Clarins 3-Dot Liner vs. E.L.F. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

Aloha!

Apologies for this unannounced hiatus from the blog scene- the past month has been full of birthdays, family vacations (my family going on vacations, not me sadly) and loads of business. I am preparing a few entires for release in the next few weeks so stay posted!

Today we're going to be looking at (one of) my favourite liquid liners and its budget-friendly sister. Clarins 3-Dot Liner and E.L.F. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen are the cosmetic's world answer to the trouble of tightlining - the process of lining only the eyelash line to create the appearance of thicker lashes. The purpose of the triple tip is to apply pigment in between the lashes on the lash line, as opposed to dragging your super sharp pencil as close to the lash's edge as possible.

The Clarins 3-Dot Liner is a limited edition eyeliner that was recently released with its Fall 2012 collection, that retails at $27 CAD (I purchased this at The Bay). The ELF Waterproof Eyeliner Pen is a recent addition to their Essentials collection, and retails at $3 CAD/USD, available on eyeslipsface.com.

The Clarins tip is longer with the tips more spaced apart compared to its ELF sister. Clarins' tip is also much more flexible, which makes gliding it along the lash line a more comfortable experience (I.E.: When you would use it as a liquid liner to create a bolder solid line). Being further spaced apart, I find the Clarins liner easier to use; I'm not petrified of poking my eyes out or accidentally punching myself in the face trying to apply eyeliner. The flexible tip also makes applying a solid liquid liner line on the bottom lashes very easy, it's actually a bit painful using the firmer tip of the E.L.F. liner. On MUA, a lot of reviewers agree that using the E.L.F. pen to create a solid liquid line is really uncomfortable.

Here the two pens are going head-to-head in the pigmentation and lining division. The Clarins liner is much more pigmented than the ELF counterpart, and creates cleaner, more uniform dots. The solid line is much more smooth and even in colour. I actually had to drag the ELF liner across the skin of my hand. One thing I've also noticed (that you can't really tell in this picture) is that the ELF formula is a bit runny and has the tendency to bleed on the skin and get really messy if you aren't careful. The Clarins formula seems thicker, almost like a gel-like consistency. I wouldn't say that the ELF formula is water proof, but it is certainly water resistant, as is the Clarins formula.

Looking at Before (sans eyeliner) and After photos, you can see the effect of tightlining on the eye- it does make the lash line appear thicker.  Comparing ELF and Clarins liners, there is very little difference between either eye (my apologies for the blurry after photo, I'm still trying to figure out how to use this new camera I got for my birthday!)

 The triple tip really gets into the skin between each lash, which is totally awesome.

Here's the finished product- ELF on the left (your left) and Clarins on the right, along with 1 coat of Lancome lash primer and Elizabeth Arden's Ceramide mascara.

The verdict: The Clarins liner is a superior product in its packaging, tip form, pigmentation and formula. When we look at the end result however, there really is very little difference in the finished product- both make tightlining a breeze and achieve the look of a fuller lash line. The Clarins eyeliner does carry a hefty price tag- you could actually purchase 9 E.L.F. eyeliner pens for the same price! Considering that eye cosmetics should be tossed after 3-6 months, the E.L.F. eyeliner is certainly a much better value, and when applied carefully, achieves the exact same look at its Clarins counterpart. If you really can't stand the firmer tip of the E.L.F. pen and have the extra dough to spend, then treat yourself to the Clarins pen, it is certainly a very luxurious eyeliner!

TooFaced released a 3-Way Liner similar to these that I've yet to try, I haven't seen it in any Sephoras in Canada. Once this Clarins liner runs out, perhaps I'll make a trip to the States and pick one up :)

That's all from me folks! Keep checking back for more updates and reviews!

What's your favourite way to tightline your lashes, with a pencil or with a liquid liner? Have you used a triple-tipped eyeliner before? I'd love to hear from you! Don't forget to subscribe and comment below!

xox,
ysobel

Rimmel London's Sexy Curves Full Volume and Curve mascara

Hi everyone!

So today's post is dedicated to a mascara that I bought a few years ago that I left in my make up case as "stock", and only opened a few weeks ago because I was running low on mascara and couldn't find my trial sizes.

Sexy Curves Mascara.

This is Rimmel London's Sexy Curves Mascara, a mascara that promises full volume and curve. I think I purchased it at Shopper's when they had this sale where a bunch of Rimmel products (including this one) were $4.99. Otherwise I believe it retails at about $6-8 CAD for 8mL of mascara. It comes in a slim purple tube that does stand upright (though I'm not sure if that's an advantage or not). I purchased this in 001 BLACK.

The Mascara wand, brush head compared to the size of an American Penny for size. I live in Canada (where we don't use pennies anymore), and the only coin I had close by was this old American one. The Bad boy's pretty chewed up... looks like it's been run over two or three...hundred times.

Triple Plump brush Close-Up. I think my picture above was better than this. My bad.

The reverse side of the packaging mentions Rimmel's New Triple Plump brush used "for fuller curvier lashes". So... here's the Triple Plump brush. It's almost like three balls of silicone spikes stuck together and elongated a little.It's about an inch long, and it's actually pretty flexible, making removing excess mascara from the wand a breeze. The ball on the end makes it surprisingly easy to apply mascara to the inner corners and outer lashes without worrying about poking your eyes out.

The formula is creamy but really wet (so wet that you hear a moist "pop!" when you take the wand out of the tube). I'm not a fan of super wet formulas because they are a little difficult to apply on your lashes. I find they make them clump and stick together, unless you apply with extreme caution. Then if you're lucky, you'll get every single lash.

Sexy Curve Mascara applied to both eyes. No curling. One coat.

When applied properly (as in, 3-4 minutes of you poking at your eyes with utmost caution), the mascara has a really nice natural look. there is a but of added volume but not too much curl. With a name like "sexy curls" I was expecting almost a false eye lash effect, but as I was building my lashes got chunky and clumpy and they were not a pretty sight. It's also not the blackest mascara out there, but for a natural, everyday look it isn't bad.

Yesterday I was wearing this mascara and my sister made me laugh so hard I was crying. She told me my mascara was running everywhere and so I ran to the washroom. there was ZERO mascara left on my bottom lashes after a few tears. Now I know the formula doesn't claim to be water proof, but I like a mascara that can stand up to a few tears and not dissolve all over your face. Sometimes waterproof mascaras emit fumes that tend to make my eyes sting so I stay away from them. They're also a pain in the butt to remove.

After a few hours of wear I find the mascara flakes all over my eyes. But for only a few bucks, I guess you can't expect smudge-free wear and flakeless lashes.

The verdict? It's okay. It's cheap and it does the job. If you have a 12-13 year old girl who is just venturing into make up then I think it'd be a good mascara to start her on. It's relatively cheap and creates a natural look that's great for everyday. However, I wouldn't consider it HG status and I wouldn't wear it on a special night out.

xox,

Ysobel

Have you tried this mascara? What's your favourite one to use? What's your opinion of other Rimmel London products? I'd love to hear from you!