Beauty and the Newb: e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Coffee

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Coffee

$1 for approx 0.04 oz

With how much I adored my Black liquid liner from the brand, I thought it best to add the neutral Coffee alternative to my makeup arsenal. Now, the main difference between the two products is that Coffee is in pen form and Black was in bottle form, but what a huge difference it makes!

without liner, wearing e.l.f. Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter

e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Coffee

While Coffee may be waterproof and in a slightly more convenient packaging, the application is about 4 times more difficult, and I can really on speculate as to why. The pen-tip is the same as the small felt wand in the bottle version of this liner, but I find that the pen-tip cannot stay saturated with product for the full line along the upper lash. Inevitably I have to go in to do touch-ups but the line never turns out entirely straight and needs shadow over top to blend out the edges (since the waterproof formula sets/dries so fast). For $1, I live with it and use it to boost pigment beneath darker shadows and lighter liners, but the whole thing is still a bit difficult.

e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Coffee (imprecise)

The top is also hard to remove sometimes and I feel like I am going to stab myself by accident whilst trying to get the darn thing off, so all in all the packaging is totally amiss. However, the results of the product are actually waterproof, do not smudge or fade, and last all day until I use remover. Beyond these things, it is up to the individual to decide whether dealing with the packaging and application process is worth the money (again, $1 USD, so probably not an issue) and the time (where I normally take less than 30 seconds, I take 1-2 minutes to do this liner). To be clear, I don't have any regrets about picking up and buying this product, but I don't think I will get this one again because I prefer the bottle and don't necessarily need the waterproof formula on a regular basis.