Review: Makeup: Guerlain Terracotta Loose Kohl

I’d been playing around with all sorts of eyeliner and eye lining lately. I previously offered some tips on how to apply gel eyeliner. However, lately, I’ve been toying with tightlining, or lining under the lashes instead of over. I’ll write more about this technique later.

I came across the Guerlain loose kohl and I was intrigued. Kohl has been used by the people in the Middle East for centuries, to line their eyes and to create the dark mysterious look of the East. Apparently, it is good for the eyes which is why they use it - other than the fact it emphasizes their large eyes of course.

Guerlain came up with loose kohl in a little tube that is supposed to have the same properties that traditional kohl has and which is supposed to do the same thing that kohl does for your eyes - line them.

There’s More! Continue reading →

Tip: How to use Gel Eyeliner

My favorite eyeliner is the Bobbi Brown Gel eyeliner. It is the best I’ve ever used and it lasts all day. I mentioned previously that I use a short angled brush as an eyeliner brush. This is a picture of the said brush.

I like using this brush because it has short but firm bristles and its angled which makes it easier for me to use. It is an unbranded brush I bought from a local beauty supplies shop for RM8 and has withstood many washings with no problems. So its true that cheap can sometimes be good!

Anyway, I put together a little picture tutorial on how I use the gel eyeliner. There’s More! Continue reading →

Tip: Using dark shadow as eyeliner

Ever since I started using Bobbi Brown’s long wearing gel eyeliner, I haven’t looked back. However, there are days when I prefer something less severe as gel eyeliners can take on a rather severe lined look. So, on those days, I use dark eyeshadow as eyeliner.

What you need is a dark eyeshadow in any brand. An example is Bobbi Brown’s Espresso eyeshadow which is a dark brown. Or you can use black for more contrast. Matt colours work better, but I sometimes use a shimmery colour for something different and unexpected.

Using powder eyeshadows as liner, you will find that the line drawn is less severe and the best part is that if you make a mistake, you can easily smudge it and blend it, and end up with a pretty little smokey eye look. So, this is a good way for anyone who is just learning to use eyeliner, to experiment, because if you plan to graduate to gel eyeliners, the concept is pretty much the same.

Bobbi Brown recommends using an eyeliner brush to apply the dark eyeshadow, rather like this one on the right. However, having experimented with it, I find that I don’t particularly like this shape of brush for lining the eyes.

I prefer something along the lines of this shape as seen in the MAC Cosmetics #266 Small Angle brush. I have something similar in a cheap little brand that I picked up from a beauty store and it works very well.

Applying the eyeshadow is easy. Just dip your brush into the eyeshadow powder, and apply it close to your lash line. If you prefer the colour a little more intense, lightly mist your brush with some water until it is slightly damp, then use it to pick up the colour. You’ll find that the colour applies darker and like an ink.

However, be warned that not all eyeshadows take kindly to being used wet. Some eyeshadows won’t work well after they are wet. However, Bobbi Brown’s eyeshadows are made to be used wet and dry so they are ok. MAC too can be used wet and dry, but make sure you only wet a little corner of it so as not to affect the texture of the rest of the shadow.

So, this is something you might like to experiment with. If you travel a lot, this is a good tip to learn because you end up carrying one item less. All you need is a brush which is small and light.

Happy experimenting!

Review: Makeup: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner

I was reading Tine’s poll on eyeliner when it struck me that I have not reviewed my favourite eyeliner - Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner. A quick check through the archives confirmed this. How could this have slipped through the cracks?

The Bobbi Brown long wear gel eyeliner comes in a little glass pot and you use an eyeliner brush to apply it. I use a cheap flat angled brush with short bristles that I got from a beauty store because I find that it applies easier. Other people like to use a fine eyeliner brush like the one from Bobbi Brown.

This is a gel eyeliner and has a creamy texture. It applies very easily and best of all, lasts without smudging. Granted, I do not have oily lids. A friend of mine has oily lids and she finds that even this longwear eyeliner fades throughout the day. However it is one of the better ones she’s tried.

How I apply it is to load up my brush by brushing it across the top of the gel a few times. Then, I just apply it on my lash line as close to my upper lashes as possible. I like to draw a relatively thick line so it shows up when I open my eyes. I like that it gives me a more wide-eyed look and actually helps make my eyes look bigger. The magic of makeup!

I presently have:

Sepia - a matt very dark brown. Its my everyday liner.

Bronze Shimmer - a shimmery bronze. I find this one a little on the lighter side and the metallics don’t really show up once applied on the lids.

Hunter - a matt dark green.

Cobalt - a matt dark blue

I found that Cobalt was drying up faster than the others, even though I keep it closed tight. I have been using the others for a while and they are still doing ok. I would recommend that you close the lid tight after every use and not leave it exposed to the air too much.

I am contemplating getting black or graphite next because I’d really want to get a black liner. The Kate gel eyeliner unfortunately doesn’t do as good a job. The Bobbi Brown long wear gel eyeliner retails at all Bobbi Brown counters for RM60 or RM65 if I recall correctly. As it lasts a long long time, I’d say its absolutely worth it.

Pros: Long wearing, a lot of product, many colour choices

Cons: Dries up if you aren’t careful

Rating: