Eye Liner | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner and Swatches

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes are, in my opinion, the absolute best eyeliners out there. As you can see from the swatches, Aqua Eyes are seriously waterproof, sometimes wonderfully luminous, other times perfectly matte, highly pigmented, and they come in 25 shades. They are soft and apply wonderfully. There is no tugging or pulling involved with Makeup Forever eyeliners. As a result, they tend to be highly rated. Although waterproof and smudge proof, if you smudge the eyeliners right away, you can blend them. But they do set quickly.

I played with a bunch of Makeup Forever eyeliners at Sephora and took these Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes swatches, which represent 16 of the shades:

Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Swatches from left to right: Iridescent Navy Blue 3L, Champagne 23L, Gold 9L, Turquoise 7L, Pistachio 17L, Light Brown 19L, Bronze 10L, Pearly Brown 2L, Shimmering Plum 4L, Bronze Green 5L, Black Purple 6L (I think, not guaranteed on that one), Purple 11L, Blue with green Highlights 12L, Light Taupe 24L, Burgundy 18L, and Silver 8L.

I hadn’t played with Makeup Forever much before that Sephora field trip and I ended up rather impressed, not just with Aqua Eyes, but also with some of Makeup Forever’s other cosmetics. I purchased a powder foundation that I love and will review soon. I also tried some of the lip products and was left wishing that my budget could accommodate a bit more shopping.

Much to my amusement, when I later tried to wash the swatches off in a restroom, they proved just how waterproof Aqua Eyes are. The makeup swatches wouldn’t budge! I didn’t want to trudge back to Sephora for makeup remover, so I just went home with lovelyeyeliner swatches on my arm for the world to see. Once home, I removed the swatches with Exuviance Gentle Creme Eye Makeup Remover, which took them off in seconds, so there is another shout out for that very nice eye makeup remover! You can read my previous review here: Bioelements Gentle Creme Eye Makeup Remover. Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Collector Set

If you are looking for a serious splurge, Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes are available in a set: MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes Collector Set, which at $249 is actually a darn good deal considering if sold separately the eyeliners would be worth $425. But you can by them individually for $17 each: MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes.

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MAC Trend F/W 09

The MAC Trend Collection puts together a nice look using smoky blue and grays, coupled with dark lip shades.

The collection also has a particularly nice blue/gray MAC Trend Eye Shadow Palette . Below is the palette and swatches of the shades.

Looking for a good liner to pair it up with? Check out this Greasepaint Stick in Bright Blue Violet from the MAC DSquared 2 collection. This grease pencil is rather amazing. It can do a thick or thin line with bold, luminous color, and you could pretty much go swimming with it on and have it last perfectly (it doesn’t come off easily—so use eye makeup remover). It also has a sharpener hidden in the end.

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Elizabeth Arden Limited Edition For Fall

Elizabeth Arden has a nice selection of limited edition duo eye shadows for fall, along with a nice gel eyeliner, eye primer, and other items.

I tried out one of the duos in Illusion (center left above) and loved it. Elizabeth Arden shadows are always quality. They are finely milled and have a particularly good color payoff. Arden’s packaging is also always nice, with heavier attractive cases and many choices in palettes. The duo I tried is perfect for a light smoky effect. Pictured below are swatches from the duo:

I also was impressed with the gel liner,which comes packaged with a brush. The brush is useable, but I preferred to use my favorite, a Smashbox Arced Liner Brush. The gel goes on smooth and is easy to work with to create either a sharp or smudged line. There is an eye primer too that I have not tested yet. So keep an eye out for a later review of that!

Elizabeth Arden is available at better department stores, specialized beauty stores such as ULTA Beauty , and various online sources.

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New Shiseido The Makeup Accentuating Cream Eyeliner

Shiseido’s 2007 fall makeup collection has a nice selection of items. I tried two new items from the collection and was left highly impressed.

The Shiseido Accentuating Cream Eyeliner is wonderful stuff. I tried the brown shade, which is a nice rich chocolate brown. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the eyeliner comes with a perfectly usable brush that utilizes the cap to give the brush length. The eyeliner itself is smooth and creamy. It goes on with no tugging or clumping, and provides a nice smooth line. It can also be smudged for a smoky effect. I love most cream and gel liners, but I think this is about the best that I have used yet.

At $25, it is a bit pricey, but not overly high, and this is an item that will last for some time. I find it well worth the cost. Shiseido is available at fine department stores and specialty stores.

For a look at Shiseido lip gloss, head on over to my post at GirlGloss!

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Fresh Satin Liner Eye Palette

The Fresh Satin Liner Eye Palette is a pretty little palette of liners. Fresh always makes top notch items, and this one is no different. The cream liners have light reflecting pigments and add a nice shimmer. It also goes on nice and smooth.

I particularly like the soft colors. At $45, it is pricey for a set of liners, but oh so luxurious!

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Revlon Luxurious Color Eyeliner

After trying out blue mascara and liking it, I had a brief obsession with finding a good navy eyeliner. I thought it would be simple to run out and pick one up at any nearby store. Boy was I wrong! When I looked for one at Kohls from their Flirt line, they were sold out. Then I went to Walgreens, and couldn’t find one there either. The various lines either didn’t have a dark blue or were out of it! I saw lots of very light blue, but I didn’t want that.

Finally, I found two different shades that I liked at CVS. In the process, I discovered an all around great eyeliner regardless of the shade! Revlon Luxurious Color Eyeliner applies effortlessly. There is no tugging, and while it blends and smudges very well, it didn’t do so until I tried to smudge it. This makes it ideal for getting either a sharp look or a smudged one. The pencil has a smudge tip on one end that works quite well. It is very well pigmented and it stayed on all day for me with no fading. I love it!

I purchased mine in both blackened sapphire and brushed pewter. The sapphire is a dark blue, while the pewter is more of grey with a blue/silver tone to it. It costs a bit more than some other drugstore brands, but I think it is well worth it.

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Smashbox Cream Eye Liner

I have a new favorite eye liner and I just can’t quit raving about it! Smashbox Cream Eye Liner goes on easily, doesn’t smear, and stays in place all day. I have it in both black and putty, which is a nice medium brown shade.

I really love the flexibility of this liner. Put it on without blending and it generally will have an appearance that is closer to that of a liquid liner. But it still is a bit softer than the look of a liquid. Blend it a bit, and it will look like a pencil or pressed powder, but it will stay on longer. It can be smudged and blended quite well.

Unlike liquid liner, which can be easy to lose control with, the cream is more forgiving when applying it. I generally use a Smashbox angled liner brush to apply this eye liner, but other liner brushes will also work fine. Apply basically in the same manner that you would apply a pressed powder liner. It is a bit expensive, but I think it is well worth the expense.