This post is mainly a product rave about the best black pencil eyeliner I have ever tried! I will be comparing it to the other two I'm using at the moment, making it the second post in my 'Basics Review' series.You can find the first one HERE!
Let's get started!
I'm sure you're wondering which one of these babies is the pencil liner I am obsessed with...
.. drumroll please ..
Bourjois' Khol Contour in Black 01 Noir Expert
Oh ma dayyyyyz this pencil liner has truly blown me away, and here's why:
Pros
- It's long lasting on the waterline (1-2 hours)
- It's very pigmented
- It's affordable
- It's very soft (less so than the other two, but nonetheless)
- It has never irritated my eyes
- It stays put, hardly any smudging/smearing
No cons!
What more does one want from a pencil liner?? This truly is a dream and is definitely a product that's sure to stay a staple in my makeup collection. I'd love to try it in different colours as well. At the moment, the Bourjois Khol Contour liners are only stocked (in Boots) as part of a double-ended eyeliner priced at £5.49. The black is paired with a white liner and the duo is called Ebene & Argen. There's still plenty of life left in my precious 01 Noir Expert so I hope that by the time I need to replace it, it's back on the shelves!
INIKA Certified Organic Liner 05 Black Caviar
Since Bourjois is clearly my #1 by far, let's move on to #2, INIKA's Certified Organic liner in 05 Black Caviar. It's priced at £11.75 from their website inikacosmetics.co.uk.
On the box: INIKA is a Truth in Beauty Brand. The Truth in Beauty symbol is a guarantee that this product is safe, ethical, cruelty free and environmentally conscious.
Free from: Talc, Parabens, Bismuth Oxychloride, Fragrance, Fillers, and GMO Ingredients.
I got this baby back in my April (Organic) Glossybox and only started using it last month. I really really love this eyeliner and definitely want to try more shades of this product.
Pros
- It's extremely soft and super creamy (great for blending it out with your finger for a quick smokey look!)
- It has never irritated my eyes
- It stays put, hardly any smudging/smearing
- It's from an organic, ethical company
- It's very well pigmented on the eyelid and lash line
Cons
- It doesn't apply as dark as I'd like it to on my waterline no matter how many times I go over it
- It fades on the waterline in under an hour. The swatch on my hand faded much faster than the other two liners
- It's a tad pricey for a pencil liner
MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder
This liner has been with me since early 2009 :/ 'Know how I know? 'Because of the MAC date stamp on it: A29. This means that it's the first batch of February 2009. I'm not so worried about it being expired because the way I think of it is that pencil liner is always sharpened so I'm constantly getting 'new/untouched' liner. I hope so anyway! I do make sure to sharpen it very regularly and it's never caused me any irritation when I do.
I bought it because at the time, MAC Smolder was the black pencil liner to have, period. It was the staple of all staples so I simply had to have one. As years have gone by (note how cracked/chipped it is) I've gotten to know it very well:
Pros
- It's super dark and pigmented (It's the most pigmented out of the swatches, just a tad more than Bourjois)
- Staying power on the waterline. If I apply it to my waterline, I wouldn't need to touch up for another 2-3 hours! It was also by far the last to fade out of the swatches
- It's very soft and creamy
- Way, way, way too smudgy both on the waterline and on the lids/skin
About an hour after I apply it, I would see black cloudy smears on my under-eye area, how attractive. It would be great for photoshoots where you only have it on for a short period of time and there are makeup artists on hand to erase the first sign of smearing.
If MAC can make it so that this liner doesn't smudge on its own/travel down my cheeks, it would definitely challenge the Bourjois Khol Contour as #1.
- Pricey at £14, and you can't back-to-MAC it either.
Xx
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