Wednesday, December 11, 2013

black kohl inventory

I am VERY picky when it comes to kohl liner. So picky that I still can't even claim an HG kohl that I am completely satisfied with. I rely on black kohl heavily for my makeup looks, I use it almost daily. Because of this, I feel I set the bar high for what type of criteria the liner has to meet. To date I have tried probably over ten different types so I thought I would do an inventory of the current liners I own and also rattle off a few thoughts on the ones I have used in the past from what I can remember.

What do I expect when it comes to a great kohl liner? It must be very black in color, smooth to apply, long lasting, and have a reasonable initial smudge time. The last three are about equal in importance but the first factor is an absolute must for me and almost trumps the rest. Nothing annoys me more than "black" liners that aren't actually an absolute black shade. I have swatched countless liners in person only to be turned off by how muted the black is. I do not like subtly. When it comes to kohl anyway :)

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GIORGIO ARMANI EYES TO KILL WATERPROOF LINER
So far out of all the liners I have tried I believe this is the best one. There are still some things I don't like about it though which is why I can't call it HG. It is the most expensive liner I have tried.

the good: intense black, smooth application, able to be smudged, long lasting overall.

the bad: does not last on my water line, smudges under my lash line, too soft in texture. The texture of this kohl is VERY soft, sometimes it feels as though it is melted? It makes sharpening a bitch and application can sometimes be too messy. This also tends to smudge under my lash line if I was especially overzealous in my under eye concealer application that day. Not lasting on the water line is not surprising, nothing I have used so far does.

overall: Doesn't last on the water line but it lasts the longest out of what I have tried. Too soft in texture, however, I admire how black this is. It is very, very black. Me likey. I would repurchase this again as it is the best I have tried so far but I want to explore other offerings first.

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MAC FELINE
This was what I was using before GA came into my life. I used to love this a lot but after trying out the GA I pushed this aside.

the good: intense black, smooth application, able to be smudged, best texture. I like the smoothness and texture of this liner more than the GA. It isn't too soft that is smears everywhere yet it isn't so hard that it is difficult to apply to the water line. It's perfectly balanced.

the bad: does not last on my water line, smudges under my lash line. Again, not lasting on the waterline isn't surprising. This smudges under my lash line with time and the lasting power is poor compared to GA.

overall: Second best I have tried. I love the inky black and it applies the best due to its texture. It doesn't last as long and it does tend to smudge under the lash line so touch ups are required. Debatable if I will repurchase.

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MAC SMOLDER
This was what made me fall in love with black kohl to begin with because at the time, all previous black liners I had used let me down. Thank you Kandee Johnson for opening Pandora's Box for me by introducing this and therefore the black kohl world.

the good: decently black, smooth application, able to be smudged, best texture. The texture is exactly the same as Feline so I love that. This liner also holds a little nostalgia for me as well.

the bad: does not last on my water line, smudges under my lash line, not the blackest black. Waterline is a given. Lasting power is poorer than Feline and this smudges under my lash line very easily. Also isn't the inkiest black out there, has a slightly blueish base if I am being picky (I am).

overall: Not the blackest liner so it has to go. Also smudges under my lash line during the day much more often than necessary. Great texture and a good throwback, nonetheless. Will not repurchase.

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URBAN DECAY PERVERSION
Was very excited to try this when I first heard it became permanent as it swatches intensely black.

the good: very black, smooth application, able to be smudged. I really appreciate how black this liner is. The texture is also nice, not as soft as GA but creamier than MAC.

the bad: does not last on my water line, smudges like crazy, staying power is horrendous. Waterline is a given. I have complained time and time again about Urban Decay's 24/7 liners. Perhaps they are made for combo skin people and drier as when I wear this it just disappears and smudges like mad. Utterly disappointing.

overall: I applaud the intense black shade and texture but why oh why can't it just last? Will not repurchase as I have lost all faith in these pencils.

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URBAN DECAY ZERO
Ugh this color. Whenever I see people claim this is the blackest black liner out there I judge them HARD. Well perhaps not too harshly, but I don't take their liner recommendations seriously.

the good: the texture. It applies very easily and smoothly.

the bad: does not last on my water line, smudges like crazy, staying power is horrendous, worst of all it is NOT an intense black. Waterline is a given. Perversion I can admire slightly for its intensity. Zero is just exactly what its name claims: a zero. It flat out sucks and I never recommend it to anyone.

overall: Only for those who prefer subtle blacks. Or love all the 24/7 pencils. I am neither and therefore dislike this pencil the most out of everything I have tried.

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SMASHBOX ONYX LIMITLESS LINER
My sister's preferred liner. I have tried this a few times and did not care for it.

the good: decently black, long lasting and unsmudgeable.

the bad: texture is too dry. The couple times I tried this out I had a really hard time to make it show up and apply to my waterline smoothly. That is a deal breaker for me as this is how I mainly use black kohl.

overall: Only for those who want to use this on their upper lash line as has a hard time adhering to the waterline. No go for me but a repurchase for my sister and her favorite from what she has tried.

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SWATCHES
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RIGHT TO LEFT: GIORGIO ARMANI ETK, MAC FELINE, MAC SMOLDER, URBAN DECAY PERVERSION, URBAN DECAY ZERO, SMASHBOX ONYX

Ha ok so I am well aware of my craziness when it comes to black liner because when I look at these swatches I can immediately see which ones are lacking and not black enough. Do these all swatch the same to you guys? I'm curious to know. Keep in mind, the very intense black kohls I swatched with only one pass (GA ETK, Feline, Perversion). The rest I had to do several swipes to give a decent line.

SWATCHES
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This was after vigorously rubbing on the liners. All pretty much fade away so I don't know what this picture proves. Don't rub your eyes vigorously folks, the liner will come off?

As for other liners I have tried and not repurchased since: Revlon Color Stay, Prestige, Milani Liquif'eye, Rimmel Soft Kohl. It has been quite some time since I gave any of those a second chance because after I discovered MAC kohls and beyond I ditched all attempts at the drugstore as they all performed so poorly (ie were grey blacks and not intense enough). I would be willing to try the Milani again though, I sort of remember ditching it because it smeared all over my contacts and that was the only reason. Since I got LASIK I'm curious if it would still be a viable option.

What are your favorite kohl liners and criteria it has to meet? After I finish up a few of the pencils I have I plan to try out Bare Minerals Round the Clock, Pixi Endless Silky, or Rouge Bunny Rouge. After reading about all my crazy kohl liner expectations, do you have any recommendations for me? Please tell me there are other black kohl liner junkies out there besides me...

Friday, December 6, 2013

010 items used up

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My bag of empties felt full but when dumping all the contents out I realized it was just because I had large bottles taking up most of the space :X Still, I finished a few items I'm proud of so let's get to it:

HAIR
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I think the way most non-beauty obsessed people feel about using up their makeup (annoyed about having to go buy more, rather than excited) is how I feel about hair care. I finally used up this huge Joico Smooth Cure Shampoo. I say finally because I didn't care for it one bit. I felt it didn't clean well even when I used an obscene amount. I also used up a Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask which also didn't impress me. It wasn't terrible but I didn't find it intensely hydrating at all. I will just stick to the oil.

BODY
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Two of Bath & Body Works Brown Sugar and Fig lotions made their way out. I didn't realize I go through body lotion so quickly! This scent is ok. My sister had a phase with it and bought a bunch of bottles so I helped her use them up. Sometimes I enjoy the warm scent and other times I feel like it smells like play dough. Strange. I also FINALLY forced myself to use up this Nivea Skin Firming Body Lotion that has been squirreled away in my bathroom cabinet. It wasn't horrible but I prefer body lotions with a lingering scent and this smells like nothing. The moisturizing capabilities were also sub par.

MAKEUP
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Guys I finished two foundations! Can I get a what, what! I enjoyed both of these foundations. I initially did not care for Lancome Teint Idole Ultra at all but after using it up to its completion I can say I enjoyed it. Albeit I NEVER applied it alone, I always had to mix in moisturizer or some Becca Skin Perfector, but in the end I didn't mind mixing because the results were just so darn good and almost exactly what I was looking for in a base. Original review of it HERE and another post of my mixing experiment HERE. As for Koh Gen Do Aqua, I still really like this foundation, so much that I bought another bottle in a darker shade that doesn't even match me right now. It is natural looking and breathable. Only wish its oil controlling was better and that the shade range was better but you can't have everything. Original review HERE.

That's it this round. What have you used up lately?