Starting off: Eyeliner

Another week, another #theSOproject post! it's getting near to the end now and I can't believe it! It only feels like yesterday that we were starting the project and now there is only a couple of weeks left! Along with mascara, eyeliner is one of my favourite products to wear, I just love having really bold, defined eyes and a flick of eyeliner can work wonders on your whole look. My everyday look is basically all about the eyes; I love wearing jet black eyeliner over my eyelid and having long fluttery eyelashes on top. Considering eye make up is what I really focus on, I don't really wear eyeshadow, I'll probably have a neutral base of eyeshadow before applying eyeliner, but that's about it really.

Eyeliner is probably one of the hardest make up products to use, you need nerves of steel to stop your hands shaking and your oh-so-even line going to pot and smudging. It also takes a lot of practise to make sure your eyes look even and eyeliner on one eye doesn't look thicker/thinner than the other. But we have all been there, and in time you will get the hang of it.

I'm going to share with you my eyeliner collection, the different types of eyeliner that I own and the best way to apply each type. As I've said before, I am no expert so don't take my word as gospel, each person develops their own way that they think is best. There are so many different ways to wear eyeliner and it will take me forever to go into detail! whether you like bold and dramatic or minimal, the fun is experimenting with all these different looks yourself, and once you can apply basic eyeliner it's easy to build it up then into something more complex.

Gel Eyeliner- Laura Gellar Inkwell Waterproof Gel Liner

Gel eyeliner is probably the type that I have had the least experience with using, In fact I never would have thought of using it until I received this eyeliner in my one of my Birchboxes a couple of months ago! Gel eyeliner has the precision of a liquid liner but with a smoother and silky finish, gel liners also tend to be a bit tougher and longer lasting without smudging or fading. With some eyeliners you have to build it up to get a consistent and bold colouring; but gel liners are highly pigmented and one layer should create an even line without the need for further applications.

When I first received this eyeliner in my Birchbox, I must admit I was a bit put off by the colour! Don't get me wrong, I love using bold colours but I very rarely use an eyeliner that isn't black; I guess it's my comfort zone! Though I have recently fished it out of my make up box to test it out, as I have blue eyes the purple should really enhance the colour. This gel eyeliner comes in a small pot with a small brush to apply it with; obviously the brushes that come with make up aren't the greatest, so if you have your own I would suggest using them instead! Gel eyeliner is suited to use on your upper eyelid, as it's quite thick I wouldn't suggest using it on your waterline. Just dip the brush into the pot and use small strokes to apply to your eyelid in the style you prefer and top up as required.

This eyeliner has a lovely vibrant shimmery finish, perfect if you want to make your eyes the statement piece of your make up. It is very easy to manipulate and blend with a brush, the result is very even, precise and the pigmentation is fantastic, I'm considering buying this eyeliner in black to use during the day the general product itself is that good. This eyeliner is also waterproof so it will require hardly any touch ups throughout the day, though it does take a bit of rubbing to remove it completely, so make sure you have a good eye make up remover if you want to use it!

Waterproof Eyeliner - Max Factor Colour X-pert Waterproof Eyeliner

I am that addicted to eyeliner that I will not go outside without it, even on holiday! I can't bare to be by the pool without any make up and looking all sweaty and gross, it's definitely not a good look. So before my summer holiday I decided to buy this Max Factor waterproof liner in the hope of having eye makeup with lasting power by the pool and beach. This eyeliner comes with a thin spongy applicator so it's easy to use and to draw a precise line. Again as it is a liquid I would suggest using on your upper eyelid or under your lash line on your lower eyelid, DO NOT use on your waterline - especially with this eyeliner, if it runs into your eyes it stings like hell, so you'll only make your eyes red and watery and end up having to do your eye make up all over again. Just don't do it guys, you'll thank me later.

you have to act quick with this eyeliner as once it dries it will not budge easily, though obviously that's what you want out of a waterproof eyeliner! It literally lasts all day of constantly being in and out of the pool and sea, as well as baking in the sun, so if you really want a hard wearing eyeliner, this waterproof liner is the one for you. It has quite a shiny, vinyly finish, if you do rub at it it does sort of crumble and peels off, so you are best to just leave it alone throughout the day or you could end up ruining the finish. But to take on a summer holiday to use by the pool, it is an ideal product to wear.

Marker Pen Eyeliner - L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Blackbuster

As soon as I saw this advertised on the television, I knew I wanted to try the Blackbuster eyeliner as it promised bold graphic eyes which is my staple make up look. I have used lip pens before but never an eyeliner pen, but I think pens are actually amazingly easy and quick to use so what could go wrong? Simply just draw on the style of eyeliner that you want to use and you are good to go!

As you can see, it's basically a make up version of a felt tip pen; its' chunky design makes it ideal to use for feline flicks, if bold eyeliner isn't your thing then this probably isn't for you as you'll struggle to draw really thin lines with it like an eye pencil. It's extremely easy to master compared to gel and liquid eyeliners where the results can be a bit temperamental if your hand starts to shake! 

I must admit that after a few weeks this pen starts to become dry and loses its' pigmentation, I had to keep running the pen nib under the tap to get the pen colour flowing again! It also starts to lose it's coverage and as you can see the swatches from my pen the colour is no longer consistent and you may have to keep going over where you have drawn to build up the colour. Just like your felt tip pens at school, it will eventually just dry up like it has done, which is a real shame because at first I really liked this product! It does last a good 6-8 weeks before this happens so you do get a good time frame, but once it starts drying up it's just not black enough for me personally. This is a disadvantage compared to liquid/gel eyeliners which you can just dip the brush back in the tube for more product.

Liquid Eyeliner - L'Oreal Super Liner Black Lacquer

When my Blackbuster pen started to fail on me I wasn't done with this particular range yet! L'Oreal had brought out a wide range of Super Liners so I decided to pick up the liquid eyeliner in black lacquer. Out of all the types of eyeliners, I use Liquid eyeliners the most so I was very much going back to my comfort zone with this product! With this product out of the L'Oreal range being a liquid liner I was hoping for a greater pigmentation when compared to the felt pen, the black lacquer colour sounded really promising for a bolder finish!

The tip is very long and thin, so it is perfect for getting precise and even lines even when going for bolder cats eye flicks. The tip is made from sponge and I must say I did struggle with mastering the brush on this liner! This liner has a very long tip and as it's made from very flexible sponge it does tend to bend if you apply too much pressure, so you could end up with liner halfway up your eyelid and completely mess up your make up! When I first used it I did think that this was another waste because of this reason, but it does take a bit of practise to get used to but once you get there you can create some really great looks - so don't give up! If you are new to liquid liner I would suggest using a product with a firmer applicator to get used to applying it first before using this particular liner! 

Compared to the Blackbuster liner, you can see that this liner is very bold and pigmented, there's no need to apply extra coats as one stroke provides a perfect line of colour. This liner also dries very quickly so you don't have to worry about it smudging straight after you have applied it. Though I have found that if you try to draw a bit over where you have already applied the product it tends to remove the product, so if you have any gaps to fill, wait a minute or so to let the liner dry before applying another layer. This liner provides the very bold and black look that I want; it applies evenly and precisely and once you get the hang of applying it, the liner itself is actually one of the best liquid liners I've come across. 

Pencil Eyeliner- Clinique Cream Shaper For Eyes

Last but not least it the traditional pencil liner, easily blendable and ideal if you want to create a smokey look rather than defined, you can also get Kohl liners for extra pigment and definition. Depending on the type of pencil, some can be quite hard and scratchy and some are creamy and smooth or a bit in between! Usually you find cheaper eyeliners are quite hard and is almost like trying to use a regular colouring pencil on your eye, so it's always worth getting a good quality eyeliner that's smooth to apply and won't irritate your eyes. With eye pencils you can apply it either to the rim of your eyes and around the lash lines, if you do apply darker colours to the rim of your eyes though you will find it makes your eyes appear narrower, so if I'm applying any liner to the bottom lash line I always apply it underneath my lashes. I got this Clinique eyeliner in a gift set last Christmas, I'd never had a creamy eyeliner before as I prefer bold and defined, but I was intrigued to try it out for something a bit different to my usual look. 

When I first started to use make up, eye pencils were the first type of liner I used for a number of years, mainly because I found them easier to control and apply! This particular eyeliner has a very creamy consistency which means it glides over your eyes easily and won't drag or pull at your skin like dryer eyeliners can. Because this liner is so creamy, you will need to sharpen it quite frequently so you are able to draw neater lines as it will become blunt very easily!

This liner has a dark grey colour with a shimmery finish, so it is ideal if you want to add more subtle colour to your make up look rather than bold black. This liner is really soft and has a really smooth finish so if your eyes get irritated really quickly i'd suggest looking into cream based eyeliners. It's not my normal look, but if I'm going for a softer sultry look, this would be the eyeliner I'd choose to use as it's so blendable and won't leave any harsh lines. A downside to it being creamy based is also the fact that it can smudge quite easily and may need reapplying more often throughout the day when compared to liquid eyeliners. 

What are your experiences with different types of eyeliners? Which type do you think comes out on top? 

Amie xx

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Labels: Clinique , eye make up , eye pencil , eyeliner , gel liner , L'Oreal , laura gellar , liquid liner , make up. beauty , max factor , theSOproject