I apologize for being quiet for so long. That seems to be going around lately. My excuse is that I've been really busy with subbing and other obligations. Summer break is almost here though, so I should be able to start posting more regularly in the near future.
I've been meaning to review the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliners (that's certainly a mouthful) for a long time, and I'm finally getting around to it.
I have two sets of these: the Nude Eyes set and the Brown Eyes set.
Let's take a look:
Each set comes with three retractable liners, and they retail for around $12. In the picture above, the Nude Eyes set is the top three liners, and the bottom three are the Brown Eyes set. As you can see, the case is the same color as the product inside, and each set has a different colored band just below the cap. This will become more important later.
Since I've had these for a while, I didn't have a brand new tip to show you, but this one is pretty close. I've only swatched the purple color a couple of times. There's nothing really exciting here. It looks like an average retractable eyeliner. The diameter of the product seems standard, not super skinny and not overly chubby.
A nice feature that PF includes with their retractable pencils is a small sharpener at the bottom of each one. I personally don't feel the need to use it, but if someone were to want a finer tip on this liner, they could do it easily.
On to the swatches:
This is the Nude Eyes set. From left to right are Champagne, Pewter, and Black. I LOVE Pewter. To me, it is a dull, neutral gray color that goes with everything. If I'm stuck deciding which color liner to grab, I'll grab for this one. Champagne is a really pretty color, but I find it too light for the upper lashline. I really enjoy using it on the lower lashline though when I use Pewter on the upper. It adds a bit of definition without being harsh. I don't wear the black one very often, but that's just because I don't wear black eyeliner very much. It isn't super dark like Urban Decay's Perversion, but it is still a decent black. As you can see in the swatches, all three have fine, multicolored shimmer. It is fine enough that the shimmer doesn't really stand out when applied, which is nice. I don't particularly care for glittery eyeliners.
This is the set for brown eyes. As you can see, it includes a purple, a brown, and a black with purple shimmer. I don't use this set nearly as often as I use the other one. The brown is nice, but I have a lot of brown liners, so this one gets lost in the shuffle. The black with the purple shimmer is cool looking, but, again, I just don't wear black liner very often. As for the purple, it is just too bright for a normal day. I have this issue with most of the PF liner sets made for specific eye colors. Anything that isn't a neutral is really bright. I would love to see a much deeper purples, blues, and greens that are easier to wear.
In terms of formula, I find the PF liners to be a happy medium between super creamy and dry. I don't have to push down really hard to get them to show up, but I do use a couple of passes to get it thicker and darker on the outer edge of my lashline. I'm personally okay with having to take a little more time with it because it is easier for me to control how much product gets applied.
As for lasting power, these last all day for me, barring at the very outer corner of my eye, which tends to be gone by the end of the day. Nearly every liner I use is this way, and it doesn't look bad when it has faded off. I don't think anyone else would actually notice unless they got up really close to me to actually LOOK for that small gap at the corner of my eye.
The Bottom Line
Would I recommend these liners? Definitely. The Nude Eyes set is great for neutral lovers, and the other sets give a bit more variety for those who want a pop of color.
Have you tried these liners? What did you think of them? What features/qualities do you look for in an eyeliner?
I haven't tried these liners, but I really want to try the Kohl Kajal liners from PF, I've heard good things about them. In an eyeliner I usually look for one of two things: a formula creamy enough to use on the waterline with good lasting power, and/or something that will last a good six hours on the upper/lower lashlines whether I blend it or not. And if I can find something that falls into both of those categories, I'm a happy panda ^^ Have you tried the Nude Shimmer Strip e/s?
ReplyDeleteI haven't read good things about their kajal liners, so I'm glad to hear that someone likes them.
ReplyDeleteI rarely use liners in the waterline, so I didn't think to test these liners there. I'm guessing they wouldn't be creamy enough to apply there easily.
I haven't tried the Nude Shimmer Strips eye shadows. I didn't see very many positive reviews on it, and I have a ton of neutrals already, so I didn't think it was worth trying out.