Sephora Nano Lip and Eye Liners

$5.00 USD each

Lip liners are that delicate cosmetic that must lay somewhere in the middle of creamy color and dry for duration of wear; luckily, Sephora has found a particularly good median of a formula for just such a product. I've not been much of a lip liner girl (more for the eye liner seeing as I prefer such a nude lip), but one trip to my storefront mecca a while back made me step outside my comfort zone and take notice of these very affordable options. I'm starting to believe in conversion.

Both Sephora Nano Lip Liners I currently own a creamy enough to wear alone with a bit of balm under or over it, but not quite dry enough to last over 4-5 hours. I know most will take long-lasting results over fading-but-hydrating color; I just don't seem to be one of those people, so Nano Liners are a great option (and again, affordable).

Sephora Nano Eyeliner in Gri Gri, Nano Lip Liner in Cherry Chestnut and Cute Caramel in daylight

Sephora Nano Eyeliner in Gri Gri, Nano Lip Liner in Cherry Chestnut and Cute Caramel with flash

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.

A Double Whammy From Britain--Rimmel Max Volume Flash and Soft Kohl

$7.49 for 0.29 oz mascara and 0.04 oz pencil

Since I've finished school and been on the hunt for a job, I've definitely been pinching my product purchasing pennies, so when I found a 'free gift' package on the Rimmel display, I grabbed it fast! I don't know that I needed or even wanted the two products included (well, I was looking for a new mascara), but man, am I glad I stopped to try them out.

Rimmel The MAX Volume Flash Waterproof Mascara had me a little worried upon first try; my lashes looked like absolutely nothing had been done to them which is not a good sign :-/ Then I took a moment to swish the wand around quite a bit around the sides of the tube, and presto! Beautiful volume!!! I'm excited by this mascara because it isn't overdone, i.e. it gives volume but not "I'm wearing fake lashes" volume. That always makes me feel like I'm trying too hard...or at least that I look like I'm trying too hard. Also, even though it is waterproof, it is not that hard to remove and doesn't seem to be as harsh on my lashes or in smell (because sometimes the smell will sting my eyes upon application).

Wearing Rimmel Soft Kohl Jet Black and Volume Flash The Max Waterproof on eyes, and Burberry Lip Glow in Nude Beige on lips

Aveda Petal Essence Eye Definer in 910 Sepia

Part Five for Build*A*Look #1: Backlit Beauty

$14.00 for 0.04 oz

Sepia is a medium grey-brown eyeliner that gives just a hint of thicker lashes to the upper lash line and slight definition to the lower lashes. This is a color particularly suited for light to fair skin tones as anyone with medium or darker skin will find it just doesn't show up at all. The formula, however, is worth a look.

Aveda Petal Essence Eye Definer in 910 Sepia

Aveda is a plant-based brand that is going to be in general more natural than most things you'll find on the market today. It's not organic, but I put it in that category because the idea behind the brand is to make products as naturally as possible but still have them be effective. I'm in love with the concept which is why I share that information when I can. That feels as though the whole industry should be just like that, but it's really not. Anyway, the liner is not as creamy as say the Pixi Endless liners I have (and used today), but the color payoff is nice and the application smooth. It's definitely a pencil and not a pencil posing as a liquid liner-type either. Just a pencil, done well with better-for-the-planet ingredients.

That just makes me happy.

e.l.f. Eye Encyclopedia - Everyday Eye Edition

Everyday, that's how often you should be able to wear these colors if the name is legit. And it is. You've got your smokey eye colors, your bronzed colors, your khaki casuals, you natural neutrals, everyday eyes is the correct label for these! I can image many of these colors have hundreds of dupes or substitutes, but it is nice to have them all right here in one cheap package. (As an aside, can someone comment on this one just so I know these reviews are going ok? If you're not getting the info you need about something, let me know immediately. I will work hard to answer questions thoroughly.)

e.l.f. Everyday Eye Edition Eye Encyclopedia

I don't think you could carry this around with you for touch ups. The cover has warped a bit on mine, so the magnetic close isn't as sealed as tightly. To ensure as little transfer as possible, there is a plastic sheet that covers the shadows, and there is a tutorial printed on the back of the cover. While the powders do sorta "shed," I don't notice cross-contamination between shades. These can be mixed and matched in tons different ways, but it's most likely that the looks were intended across rows. In the first column you've got highlighters, for sure, and lots of these could just be washes over the lid, several also crease colors. There is just a great variety in this palette.

e.l.f. Eye Brightening Liner Pencil and Eye Widener

e.l.f. Brightening Eyeliner ($1 for 0.04 oz approx.)

To be honest, I wear at least one e.l.f. product everyday (color product, not just primer or powder), but actively trying to use as many of the brands products as possible together, and do that multiple different times, is really hard. Today, my look was outright too much for me; I did not wear it out, and no human saw me in that makeup face-to-face. That's not to say I would never wear the eyeshadow out, or the lips (which felt awesome and lasted about five hours), just not all at once. At least you got to see the products in action, right? Did you like the look?

Brightening Eyeliner from top to bottom: Plum, Coffee, Black, Pearl White

e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner in Black - Basic Basic Necessities

e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner in Black ($1)

When I think of liquid liner, I usually think of cat-eye makeup and how it takes a special kind of person to pull that off, a type of person who is very unlike me. But one day when wondering around the Target Cosmetics section, there was a wall of e.l.f. products and this little baby was right there on the top shelf. I thought for a brief moment, said "what the hell," and soon he was home with me.

"I can't do a cat-eye," I thought, "my boyfriend will revoke my makeup privileges because I look ridiculous, and that will be the end of something that makes me happy." So I tried to just do what I would do with any other pencil or cream liner, I accented my eye. Low and behold, this may not seem like rocket science, but liquid eyeliner looks great as a normal liner! The line was bold, crystal clear (as in pitch black) and gave quite a bit of depth beneath my mascara. Done and done, I'm not going to pigeon hole liquids again.

e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner in Black

e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliners-Used Everyday By Yours Truly!

Left row, top to bottom: Purple, Midnight, Gunmetal; Right row, top to bottom: Metallic Olive, Coffee, Copper

This formula beats out any other I've come across, if for no other reason than it doesn't irritate my eyes. I've found creamier ones that smudge more easily, but they also didn't last as long. I've found ones that are more shimmery/metallic, but the shimmer migrated and the color was not as bold. And I've found ones that have a wider range of colors, but my eyes started watering the second the brush got near my lashes.

I apply these using either the Small Angled Brush or Small Precision Brush from yesterday's reviews. I suggest working the product with the brush for a few seconds before applying, but once these set, they are on for at least 10 hours. I cannot remember any waterline migration from these though I don't usually heavily line that area.

Pick Up Pixi's Endless Silky Eye Pen When You Want A Bold Eye

No. 1 Black Noir (top) and No. 5 Deep Plum (bottom)

The first time I ever used one of these eyeliners, I nearly started to cry. Not out of joy, mind you, because it was a disaster, but now, I say these are exactly what I want in a liner.

That first sweep, I pressed too hard and there was an ENORMOUS black line all around my eye. I tried to blend it out--didn't work--I tried to wash it off--didn't work--I used a makeup remover--barely dented it--IT JUST WOULDN'T COME OFF! Be aware, beauty lovers, to use a light hand with these and really build the line you want to have on your face for 10+ hours because it ain't gonna budge.