So I have a lot of black eyeliner, more than in the above photo, more than any normal human can go through and honestly more than I’d like to ever admit! But I’m going to just talk about retractable liners in this post *shifty eyes*.
Retractable eyeliners are kinda like lipsticks, twisting the barrel produces more product and typically the liner is of a crayon like texture. They are great for smokey eye looks since you can smudge them out, but they aren’t so great for precise lines (I’d go gel or liquid liners). These eyeliners only tend to start smudging for me after 3-4 hrs, but not enough to be overly noticeable. I love them for lining my waterline though because they are so easy to use! Very beginner friendly.
In the photo above from top to bottom we have:
- MAC Technakohl Liner – Graphblack
- Australis Stayput Eyeliner – Midnight
- Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner – Black
And here are the swatches:
The products almost exactly the same, last about the same amount of time but there are a few subtle differences.
For example, Australis tends to fade a bit faster over the course of the day and MAC is just a tiny bit more pigmented. But the biggest difference is probably the price point. MAC being the most expensive at $35AU for 0.35grams to the cheapest which is Australis at $10.45AU for 0.28grams. I’m not sure on the price for Revlon (as I received this as a free gift from a David Jones promotion, which is still running atm!), but I’d guess it’s around the $20AU mark for 0.28grams.
Final thoughts~ Price doesn’t always mean the best, not that you guys didn’t already know that! I’m a makeup addict so investing (yes investing! It’s what I have to tell myself to make me feel less guilty) in MAC is fine with me, but for others, especially for people or cosplayers who only wear makeup very occasionally, I’d go Revlon.
It’s priced in the middle, and honestly I can’t really tell the difference between the Revlon and MAC swatches :).
I hardly ever use these retractable eye liners because they smudge so so so easy on me :/ I don’t know. It might be just the brand I was using xD But I prefer liquid eye liner any day; it doesn’t smudge easy and has a more solid colour 😀 !
I think I have an Australis pencil. I like it ..although it smudges too 🙁
I personally use gel liners, I find them a bit easier to work with and they don’t smudge as badly as a retractable eye liners! Which yes, can smudge so bad 🙁 If I’m trying to set them, I might try and use a bit of powder, but generally I use them if I want that smudged out / smokey look 🙂
I love liquid liners for photoshoots, the colour intensity is awesome!