The Holy Grail of Eyeliners

Hey! Long time no see! I'm planning on doing a little catch-up post to let you know what's been going on but first, I had to do this eyeliner post! You NEED to know about this eyeliner. Trust me.

A couple weeks ago I shared an experiment I was conducting on my IG stories. I was testing out a new eyeliner, and its staying power was INSANE. I slept with it on for four days in a row before it started to smudge/flake off. I'll admit it's not the best ocular hygiene ~but~ every single eyeliner I have ever tried has smudged or flaked before I even got in bed the day it was applied. The idea that one could last this long was insane.



I've been a liquid eyeliner junkie since I was in high school. One of my first blog posts here was an ode to eyeliner. My eye shadow/mascara routine might change through the years, but I've never wavered from my thick, winged eyeliner. It's been a struggle though because my eyes are watery, and my eyelids can be oily, so eyeliner always inevitably either disappears in my inner corner, transfers to my upper lid, or just slowly flakes off during the day. I've tried dozens of eyeliners over the years, but nothing was really good enough. These are just the ones that were still kicking around in my makeup drawer today:



Out of these, the only ones I liked were the Stila Stay All Day liner and the NYX Matte Liquid Liner. But the Stila one doesn't produce a very dark black, it has a felt-tip marker applicator which isn't precise enough for me, and it pretty much disappears off of my lid during the day. The NYX one is darker and I like the brush applicator, but it's too wet and usually runs in my inner corner and transfers to my eyelid during the day. And in balmy weather it always slides around and makes me look like I smeared black all over my eyelid. And those are the good ones, lol. They've sufficed, but I was constantly searching for something better.

Enter: MAC Liquidlast Liner

OH. MY. GOD.

First of all, the black is MATTE BLACK. Not a weak watery black, not a shiny vinyl looking black, MATTE BLACK. And it stays matte all day. The brush is a precise brush, not a felt marker. It's so easy to apply a perfect wing! But even if you don't like the brush, you can use your own brush to apply it since it's a bottle with a brush, not a marker with the ink sealed up inside. It does not budge. Even with super watery eyes, it stays put as soon as I apply it -- I can even tightline my upper lid with it and it doesn't bleed!

I've worn it in hot weather, I've worn it when I was crying my eyes out, I've worn it to sleep for three consecutive nights, and I am in total disbelief at its staying power. It goes without saying (like I'd actually be sponsored by MAC? lol) but this is totally not sponsored. I'm just SO obsessed with this eyeliner and I want to sing its praises from the rooftops. I want everyone who's had the same issues as me to be able to stop searching. Personally I bought three bottles of the stuff after I tried it, just preparing in case it ever gets discontinued.

Also, despite how well this stuff adheres itself to your eyelid, it *is* actually easy to remove with makeup remover. I use Cetaphil gentle makeup removing wipes, and it comes off pretty easily! So it's really the best of both worlds. You can fall asleep with it on when you're lazy and wake up ready to go, or you can responsibly wipe it away at night without much tugging on the lid. Win-win!

Also, kind of off subject, but every time I've ever done a makeup-related post on this blog I've struggled so much to get a photo of my eye that doesn't look weird. I have such respect for makeup instagrammers.

what's in my makeup bag

I've flirted with the idea of doing one of these posts for a while but it always seemed kind of silly since I don't really wear anything fancy. My makeup is all from the drugstore and I hardly ever experiment. Except for lipstick and nail polish, which tend to lure me into their trap when I'm passing by the makeup section at Walgreens on my way to pick up milk, I've been buying the same old products for years.

I always start off with under-eye concealer. I started using this one only a few months ago, but it's the same shade I've always used... this just comes in a fancy little bottle with an applicator brush at the top. It's Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer in Fair. Then I apply Cover Girl "french vanilla" eyeshadow to my whole eyelids. I used to use bright white when I was going for a really mod look but I've toned it down recently and I like this a lot better! I pencil my lower eyelid rim (is that even what it's called?) with Rimmel waterproof kohl eyeliner in "nude." I swear by this stuff, it makes my eyes look so much more awake!

Then comes my favorite part -- eye liner! *cue cheers and applause* I really love eye liner. I use Maybelline Ultra Liner waterproof black liquid liner. I love the brush that comes with it, it goes on really smooth, it dries really fast, and it stays put all day. I'll be heartbroken if this is ever discontinued! After eyeliner I put on a little mascara. Just enough so my eyelashes are black... I don't really like them to be too long or it distracts from my eyeliner and rubs against my glasses when I blink, lol. I use Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express in 'blackest black'.



Lipstick is the only area I really experiment with, though I still tend to stick with bright red and hot pink. Right now I'm using Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick #110. I'm constantly on the lookout for "Mary Poppins red" --I've always thought Julie Andrews had THE perfect shade of red lipstick in the movie. This particular shade is the closest I've found *and* since it's a Kate Moss line, it has my name on the lipstick tube! I'm probably way more excited about that then I should be.

It's also really light. I hate lipsticks that make you feel like you have a coat of play-doh on your mouth. I can barely tell this is there. I usually put on some Burt's Bees grapefruit lip balm first so my lips don't get dried out from lipstick, and it usually does the trick :)



About 4 years ago I wore lipstick in public for the first time. I can remember the day so vividly! I went to Target with my mom and grandmom. Halfway through our shopping trip I used a tissue to wipe it off. Even though I loved the way it looked, I felt like I was standing out too much.

Now it's part of my daily makeup routine. It's funny how something as seemingly minor as putting on lipstick was such a challenge for me a few years ago. I'm so happy that I've gotten to a point where I'm comfortable being myself, wearing what I like, and putting on lipstick in the brightest shade of red I can find.

ps. my makeup bag is from forever 21 & my glasses are c/o firmoo

not one, but two eyeliner tutorials!

When it comes to makeup, eyeliner is my favorite, hands down! I even wrote an ode to eyeliner on my blog a couple years ago. I put it on every single morning, even if I'm not leaving the house. It's like brushing my teeth or combing my hair -- it's a daily essential! It probably makes my desert island list... it's just that important to me.

So when Modcloth asked if I'd like to test out one of the cosmetics from The Balm line, I jumped at the chance to try the liquid eyeliner. The retro packaging is pretty awesome, but what's inside the tube is even better. The brush is super thin, which makes it a lot easier to create a precise cat-eye. And the color is a deep, dark matte black. This eyeliner fan is definitely impressed ;) To demonstrate the eyeliner in action I made up two eyeliner tutorials:



Classic cat eye

1. Start with a fresh eye. I usually use concealer under my eyes and on my eyelid, and then brush white eyeshadow on my eyelid. The black really pops against the white background, but it's still classic and subtle. 2. Starting in the middle build up the line to the thickness that you'd like. 3. Bring the line in to your inner eye. The line should get thinner as it gets closer to your nose. 4. Draw a line straight out from the corner of your eye. 5. Connect the line to form a small triangle. Fill in the triangle and voila! A classic cat eye!



Scalloped cat eye

1.Once again, start with a fresh eye. Since this is a more detailed design, you definitely want a really light base to start with or else the design won't be as visible. 2. Draw a very thin line along the base of your eyelid. 3. Carefully draw in your scallops. I started in the middle and then drew in the rest on either side. 4. Fill in the scallops. 5. Extend your cat eye like in steps 4-5 of the classic cat eye.


Eyeliner tips

1. If you don't have a very steady hand, try eating something with protein beforehand. I always do this when I'm painting or drawing, too.. basically whenever I need to draw a really precise line. A peanut butter sandwich always does the trick for me! :) It seems silly but it really works!

2. A Q-tip and makeup remover (or Pond's cold cream) are my BFFs. I have a pretty steady hand, but even I mess up now and then. And I can't even count how many times I've sneezed while my eyeliner is still wet and the black just goes everywhere! But rather than removing all of your hard work, a Q-tip helps to just get the spots that you messed up without having to start from scratch.

3. Practice makes perfect. I've been wearing a classic cat-eye on a daily basis since high school, so it usually takes me about one minute flat to do both eyes now. When I first started I used to mess up constantly and my eyes would always come out uneven. Even if you think that there's no way you could EVER apply precise eyeliner, give it a try! After some practice you'd be surprised how easy it becomes :)

ode to eyeliner

Ever since my mom first gave me the OK to purchase makeup in the 8th grade, I've been obsessed with eyeliner. I don't wear foundation or powder or lipstick or gloss but you'll never catch me walking out of the house without eyeliner. In fact, you'll never catch me walking around my house without eyeliner. It's part of my daily routine -- brush hair, brush teeth, wash face, apply eyeliner.

I love it in all of its many forms. The thin outline, the thick cat-eye, the oft-derided raccoon-eye and the kohl-rimmed goth look. I love it in colors, black and brown. I love liquid liner, pencil liner and crayon liner. I love it, I love it, I love it.

My family has gotten used to this obsession. They make nothing of seeing me at breakfast with a little black line running along my top lid, then seeing me at dinner with a thick black outline circling my entire eyeball. When my cat jumps up on the countertop in my powder room for a drink of water, I just can't help myself.. while I'm waiting, I play around with eyeliner.

And I don't care if it looks "unnatural". In my opinion, that's not what makeup is for. Some people might use it to just add subtle accents to what's already there, but I look at my eyes as just another canvas to paint on. I've gotten so used to adding a thick black line to my upper lid that I don't feel like "me" unless it's there. I'm even thinking of getting it tattooed on permanently one of these days... but then that would take away the fun of painting myself every morning :)

I don't know about most girls, but the only reason I apply eyeliner is because I like the way it looks. I don't do it because society has taught me to wear makeup or because I want to snatch a man (there are better ways of doing that, I'm sure.) I do it because it makes me feel more confident, more snazzy, more unique and more like myself.

I think of eyeliner as clothes for the eyes. Would you walk out of the house without a shirt on? No? Well, I wouldn't walk out of the house without eyeliner.

Well, I wouldn't walk out of the house without a shirt either, but I think that was understood.