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.

Mayelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 01 Black (Swatch and Review)

i forgot where and why i picked this up. probably decided it's about time i start using a black gel liner because i THINK i've mastered how to draw the perfect eyeliner, well, at least maneuver it with a certain dexterity.

after using the maybelline creamy gel eyeliner with such success, i picked up this one without giving much thought thinking that it'll be as good as that.

somehow, it didn't work as great on me as compared to the brown one. i'm not sure if they changed the formula, or if the black just happens to be a little more smudgy.


it also comes with an eyeliner brush! i actually utilize it a lot.


not only did they change the packaging, they also changed the product name. it used to be called the eye studio creamy gel liner.


in the tub: i've dug a hole!

this black one seem to dry out a little faster than the brown one. it's becoming difficult to get products out. :( it's only been what, a year???


swatched on bare skin, comparison with the maybelline creamy gel liner in brown.

01 black is a matte black, it's very pigmented and goes on amazingly well when it's fresh off the tub. it tugs a little right now.

IMHO:

the wear time i get out of this black gel liner is about 8-9 hours over eyeshadows. it's actually pretty decent!

i tried wearing it alone and it was a disaster. it's waterproof but not very oil resistant, so wearing this eyeliner alone for the entire day in singapore's heat is not recommended. it actually stay on pretty well on my eyelids. it's the waterline that will melt off and migrate to my lower lash line. it becomes very obvious if i don't have some darker colours there as well.

the colour is jet black so it's very easy to achieve that intense black look. i'm really glad that it's matte because that's exactly what i need.

i've done vaseline test on all my eyeliners before. this comes off almost immediately upon massaging the vaseline in. i'm not surprised what will happen if oils from my eyes soak into the eyeliner for the entier day. HELLO PANDA.

will i repurchase this? nope. i'll be in search of a better eyeliner that is more oil resistant. i have liquid eyeliners that can do that job, but like i said, i use up tons of eyeliners and gel liner pots are more economical for me.

i've owned this eyeliner for about a year, the surface is slightly hardened and i'm not surprised, but what amused me was after i scraped off some of the hardened surface, what's underneath is still pretty creamy! i guess this is an eyeliner i can actually finish without having to throw it out before i empties!

i can't recall where i bought this from and how much i paid for it.

IN A NUTSHELL
1. matte black and very very black
2. creamy when fresh
3. doesn't dry out too much over time
4. not very oil resistant
5. wears on me perfectly in an airconditioned place
6. melts and smudges slightly in outdoor setting

Maybelline Masterliner Cream Pencil BR-1 (Swatch and Review)

there's a little story to this eyeliner. i was actually eyeing the colorshow eyeliner in beige a few months ago. my dad was going to come back from hong kong so i asked if he can pick up a few items for me. sadly, there isn't colorshow eyeliners in hongkong! so my old man picked this one for me instead. he didn't know i already have a brown eyeliner.

AWWWWWW. sweetest dad award.

back to the review, since i got this unexpectedly, i didn't have any expectations for it. but i must say it worked pretty well.


it has a twist up mechanism so you don't need to sharpen the pencil. there are 0.3g of product.


swatched over powder foundation.

BR-1 is a matte dark brown, it reminds me of dark chocolate or espresso.


compared with the lancome kohl eyeliner in black (right).


compared with the maybelline eye studio creamy gel liner 02 brown (right)

the masterliner is more black than the gel liner (which is more red). so yea, the masterliner is indeed a dark chocolate shade!

IMHO:

on the packaging, the eyeliner claims to be creamy. it felt really creamy on the back of my hands, but it actually tugs my eyelids usually.

the lead is rather hard, but soft enough to deposit products. however, you can see uneven product distribution on my hand and it doesn't glide that smoothly on my eyelids. i have to go over several times to get enough products on my lids, and most of the time they end up building up a little too quickly which results in little bits and pieces of eyeliner falling off my eyes.

the product will harden over time, so i usually draw on a piece of tissue paper to get rid of any hardened bits so that the application will become smoother. it helps in that aspect! and i realize after i do that the application improves!

the colour is pretty pigmented on my eyes, i love using it when i'm in a rush because of the harder lead. this prevent me from getting too much product on my eyes at any one time. this characteristic also makes it awesome for lining my water line and filling in my lash line as an overly soft lead will deposit way too much products (and transfer to my lower lids before it sets).

i also love using it on my inner corners because it's easier to control as compared to a liquid liner, also, the rounded tip let me fake a rounded inner corner :D

on to the most important point - the eyeliner last really well on my eyelids. i'm comparing this to the gel liner, perhaps the relatively drier formula help sit stay longer! it wore for a few hours on my waterline before disappearing into my tear ducts. good job! hahaha!

my dad bought this for me in HK for HKD$90 i think?

IN A NUTSHELL:
1. pigmented, but not as creamy on my lids
2. very long lasting on the upper lid (lasted me the entire day without smudging or fading)
3. stays on my waterline for 2-3 hours
4. tip tends to harden over time, it's best to draw over tissue before using it to get rid of that layer

6 K-pop Inspired Korean Style Eyeliners Tutorial


hanggggg on. haven't i already done an eyeliner tutorial before already? why do some of them look eeriely similar? well, that's because.. just how many different styles of eyeliner can there be!? and no, i'm not trying to cheat another post or video here. i've done this video with selected k-pop artistes in mind, so this differs slightly from my 10 daily eyeliner looks tutorial.

like i said, this video is with respect to a few kpop singers like IU, suzy, sandara park, and sohee. i thought this would make it easier for you all to refer to, you know, much alike the plastic surgeon's office where they hear stuff like "i want XXX's eyes and nose.". now, you can tell me "i want XXX's eyeliner!".

watch the video here!




PRODUCTS USED_______________________________________________________


eyeliner: maybelline eye studio lasting drama gel liner (black) and it's accompanying brush.


matte brown shade: kate designing eyebrow N (EX-4)

PICTORIALS_____________________________________________

here are the pictorials for the 6 different eyeliner looks i've done in my video, complete with annotations and markings!

-ONE-
iu's natural eyeliner.
iu's eyes are naturally lifted upwards slightly, so this look completements her eyes a lot as it seeks to balance the upward lift. the key idea is to make the end of the eyeliner end on the same horizon where your inner corner is lying on. koreans are all about smiley moon shaped eyes, this is one way to get it.


click on image to enlarge slightly!

-TWO-
iu's slightly jazzed up moon shaped eyes. this isn't a good reference photo but i couldn't find one that's large enough to show her eyeliner. she did something like a inward flick to force the appearance of a moon shaped eyes. you'll see what i mean in the pictorial below.

this is also the look i wore for my "5 ways to get a korean gradient lips" video. a few viewers requested for the tutorial on that look to my surprise - i didn't think this look suited me very well. but, to each its own.



step 2 requires you to draw a horizontal line from the end of the upper line until it hits the lower lash line. then elongate it as necessary in step 3.


click on image to enlarge slightly!

-THREE-
suzy's smiley eyes. i think the photo below is most illustrative of what i mean by the half moon eyes, when they smile the eyes take the shape of a half moon! the use of matte brown shadow on the lower lash line helps to create the same effect the black eyeliner does in the previous look, but it looks much softer and natural.




click on image to enlarge slightly!

-FOUR-
sandara's classic kpop eyeliner, which is also the classic cat eyes that a lot of kpop artiste sport since they share similar eye shapes.

as with all my other cat eyes, always squint your eyes to use the lower lash line as a guide to get that gentle flick. if you prefer a stronger angle, keep your eyes wide open instead. 

the key is in step 3, making sure the line that connects the end of the eyeliner to the 1/3 point of the lash line is straight.

i didn't line my lower water line, but you can do it for the added kpop flavour.


click on image to enlarge slightly!

-FIVE-
sohee's look are perfect for single eyelids! i love her oriental eyes, it's rare these days because most koreans do go under the knife to get double lids. hey, it's an open secret, right?

the key is to make sure the inner half of the eyeliner is still barely visible when your eyes are open. it necessary, make markings with the eyes open to know how thick your eyeliner needs to be.


click on image to enlarge slightly!

-SIX-
another sohee's eyeliner look! this is more winged out and makes the eye look longer. again, the trick here is to draw a straight line from the end of the liner to the center of the lids.




click on image to enlarge slightly!

this is probably the last makeup video that i'll post in the near future. i've made an announcement in my video (after the tutorial). if you didn't see it, it's okay. i'll be back after my skin heals :) in the mean time, i'll probably be posting more about makeup news and other things that are still related to makeup, but doesn't require my skin :)

i hope this tutorial was useful!

leave me a comment below on who's eye look should i dissect and explain next time!

Maybelline Eye Studio Creamy Gel Liner 02 Brown (Swatch and Review)


this is my second tub of gel liner. the first being my kate gel liner (hahaha told you i'm a kate fan girl). i figured very early on in my makeup journey that i'll use a lot of eyeliner, that's why i invested in these gel liner pots instead. also, a few years ago there wasn't any gel liner pencils in the market yet.


maybelline gel eyeliner was constantly within the top 5 of the cosme ranking at the moment in time, i figured i had nothing to lose to try it. it was very affordable, i remember i got it for about SGD$16.


i got brown because i was a beginner in make up last time, brown seems forgiving even if i can't draw a perfect line, plus i can always blend it out with my eyeshadow if all else fails :P

this is probably yet another antique in my makeup collection. you don't see this packaging anymore as they've recently changed the packaging (and i highly suspect they changed the formula as well).


it comes with a pretty awesome eyeliner brush, while it's not the finest and flattest, i managed to make it work for me.


in the tub: i'm almost touching "pan" on this! almost!!! just another year to go maybe? 

surprisingly, the product is still creamy (although not as creamy as it once used to be) after so many years. *counting fingers* i owned this for a good 3-4 years i think? nope, it didn't dry out. SURPRISE SURPRISE! it's a little dryer i must admit, but still useable because it is still kinda waxy (as opposed to turning rock hard).


swatched on bare skin.

02 brown is a reddish brown with some tiny sparkles in it. it gives it a slight metallic finish. just a slliiiggghhhhtttt one.


photo taken in natural light (left) and under camera flash (right).

you can see the slight reflectivity in flash.

IMHO:

i've tried the newer version of the gel liner in black, i honestly think the old formula is better. this eyeliner stays on my eyelids for the entire day without smudging even without eyeshadow on. i can't say the same for the black (newer formula) one.

they don't stay as well on my water line, but that's almost every other eyeliner. it's okay, as long as they remain in between my lash roots.

initially i didn't quite like the slight metallic finish because it made my eyes appear a little puffy. when coupled with metallic brown eyeshadows, the eyeliner can look pretty invisible because it is also reflective, which kind of defeated the purpose of wearing an eyeliner in the first place (to frame my eyes).

with that said, it's a pretty natural shade to have, and i am absolutely in love with its formula. the fact that i can still use it after so many years is a very pleasant surprise to me.

as for the brush, i realize i can flatten it by swiping on the edge of the tub to get a more precise line later on. i've demonstrated it in one of my videos, it's just a small snippet but you get the idea!

i purchased this many years ago for about SGD$16.

Halloween Makeup 2: Fafinette Dolly Look

after last week's scarier makeup (click here if you haven't seen it yet), this pales in terms of the scary factor, but it's still quite crazy to me because there's just no way i can rock this heart shaped cheeks on any other day but halloween.

let me introduce the fafinette, amazing pin up illustration/graffiti drawn by a french artist by the name of fafi.


from the WWW

the first time i saw the fafinettes was way back in 2008. back then i wasn't this crazy about makeup yet. i had no idea what MAC does, but i saw their incredibly beautiful posters on their store front and there it is, the fafinettes. they collaborated with fafi a few years ago, while i had no idea who fafi is, the iconic heart shape cheeks etched themselves into my brain.


taken from the WWW.

i don't know, there's just something about those cat eyes and heart shape cheeks that drew me in like the fire draws the moth. since i have the chance to showcase something that interest me, i took this chance to put together this fafinette inspired look, with daily makeup products of course ;)

the look focuses on a few key points:
1. cat eyes
2. heart shaped cheeks
3. mega pouty lips (on hindsight i should have added a layer of gloss)

watch the video here!



PRODUCTS USED_______________________________________________________


1. INNISFREE no sebum mineral powder
2. KATE stick concealer (light beige)
3. LOREAL lucent magique foundation (N2 pure porcelain)
4. MAYBELLINE eye studio lasting drama gel liner (black)
5. CANMAKE color stick (09)
6. HEAVY ROTATION coloring eyebrow (03)
7. MAYBELLINE colorshow crayon kohl (snow white)
8. KATE super sharp liner (BK-1)
9. MAYBELLINE the falsies mascara
10. REVLON matte balm (210 unapologetic)
11. DAISO ellefar hanataka powder (pearl pink)
12. NATURE REPUBLIC blending highlighter
13. KATE designing eyebrow N (EX-4)
14. INNISFREE creamy tint lip mousse (05 vitamin red) [i forgot to include it in the photo >_<]


from left to right:
1. ELF complexion brush
2. generic foundation brush
3. ESSENCE eyeshadow brush
4. MAYBELLINE eyeliner brush
5. old MAYBELLINE eyeliner brush (used as lip brush)

FINAL LOOK_____________________________________________


the cat eyeliner is actually just a triangle! straight lines everywhere.


the photo is a little washed out because it was almost night fall by the time i'm done recording this look. but the look still has all the signature of a fafinette!

do you like this look? i really like it!

what's best, you can throw on normal clothes and adorn yourself with accessories to become a fafinette! if you google for more images, you'll realize how funky they are.

sadly i can't go out to a party this year, but maybe next year.. I'LL BECOME A REAL FAFINETTE.

happy halloween in advance!

Biore Hydra-Clear Makeup Remover (Full Review)

emptied this product, but it's no wonder because i got this about 3 years ago.. but i didn't quite like using it that's why it took me soooo long to finish it.


i don't know if that's the expiry date, or date of production. SHRUGS.

let me address all the features point by point. i stole them off the official website:

Suitable for both face and eye makeup removal.
definitely suitable for the face and non-waterproof eye makeup. i use waterproof mascara so it's quite a pain in my ass if i were to use this for eye makeup removal.

Specially formulated with high-grade cleansing ingredient that removes makeup effortlessly and gently with no rubbing or tugging at your skin.
does quite a decent job at lifting off facial makeup, but i don't wear that much on my face to begin with. needs to be rubbed in and massaged in though, so it's not like what they claimed "no rubbing". since it's an oil-like liquid, it's frictionless so it doesn't tug at my skin.

Instantly dissolves and lifts away all tough, waterproof makeup even at the delicate areas around the eyes.
hmm. not too sure about "instantly dissolving all tough, waterproof makeup". either the oil doesn't do what it claims, or my waterproof mascara is being an ass. but i doubt it's the latter because with an eye makeup remover, it comes off so easily. 

Water-based formula leaves no greasy or tight feeling after use
definitely emulsifies well and doesn't leave my face greasy! amazing thing! HOWEVER, my face does feel tight after rinsing it off.

Rinse-off formula- convenient and easy to use, no need for cotton facial pads or tissue
it's convenient in a sense that i can just pour it into my hand and rub it in directly, ridding the need of cotton pads. but the thing is.. i prefer using cotton pads because that way, the liquid doesn't drip down all over my hand when i massage. 

IMHO
don't get me wrong, the makeup removing power of this remover is sufficient to get rid of my face makeup, just that i'm more into using cotton pads as it's less messy for me, that's why i gave it a little less love. i don't know why they make claims that they're able to lift off even waterproof eye makeup. are you kidding me? did they mean to soak that area in the makeup remover for a good 15s before rubbing and massage? that isn't the easiest thing to do with a palm full of liquid that's in a space that has gravity.

however, i think this makeup remover will be perfect for people who removes their makeup in the shower, as you will probably have no regards for dripping liquids, and it's easier for you to rinse everything off easily without worrying it'll dirty your clothes (since you don't have any on! DUH!).

i just don't enjoy the process of emulsifying the oil with water and having those liquid drip down my hands and arms. too messy for my liking. if you don't mind that, you'll probably quite like this product because i know i'll use this more often if i remove my makeup in the shower. what's easier than massaging your face and getting makeup off? it's as simple as washing your face with a cleanser.

i also feel that it strips away too much of my natural oils. not too fond of that.

i purchased this for.. SGD18. i believe this product is off the shelves by now.

IN A NUTSHELL
1. can't remove waterproof mascara that efficiently
2. removes facial makeup good enough
3. emulsifies with water pretty easily
4. no oily after feel
5. removes too much of my oils

Nature Republic Shine Blossom Blusher 05 Shading Beige (Swatch and Review)

another item i picked from nature republic from my korean beauty haul. i chose this colour as i was looking for a shading/contour powder. the colour looked promising on their official website.. but.. i was mentally prepared for some slight differences between the website and the actual product.

nature republic is a lot like innisfree in my opinion, but they're packaging is a little more delicate and sweet. their price points are about the same, quality wise i can't compare much, but let's juts say the average korean cosmetic brand is already really good quality for the price i'm paying. each brand are about just as good as the their competitor.


the blush comes in a papaer box packaging (reminds me so much of the benefit blushers) and it comes with a big puff that doesn't feel too soft or fluffy. it feels like a stuffed toy to me.


i got it in 05, shading beige. they have 5 colours for this series. the rest are a series of pink and corals.


actual colour (left) compared to colour on official website (right).

from the pan, it looks like a light beige with a warm undertone (slight orange-y to me).



swatched on my hand: heavily swatched on the left and blended out on the right.


05 shading beige is a warm beige with pearly finish. the powder is very soft and smooth. blends out into the skin very well to give a slight hint of colour.


close up of swatch to show you its finish

the pearly finish is quite obvious, but not over bearing.

the product is strongly scented.

IMHO:
sadly, the colour is a little too light for my skintone to be used as a shading powder for me (unless i paint my face really fair before that, it won't work for me). i think this would be a really good item to fix any excessive whitening brought about by my foundation, but i can't depend on it to do some facial contouring normally.

i really like its texture though, the powder is extremely soft and smooth. running my brush over it will pick up a lot of product, so it'll be best to use a light hand when getting the product. the pigmentation level of this product is relatively low, i think it helps contribute to a natural look.

the fragrance is very lovely, it lingers for a while on my face before fading off.

i believe all the blusher from this line contains a pearly finish. i wish i got the other colours instead because i know i can get more use out of them. right now, i have to think of what to do with it because it's so similar to the essence sun club shimmery bronzing powder (which is also too light for me.. =_=), except this has no shimmery, just a pearlescent glow.

perhaps i can use this to create a very sunkissed look which i've attempted before!

other than that, i think this would be an amazing highlighting product for girls with darker skin tone as this won't give you that white cast that white based highlighter has.

i bought this for 6900 Korean Won.

IN A NUTSHELL:
1. soft and blendable powder
2. pearlescent finish
3. scented
4. low pigmentation level

MAKEUP LOOK:

i've used it to correct an overly fair face (due to overusing the cushion bb), as well as to use it as a blush.



applied on my forehead because i went a little too excited when applying the etude house any cushion. you can watch me turn into a ghost here.


used it as a blush and it actually resembles a bronzer! i look sun kissed :P