour
B: shiny colour
C: medium colour
(for swatches, you can see them here)

COLOUR MAP______________________________________________________________


1. apply A over entire lid.
2. apply C to the outer half of the lid and blend inwards.
3. dab B onto center of lid for added dimension.


1. apply A on the inner corner of the eyes and the inner half of the lower eyelid.
2. apply C on the outer half of the lower lash line.

PICTORIAL_________________________________________________________________ 

for those of you who don't have the time to watch the video!


click on image to enlarge!


click on image to enlarge!


click on image to enlarge!

i also made an instagram version :D


click on image to enlarge!


FINISHED LOOK____________________________________________________________


to add to the feminine look (for it to be categorized as romantic), wing out the eyeliner slightly and keep it thin. the angle should be parallel to the lower lashline (refer to pictorial above to get what i mean). i tried to make my eyes look rounder by drawing a semi circle instead of a triangle in my inner corners. rounder eyes are softer than sharper eyes!



hope you like the look!

xoxo
karman