Urban Decay Eye Pencil in 'Demolition'

Ooooosh - snazzy photographs I here you say? Well yes, you'd be right - they are somewhat more 'snazzy' than the norm for me, but if you're a fellow blogger you'll be aware of the tricky little challenge/balancing act that is photographing eye pencils. Flippin'eck, did I get in a kerfuffle with this one - pesky thing just couldn't wait to roll off somewhere every time I perched my finger on the shutter button. After a bit of patience and a few carefully placed flowers to jazz things up a little, I thought I'd just go ahead and use the best of a bad bunch - I couldn't go without sharing this one. I've been using it all month. Urban Decay's 'Demolition' Eye Pencil is one of the newer additions to my collection and I've used it non-stop since I bought it - black eyeliner has taken a back-seat in my makeup regime for the time being. Before I went on holiday, I'd really had enough of lining my eyes with standard black liner.  In the summer I often go without lining my eyes and opt for a more natural, fresh look to my peepers. If I do need a little definition I tend to lean towards brown shades instead of piling on layers of black.  After misplacing my ancient brown eye liner, I decided it was time to treat myself to one of Urban Decay's waterproof pencils. I've always loved their eyeshadows so I figured I'd also be a fan of their liners.  Luckily, I wasn't wrong.

I won't go into too much detail - it's just an eye pencil after all.  But what I really love about this one is it's staying power. Some eyeliners just run for their life on me - I do have sensitive eyes and a dose of hay fever on top of that means they often get watery, so something that stays put for me is essential.   Well, this beauty stays put.  I was really impressed on holiday - the humid, balmy nights often mean that any eyeliner I apply has a tendancy to evaporate into thin air, but this one stayed almost exactly how I'd applied it and didn't smudge or fade.  It's quite a soft pencil to apply - being in between a creamy and waxy formula and doesn't require a great deal of building up to achieve a rich, deep brown. The consistency means it's soft enough to be a doddle to apply, but not so much so that it just slips right off your face as soon as a bit of humidity or warmth hits it!

At £14.00 a pop, these eyeliners aren't cheap, but worth it due to the staying power and quality.  If you're after a brown eyeliner that applies well and stays put, it's worth having a look at Urban Decay's range as they have so many different variations of shades (I was torn between 3 different shades of brown when choosing at the counter - eek! Don't give an indecisive blogger a choice!) I will certainly look into grabbing more colours in the future. It does exactly what it says on the tin (or box...) and it's been my go-to eyeliner pencil in my make up bag since I bought it.

Have you tried Urban Decay's eyeliners?

Eyeco | Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner

Eyeco Skinny Mini Liquid Liner | Black | £10.00 (link)

You know how it is when you're walking through the airport shops before a flight - racks and racks of magazines stare back at you and somehow, you end up balancing a massive stack of them, wobbling towards the tills with your hands full of crap, boarding card in between teeth and a pack of Glacier Mints for good measure.  I often get sucked in by freebies, and this time was no exception - Marie Claire were giving away a free Eyeco eyeliner and I quite fancied something to try whilst I was away. You can take the beauty blogger out of the country, but you can't take the beauty blogger out of the girl... I certainly nabbed myself a copy and their Skinny Mini Liquid Liner became my little tester for the week.  Eyeco is a brand I've always wanted to try and I'd always heard good things about their mascaras and eyeliners. 

First off, before I even get to the product, I have to say I really like the packaging.  Yes, It's silly to take cosmetics at face value, but let's be honest - good packaging can make or break a product (and the Design student in me is fascinated by this kind of thing...)  The little box it comes in adds to it's appeal (none of that fiddly plastic over wrap that I always break my teeth on trying to rip!) and the silver pen feels sturdy and of good quality.  The product itself has a felt-tip nib, which is dome shaped with a thin tip.  This makes it really easy to create flicks and differ the weight of line you use on your eyes. It makes going from 'thin to thick' really easy and it helps create a seamless line from inner to outer corner.  I actually found it easier to draw a thin line on my eyes as opposed to on my hand, so it does depend on the angle you're used to drawing your flicks at I guess, but I found the application really swift and quick.  The nib isn't so long that it becomes flimsy, but it isn't so rigid that it's hard to manoeuvre - it's quite good balance between the two and I found applying it a doddle.

The finish is quite glossy - I'd liken it to Loreal's Super Liner Carbon Gloss (one of my favourites) - I seem to prefer a slightly glossier finish to my liquid liners as opposed to matte, so this gets a thumbs up from me.  It defines your eyes really easily and the deep black colour means you only need one coat for it to look noticeable.  Eyeco's Skinny Mini Liquid Liner is said to be long lasting, and I would agree with this.  It's not waterproof or anything, and after a fair few hours the gloss fades slightly but the line lasts all day without budging or flaking off.  Ever since Loreal's offering has been hard to come by (I've heard it's been discontinued?), I've found it difficult to find a liquid liner that gives a similar definition and finish, but Eyeco's version is so similar and actually easier to apply.  I really like the nib as you can create flicks or a thicker weight of line so much easier than with a longer tipped liner.

Overall, I really like the Skinny Mini Liquid Liner. Yes, it's easy to say that about a freebie in a magazine so the question is - would I purchase it again? And I honestly would.  I've been reaching for it so much just recently and I used it for my entire holiday. I'd love to try the different colours they offer (I'm intrigued by the brown and purple version!) and when this runs out I reckon I'll be ordering my next one.  I adore the glossy finish and instant opaque colour it gives - and the nib means that you can go as natural or as dramatic as you want just by varying your pressure.  You can purchase Eyeco's Liners on  Eyeco's website, ASOS or Beauty Bay for £10 - which isn't cheap for a liquid liner but it's certainly not completely off the mark.  If it lasts as long as my trusty Loreal - then I'd be happy to part with the pennies for it. I'm tempted to grab the brown version next... Dare I say it, but I think I've found my new favourite!

Have you tried anything by Eyeco? Would you be interested in trying their liners?

*Edit: Since writing this post, I was sad to discover the Eyeko eyeliner dried up very quickly on me and didn't last as long as I expected it to. I could have just picked up a dodgy one but be aware that although the application and pigmentation is unfaultable, the longevity of the product isn't the best.

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