Tarte EmphasEYES High Definition Eye Pencil

Quick review on the Tarte EmphasEYES High Definition Eye Pencil today. You can purchase this at Sephora, TarteCosmetics.com, or Beauty.com. It is $18.00 and contains 0.028 g / 0.001 oz of product. It comes in 5 different shades: black, chocolate, green, plum, and charcoal.

I received the Black color as part of the Sephora Natural promotion last month. Believe it or not, this is my first "high end" pencil eyeliner. When I was younger I always used drugstore pencil eyeliners, which tugged at my eyes and had little color payoff, or smudged terribly. Pencil eyeliners and I don't get along--my eyes lubricate themselves a little too well, I think.

The EmphasEYES liner comes in a thin plastic twist pencil. The packaging actually feels quite flimsy. When I opened it for the first time, the product was so hard to twist out, I was scared I might break it before even using it. However, I finally got the cap off and twisted some eyeliner out to see that the point is extremely fine, which I really liked. Sadly, nearly after each use, I have to twist the pencil out to maintain that sharp point. And seeing as how the pencil contains so little product, this eyeliner seems like it'd be finished really quickly, and is completely overpriced. Tarte says that this 100% natural eyeliner also contains a lot of beneficial ingredients, which I find rather gimmicky--aloe vera, mineral pigments, palm oil, and vitamin A & E? Since when do we look for nutrients in our eyeliner? Hmm.

This eyeliner has received a lot of mixed reviews. Some people love it and say it lasts forever on them, and others say it smears off completely. It's possible some people who are disappointed with this liner were probably using it incorrectly. If you read the guidelines carefully, it says:

"This ultra fine liner easily fills gaps in the lashline and glides perfectly on the inner rims of eyes. Our patented silicone system creates a super creamy, long wearing formula specifically designed for the sensitive inner rim so it won't fade or run...and it's dermatologist tested, so it won't irritate the sensitive eye area like traditional wood pencils."

Because of the fine point and meager product content, you're not supposed to actually use it to line your entire eye--it is only meant to provide the finishing touches on your eye after you have already used your regular eyeliner. I actually didn't like using this eyeliner to fill in the spaces between my eyelashes--I prefer to do that via tightlining with cream eyeliner, and the fine point actually made it harder to tightline into the upper lashes. Also, this liner did not work on my upper or lower waterlines--although it glided on very smoothly and nicely, it smeared very quickly and disappeared. The only place this liner semi-worked was on my lower lashline--it provided some definition, but even after using Urban Decay Primer Potion, it still smeared under my eye.

In the end, I don't like this liner and do not recommend it. People who might want to try it regardless are those with drier skin who don't need eyelid primer--the thin point is a great concept, but for the majority of us with oilier lids, Tarte EmphasEYES eyeliner is a huge bust.

Clinique Brush On Cream Liner

If you've been following my posts, I recently purchased the Clinique Brush On Cream Liner in true black during their October bonus time. The liner claims to be long wearing and water proof. I've been wanting a black cream liner for a very, very long time. I have very oily lids, so it's hard for me to find the right eyeliner. My eyemakeup will always smear under my eyes. I think my upper eyelids must overlap onto my face when I blink or something, since this is such a problem. This is why it's taken me so long to purchase a product that is probably very basic for all the rest of you out there.

I know there are a lot of other popular cream liners on the market. Make Up For Ever's Creamliner is $20 for 0.14 oz. MACs Fluidline is 0.1 oz and costs $15.00. The Clinique brush on cream liner is $14.50 for 0.17 oz. So, the Clinique jar has slightly more product than both of these products, and you get slightly more bang for your buck. It comes in a light, plastic jar, so you don't have to worry about dropping and breaking it. (I dislike Fluidline because the jar is so heavy!) It also comes with a cute tiny flat eye liner brush, but I haven't used it. The bristles are natural hair, which in my experience, doesn't work very well with gel or cream product. The brush will probably work on those of you with larger eye folds or creases; I have very small creases so I need a thin, stiffer brush for the job. I apply this with my super fine eyeliner brush from Coastal Scents. By the way, at $1.99, this brush is an absolute steal! I can never get the hang of liquid eyeliner, but this brush makes it easy for me.

I've been using this eyeliner pretty much every day along with my Urban Decay Primer Potion, and it's absolutely wonderful. I'm amazed with how smoothly it goes onto my eyelids--no tugging at all. And you can really ply the product onto the brush and not have to worry about it smearing coz you've caked too much on your skin. If you end up with a clump on your lid, it's easily smoothed over or blended with a q-tip or your brush. If I apply my eyeshadow primer to the back of my hand, then swipe this eyeliner on top, and then place my other hand or fingers on top, it stays completely in place! Not only is this eyeliner smudge resistant, but it's also extremely long lasting. I could wear it for 24 hour and it will still be in place. Overall, I'm very impressed and so glad I bought the product.

I did use this on my lower water line, and it lasted just fine. However, I wouldn't recommend it for the upper eyelid waterline...when I tried that it smeared under my eyes. Then again, as I've said, my eyes are strangely built so that may not happen to you. Make sure you test it.

As for removal, the eyeliner washes off pretty easily with liquid soap. However, if you have sensitive eyes, I'd recommend using makeup remover or cleansing oil first, and then washing your face.

Some people have even claimed to use this eyeliner as an eyeshadow base! I haven't tried that myself, but I might do that...I have a black eyeshadow with silver glitters in it, I wonder if it could hold the glitters in place? I've always been frustrated about the glitters not showing up!

I will be back next week with more updates...stay tuned.