Rekindled my love for liquid eyeliner pen and took a leap of faith

ever since my skin got bad, i tried to avoid gel eyeliners because they would require an eye and lip makeup remover. even though my skin can tolerate some makeup, i'm not sure if they can tolerate the makeup remover! so i've been utilizing my liquid eyeliner pen a lot more. my heroine make smooth liquid eyeliner is running dry soon, and my kate spider liner melted and smudged throughout the day, i figured it's time to try something new to see if it'd work as great as the heroine make smooth liquid eyeliner.

this is totally an impulse buy. i heard how good it is from a girlfriend of mine, she said the pen is really fine, and long lasting on her eyes. while passing by my budget toiletry shops in chinatown, i picked it up considering the lower price. (you see the price tag on the title image! $21.90 is the usual retail price at watsons, and $16.40 is the price at swanston)

looking fancy with a shiny yellow cap and gold lettering on the pen

i picked up the colour "intense black". there is two other shades if i remember correctly - brown and soft black.

CLAIMS

below are its claims on the front of the package:

1. 0.01 tip for super sharp lines
2. water proof
3. easy removal
4. stain free

more claims printed on the package on the back

in summary, it's an eyeliner that will deliver super fine lines that're jet black. formulated to have amazing staying power, it's also easily removed without staining your eyelids.

i just found out it's has a film type formula too, meaning it stays put on the lids really well but easily removed with warm water.

surely, something must be missing here because as far as i know, there's always gonna be a compromise between staying power and ease of removal. one of the claims must be false. which is it? 

INGREDIENTS

maybelline hypersharp liner ingredient list

PEN TIP

since i have other eyeliners of similar type, i can show you a comparison of their tips.

a closer look at the pen tip of the eyeliner pens i own

honestly, the difference is too small and insignificant. heroine make looks the finest at the tip, maybelline might be finer than kate.

the tip is a brush tip, making it very easy to control and contour against your eyes.

COLOUR AND FINISH

swatches of the eyeliner pens i currently own

the maybelline hypersharp liner in intense black wasn't as intense as i hoped for it to be! both the heroine make and kate appears to be blacker than maybelline. however, it's fully matte, so that's something new for me. i've been looking for a matte eyeliner! you will notice heroine make has most sheen.

MY EXPERIENCE:

i got about 2-3 hours of wear time from the eyeliner before it started melting and transferring to my lower lids. BAD NEWS!!! i was so disappointed when it happened. what happened to it being water resistant and sebum resistant!? i used it to line the inner corner of my eyes, which might be a mistake on my part (but heroine make never did that to me).

even after i avoided using it on my inner corners where it's easily in touch with my tears, i noticed the outer half of my eyeliner transferring to my lower lids as well. :( YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THIS!!! now this is acting exactly the same as the kate spider liner. :( what am i going to do with 2 bad eyeliners?

now that the worst thing that can happen is mentioned, i'll talk about the other claims.

the pen tip is indeed very sharp and will be very useful for people who need to draw fine eyeliners. the tip is a brush tip, my favourite kind of tips because they can bend and conform to your eyes so that you get that perfect line.

the ink does not feather into any fine lines even on my arm.

and i like the matte finish because i feel like it enlarges the eyes better than a shiny eyeliner.

lastly, this eyeliner is easily removed with vaseline. i find that it requires a little bit more tugging when i used a makeup remover (bifesta cleansing lotion). i have yet to try removing it with warm water, so i'll give that a try next time. as far as i know, this has a completely different formula as the heroine make, even though both claims to be a film type formula. heroine make will come off in a sheet if i did rub it with vaseline, while this actually melts off in it.

VERDICT

i'm still on a quest to find a matte version of the heroine make smooth liquid liner. if you're not going to use this for your inner corner of your eyes, and you only use this on your outer lid (not even remotely near your lash line), you might like this eyeliner.

for me, it's not water proof enough.

Time to try something else other than wine/plum/burgundy shades.

sometime around this month last year, i released two fall makeup looks - smokey burgundy for asian eyes, and an ulzzang style burgundy eye look. i needed a break from burgundy shades so i explored my options and was inspired by the orange/golden fallen leaves of fall.

even though there isn't such fall weather in singapore, but the picturesque scene of orange fallen leaves has been etched in my mind for some reason.

watch the video below!




PRODUCTS USED//



1. ETUDE HOUSE look at my eyes 

• A - look at my eyes cafe BE102
• B - look at my eyes OR205
• C - look at my eyes cafe BR401

2. KATE colorcious diamond (BR-1)

• E - metallic peach

3. DOLLYWINK long mascara
4. MAYBELLINE masterliner (brown)
5. HEROINE MAKE smooth liquid eyeliner (BLACK)
6. KATE mineral powder foundation (OC-B)
7. KATE designing eyebrow N (EX-4)

• D - matte dark brown

8. MAYBELLINE colorsensational bold matte (MAT3 CHEEKY CORAL)

BRUSHES USED//



1. REAL TECHNIQUES deluxe crease brush
2. SIGMA medium sweeper E54
3. SIGMA buff and blend E39
4. REAL TECHNIQUES accent brush
5. KATE eyeliner brush turned angled brush

you can read my review of the real techniques brushes here.
the KATE eyeliner brush has been cut into an angled brush by yours truly. works great because it's so dense and stiff!

THE LOOK//


close up of the eyes.

it took me quite a while to figure out how to work with vibrant colours, the key is to blend out ANY HARSH EDGES with a skin tone beige colour, and it has gotta be matte and ONLY MATTE. i experimented with shimmery/metallic brown shades and it just didn't work. i looked like i have a very dirty eye. :(

lucky for me, i do have two matte shades with me - one from etude house look at my eyes cafe (BR401), as well as the matte dark brown shade from my brow powder palette. what's awesome about the brow powder is its diffused colour. perfect for slowly building up the shadow on the outer corner of my eyes. sadly, matte shades don't usually come with japanese eyeshadow palettes, but are very common in western palettes!


frontal look of the look.

i actually didn't remember to take any proper photos so here's a screen shot from my video. the look may look too fresh and colourful for your usual fall looks (as they are dominated by dark and wine shades), that's why this is something different! i love how fresh this look is, but still warm and fuzzy!


closer look at my circle lens.

not sure if you noticed but i actually have circle lenses on. makes the look feel cuter, don't you think? they are the GEO FRESH BROWN (FC724) and looks really natural in day light. i seldom wear circle lenses lately because i haven't been elongating my eyeliner like i did in this look. plus i'm not used to it after not wearing something like that for such a long time. i usually wear my TRI COLOR BROWNS and they do not enlarge my iris by thaaaaat much.

how do you like this new twist on fall makeup looks? actually there isn't a rule that dictate "you must wear burgundy/wine shades for fall". it's just a trend that the beauty and fashion industry leads. it's fun to play up your makeup once in a while, don't you think? but it appears that it's time to change from the annual burgundy trend by doing something different, because burgundy every fall is boring.

i wear burgundy whenever i like! and so should you!

This might improve your quality of life.

the SIGMA spa express brush cleaning glove is a younger sister to the full size glove, 2X spa brush cleaning glove. it's smaller and more portable, yet still retains 7 patented textures for cleaning face and eye brushes.



MATERIAL: soft and flexible silicon that allows you to flip it over to access more textures on the inside of the glove with ease.

THE 7 TEXTURES:

FRONT FACE:

1. REFINE PLUS TEXTURE (FACE)

on the front face, you'll see the REFINE PLUS TEXTURE for face, and the other rinsing/washing/refining for the face on the inside of the glove. however, you'll be slotting your hand into the glove so you won't get to use the other textures while wearing the glove on this side.

BACK FACE:

2. RINSE (EYE) | 3.WASH (EYE) | 4. REFINE (EYE AND FACE)

on the back face, you'll see the RINSE, WASH and REFINE texture for eyes. the refine texture is the same as the one on the front face, so i assume it's applicable for both eye and face brushes.

the textures for eye brushes are relatively smaller and its thickness of the ridges are also smaller. but the refine texture is exactly the same on both sides.

INSIDE OUT, FRONT FACE:

5. REFINE PLUS (EYES)

after flipping the glove inside out, the REFINE PLUS texture for eyes is revealed. now, the rinse/wash/refine for the eyes are on the inside of the glove, not accessible unless you flip the glove inside out again.

INSIDE OUT, BACK FACE:

6. RINSE (FACE) | 7. WASH (FACE) | REFINE

for the face textures, the RINSE and WASH are sturdier and larger, most likely to accommodate to the larger and denser brushes.


STEPS:

taken from the official website

1. WASH (Face or Eyes Side) – Add a small amount of cleaning solution and water to mat and swirl brush on ‘Wash’ texture to begin deep cleaning the brush(es).
2. RINSE (Face or Eyes Side) – Place brush under running water and sweep brush back and forth on the ‘Rinse’ texture of the mat to remove makeup residue & soap.
3. REFINE – Swirl brush on the ‘Refine’ texture of the mat for an added deep cleaning
4. RINSE (Face or Eyes Side) – Place brush under running water and sweep brush back and forth on the ‘Rinse’ texture for a final rinse.
5. REFINE PLUS (Face or Eyes Side) – Repeat cleaning process for a deeper clean
6. RINSE (Face or Eyes Side) – Repeat rinsing process to remove excess makeup residue and soap.

MY EXPERIENCE:

you'll discover that you don't actually have to follow the 6 steps that's been outlined in the official website. you just have to follow go from top to bottom when washing your brushes, and if you have enough patience, all that sweeping and swirling of your brushes will get rid of the most stubborn bit of makeup off your brushes.

my overall experience has been good so far, as the grooves proves to be a better tool than my palm when washing my brushes. i don't like to touch soap, so having a layer of barrier between the soap and my skin is always good in my books.

one thing to take note of is the tendency for the soft silicon textures to bounce back and flicker water droplets in all directions. as i as doing it on a table instead of at the basin, it proved to be more messy than i expected.

VERDICT:

the SIGMA spa express brush cleaning glove does what it states - it manages to deep clean my brushes without too much of a hassle. all you really need is a bit of patience with each brush. i did notice i used lesser time cleaning my brushes while using the glove. the different textures make the brush cleaning process more fun than it normally would be, plus the hot pink colour lifts my mood. do note that this is coming from someone who hates washing her brushes. with this glove, i think i hate the process a little less :P

i've only used it once so far, so i'll likely update again after using it a few more times.

at the end of the day, i think the 7 types of different textures might probably be a way to pack on more "features" so that it can become more attractive to a consumer. i say this because i believe that even with just 1 texture, it can do the cleaning job just as well. the idea of a deep cleanse is to maximize the surface area that the bristles come into contact with such that it's easier to dislodge any residue makeup. technically speaking, any kinds of grooves can do that for you. but that's just me speaking from the technical side. one can argue about the different fluid mechanics on the different textures and how it affects the efficiency of cleaning a brush. if it makes any significant difference, so be it.

on a side note, this silicon glove is USD25. it's a little pricey, but if you can afford it it'd be worth investing in. if you can't afford it, i'm pretty sure you can find cheaper alternatives like the plastic facial cleaning/massaging devices you can find in daiso, which also have textures and stuff sticking out for you to run your brushes against. it's just a crazy thought i have and i've yet to test that out. but you know i'll write about it if i do lay my hands on one, because who doesn't like a cheaper alternative!?

also, i think it's a bummer that they decided to put the refine plus (face) on the outside, and the refine plus (eye) on the inside. isn't it just more convenient if all the eye textures are on the outside, then i wouldn't have to flip my glove around just to use that surface for the eye? not that it matters to me anyway, because like i said, all the surface will work the same for either purpose. but for sigma, it's obviously a design flaw.

Transform any normal look into an evil one with 2 extra items.

HELLO! i wore this look to attend my best friend's wedding lunch. perfect for day time because it's so light and lady like, neither will i upstage the bride by sporting something that draws too much attention to me.

watch the video below!




PRODUCTS USED//



1. ETUDE HOUSE look at my eyes cafe (PK004)
2. MAYBELLINE eyestudio lasting drama gel eyeliner (01 BLACK)
3. KATE jewelry mode eyes (GN-1)
4. HEROINE MAKE long and curl mascara super waterproof
5. MAYBELLINE masterliner (brown)
6. MAYBELLINE hypersharp liner (BLACK)
7. MEDIA cheek color A (PK-1)
8. KATE dual blend eyes (BK-2)
9. KATE designing eyebrow N (EX-4)
10.  KATE mineral powder foundation (OC-B)

BRUSHES USED//



1. ELF powder brush
2. MAYBELLINE eyeliner brush
3. REAL TECHNIQUES base shadow brush
4. KATE eyeliner brush turned angled brush

you can read my review of the real techniques brushes here.
the KATE eyeliner brush has been cut into an angled brush by yours truly. works great because it's so dense and stiff!

THE LOOK//


close up of the eyes.

the eye look is kept light but very reflective to add to the ethereal feel. that's part of being an angel, right? *glowy and shiny* the lashes also added a touch of cuteness and sweetness to the look. i think demi lashes work great for almost any occasion!


frontal look of the angel makeup.

without any additional stuff done to my face, this look can be worn on its own on any normal day really. it's inspired by japanese gyaru look, but not the full blown look with false bottom lashes and forcefully enlarged eyes.

interesting fact, i actually attempted the full on gyaru look as an experiment and i think that look on its own is good enough for halloween. that's how scary it looked to me.


frontal look of the angel makeup with evil smile.

i think there's something beautiful about the huge contrast between angelic and evil. if i were an english literature student, i'd have went on to tell you how the dichotomy between angel and devil adds depth and texture to this look, but i'm not, so i'll just tell you that there's a certain draw to the combination on my face.

is it the droopy eyes that added to that helpless look despite having that evil smile? i'm supposed to look scary but now i just look like a defaced sad little puppy in need of a good pet on my head. i tried my best to look angry but i just can't emulate the look with eyes like that. perhaps my next rendition of this look will be a full blown evil look with down right scary eyes?


close up of the evil lips.

that addition of smudged lip colour outside of the lips hit me suddenly when filming. the joker looked really bad ass with his smudged makeup, i gave it a try and damn, i look pretty bad ass too!

the best thing about this makeup is, once you wear a surgical mask, you covered up any signs of the halloween-ness. making this look street safe - until you reach your party and it's mask off!!!

Are you ready for fall?


it's the time of the year again where brands release remotely sexy and seductive themed products.

a quick flip through magazines will show you the general trend every fall: dark and sultry looks. since this is a japanese brand, they added a slight twist to the typical definition of "sultry". instead of dark lips and clean eyes, they instead chose to focus on alluring scents and deep eyeliner/mascara colour.

this year's MAJOLICA MAJORCA LIMITED COLLECTION will be out on 21st OCT 2015 in japan, and is created with three themes in mind: fashion, make up/hairstyle, love. let's see if it fits the bill.

all information and images from shiseido group jp.

MAJOLICA MAJORCA CHARMING BODY BODY AND HAIR MASK | 99g | 864yen

a no-rinse moisturizing gel mask formula for the skin and hair that contains moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, wild rose extract.

with its special blend of fruity, floral and woody scents, you will smell seductive all the time.

MAJOLICA MAJORCA NAIL DECORATION | 8g | 1188yen

clear gel colour nails that come with star-like nail stones, available in two shades.

MAJOLICA MAJORCA LASH EXPANDER EDGE MEISTER & PERFECT AUTOMATIC LINER SPECIAL SET | 6g / 1.3mL | 1944yen

with a sweat, sebum, and tear proof formula, the lash expander edge meister will give your short lashes length that last the entire day while the perfect automatic liner will frame your eyes with its intense colour.

now available in the sexy romantic night violet shade.

MAJOLICA MAJORCA MAJOLOOK (ILLUMINATOR) | 4g | 1512yen

a shimmery eyeshadow palette, it consists of an illuminator base (on the top), and three powders at the bottom - a shiny colour, shade colour, and a line colour.

MAJOLICA MAJORCA LIP DIP KISS | 10g | 918yen

a lip tint that changes colour according to your lips, adding a healthy glow to your face. enriched with collagen to moisturize your lips, and a honey rose scent to keep your lips on the sweet side. 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS:

apart from the purple themed packaging (which adds to the darker and mysterious fall theme i suppose?), i must say i'm wasn't too impressed by the collection. i feel that the entire range is pretty much a spring/summer product that got housed in slightly fall/winter packaging. either that or i'm too used to the western interpretation of fall makeup, which usually features darker and bolder colours. who knows, maybe the japanese will dig this collection? beauty standards are different everywhere!

A Simple Look For Any Formal Occasion

HELLO! i wore this look to attend my best friend's wedding lunch. perfect for day time because it's so light and lady like, neither will i upstage the bride by sporting something that draws too much attention to me.

watch the video below!




PRODUCTS USED//




1. SIGMA lip base (indulgent)
2. HEROINE MAKE smooth liquid eyeliner
3. MAYBELLINE masterliner (brown)
4. KATE mineral powder foundation (OC-B)
5. CANMAKE glow fleur cheeks (04)
6. KATE colorcious diamond (BR-1)
7. HEROINE MAKE long and curl mascara super waterproof
8. KATE designing eyebrow N (EX-4)
S - bearbrick (series 29, jelly bean)

BRUSHES USED//



you can read my review of the real techniques brushes here.
the KATE eyeliner brush has been cut into an angled brush by yours truly. works great because it's so dense and stiff!

THE LOOK//


close up of the eyes.

the look emphasizes on light than on shadow to create dimension. light lifts the area up from the plane and make them look more three dimensional. the result is an extremely lightweight look that's still able to define your features.

the eyeliner is kept thin to maintain the light makeup look, yet the deep black contrasts the light eyes.


frontal look of the makeup.

the cheeks are made to look naturally flushed just to return some colour after i wiped out my natural cheek colour with the powder foundation. it's so strange because if my skin was any better i wouldn't have applied foundation there. i rather have my natural colour peep through! but my rashes are appearing on my face the past few weeks so i had no choice but to cover them up for this special occasion.

i chose a nude lip liner because its effects are most natural. the matte texture makes it look like my own lip colour! the soft nude pink does a great job at making me look healthier without a trace of externally applied makeup :P TRICKERY!!!

i thought i'll share some narcissistic self shots since i really adored my look that day.






you can tell i have a thing for hats, don't you?

this look isn't just good for wedding lunches! you can adapt it to any formal occasions where you need to look elegant and lady like! i felt like being a lady that day so i went ahead with this look :D i do feel like one, just that day hehe!

Let's get down to the good and bad

FAUXFAYC is a singaporean beauty brand and they sent me the fauxstix matte liquid to try out, and here are my thoughts on the product after using for more than 2 weeks.

before i begin on the swatches, i'd like to take some time to reminisce my first impression of the product. my first impression was so bad - inconsistent number of clicks required to get an adequate amount of products (read: getting too much product), extremely uneven application if i don't do it right, that eerie sense of stickiness that was so familiar to me (think of the revlon ultimate suede). other than the lovely shade, i really couldn't find another reason to give this lipstick a second try.

first impression sucked, hard. but i gave it a second try nonetheless, since i do have to come up with a full review of it. once bitten twice shy certainly doesn't hold in my case.

well, i'm glad i did because once you get to know how to work this product, it'll be one of the best experiences you've ever encountered with a matte lipstick.



PACKAGING:

the first time i took the pen out of the paper packaging and held it in my hands, boy, it felt luxurious. the pen is weighted and feels somewhat dense in my hands. "fancy! this feels luxurious", i thought.

the liquid lipstick come housed in a clicky pen brush applicator. i don't have much successes with such packaging, especially if the product is on the viscous side. it's more like a paste than a liquid in my opinion.

to get the pen started, it took me about 30 clicks (the sound it makes when you twist the end of the pen). and that's not enough, so i lost my patience and did another round of 10 clicks. too much product came out after that. my bad i guess! need to be more patient next time!

it looks a little deeper in the pen than on my lips, and a lot redder in photos!

INGREDIENTS:

doesn't contain nearly as much stuff as the other lip products i have.

COLOUR:

102 KULT is a deep berry red shade. its official swatch looks deeper and more purplish. however on my lips, they take a brighter and redder hint. on photos, they appear even redder (might be the brightness).

source: fauxfayc website

TEXTURE AND FINISH:

the product itself is like a velvet paste when first squeezed out of the pen. it glides on smoothly and it sets into a matte finish after a minute or so.

SCENT:

slightly scented, smells like vanilla to me.

my bare lips (shiny because i exfoliated) versus 2 layers of product.

PIGMENTATION:

the product is extremely pigmented, it is completely opaque and covered my original lip colour within just one coat. getting a few more layers of product will definitely build on the colour to make it deeper and closer to what's in the pen.

simple eye look to complement the lip colour.

LONGEVITY AND WEAR:

the product claims to be a long wear product and it's true. i've worn this out and unless i eat/drink, it doesn't require much touching up at all. even if i do eat, 95% of the colour still remains. however, along the inner part of my lips, some chapping does occur so i do find myself getting rid of everything and reapplying it. i guess i should have done a better job exfoliating my lips prior to my first application. wear time can be up to 8 hours, with not much transfer of colour throughout the entire time. it also does not feather, which is a really good quality.

during my 8 hours of wear, not once did i feel that initial stickiness i experienced during my first impression. i can smack my lips together alright, and my lips doesn't feel dry or tight the entire time. however, after 8 hours of no lip balm, my lips are dry after i removed the lip colour. but you don't be able to feel it while you're still wearing it.

i've blown up the exposure of this photo, hence the lip colour look much lighter and brighter. absolutely love the pairing of a simple eye look with this lips.

in reality it looks something like this! but still i can't capture the true colour of the product very well. it's still more reddish than the official swatch in real life.

VERDICT:

this is definitely a product that requires some tender loving patience as you'll need to learn how to use it. my thoughts about it went from really bad to really good. sometimes it really pays of to try to make something work, even though the chinese saying preaches against trying too hard. i'm a rebel! what to do?

here are a few of my tips to get the fauxstix working in you favour.

1. less is more: start with just a little product and thin layers, then slowly build it up to your desired intensity. i tried a dollop of product at once and it was an uneven mess. i also believe the stickiness arose because i used too much products at one go.

2. be prepared for an explosion of products: i realize it takes some pressure build up to push the product out into the brush part of the pen, it usually takes about 5-15 clicks. i'm not sure if doing 5 clicks slowly is the same as doing it quickly, i'll report again after i tried it. in the even that too much products are deposited, get rid of them on a tissue paper because you really need to layer them up slowly. read point 1.

3. exfoliate your lips really well: this goes for all matte lipsticks. the matte finish WILL accentuate your lip lines and dry skin if you have them. do yourself a favour.

4. make sure your lips are naked: i realize the product doesn't adhere that well to my lips if i have a trace of vaseline/lip balm on my lips. make sure your lips are really naked before dressing it up in this lipstick.

5. give yourself enough time to apply this lipstick: this is definitely not one of those lipstick where you can put it on without a mirror. it took me a lot longer than when i use my usual lipsticks, but let's just say given how long lasting it is, a little more effort at the beginning is well worth the hassle.

all in all, this is a decent product, but probably not an everyday lipstick unless you are used to not applying lip balm throughout the day. i'm a lip balm addict and the texture of my lips after i remove the lipstick just doesn't float my boat very much. it's okay once in a while though ;) MODERATION!!