Review: Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner

I just received this beauty in the mail after ordering on their Black Friday sale (still on, plus free shipping–link below!) in my search for the perfect purple liner. Shipping takes so long when you’re this excited!

I ordered the color Retrograde, a dark, shimmery indigo shade. It came in a colorful little box (pictured above). The weird thing is that it opens on what I thought would be the “cap” side–i.e. the smaller one without writing–and apparently this is the liquid-containing side, which did make me feel a bit cheated compared to the nice long size of the pen (-1). But what can you do, it’s Urban Decay.

Super thin tip!

Anyway, onto the performance. You will notice right away that the tip is extremely thin–much thinner than Lancome’s Artliner or really any liner I use. I’m not sure about whether or not I like this yet, but at least you know that it will be easy to draw a fine line (+1). You can also see that it is a satisfyingly dark, sparkly color that is, in my opinion, finally a neutral purple (+1).

Extremely fine lines. Tiny hands for scale.

I first messed around with it a little bit by drawing on my hand. The pattern above is entirely on one go of a tiny amount of liquid, which is why it slightly fades off on the right, but let’s take a minute to appreciate the thinness of the lines. And let me tell you–I have minuscule child hands. This thing is fineee.

Retrograde on top lid, over black liner. Excuse the harsh flash and lack of makeup.

Now, I didn’t have any eyeshadow, mascara, primer, powder, concealer, or really anything on, so please excuse my shiny discolored skin. I did want to give as accurate a picture as possible, and I think you can reasonably perceive the darkness and shimmer. Keep in mind that I applied Retrograde over Artliner in Noir, hence it is probably looking even darker than it really is. However, it is easily as richly pigmented by itself (+1) and easy to apply (+1). One thing I did notice is the slightly long dry time (over a minute, -1), but it could be my bias due to the lightning-fast Artliner or just that I applied over another layer of liner. I also love that the purple sheen brings out the green in my hazel eyes and the blonde in my hair.

Finally, I used my magic Bi-Facil eye makeup remover to wipe it off, and although this is “waterproof” (which has never been a positive feature in my experience), it thankfully wiped off just as clean as any other liner or mascara (+1). Now, I can’t confirm whether it’s the skill of the liner or the awesomeness of the remover (likely the latter), but you can be assured that the combo will work.

Now for the exciting part! This liner does sell for $19 on UrbanDecay.com (and likewise in retailers like Sephora), but it is currently on sale for $10 (as is every other one of the 11 colors)! You can find the retailer page here, and if you order now, you will be mailed a coupon up to $5000!

So the final score? Size deception (-1) + finesse (+1) + color (+1) + pigmentation (+1) + application (+1) + dry time (-1) + easy clean (+1) + special price (+1) = a whopping +4. I will definitely be ordering a few more colors with my new 20% coupon, so look for an update soon!

Review: Lancome Eye Set, aka. favorite Black Friday find!

I was going to wait to do any Black Friday posts until the weekend deals were over, but I am almost positive that this Lancome set–with FULL-SIZE mascara and liner–takes the cake out of any find in terms of value, quality, and convenience. Plus, you get a choice of mascara between the Hypnose Drama (pictured) and Definicils.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara Set, $29

Note: While pasting the above picture, I found out that Nordstrom now has them on sale for $29 here–hurry while you can!

Now, I may just slightly be biased because I ended up getting this as a complimentary gift with my Macy’s purchase, but it would have been worth every cent of the $29 that they had it for as a doorbuster for the following reasons:

Lancome Artliner Eyeliner, $30.50

(1) The Artliner: Anyone who knows beauty knows that the Lancome Artliner in Noir is simply top of the line. At $30.50 for the full size, it already overcompensates for the cost of the set–need you further reason? I have bought this liner multiple times (on sale for $20-25) before, because it is just that good–never flakes, perfect applicator, long-lasting color, and extremely easy removal. The only thing keeping it from Holy Grail status is the color (it is very matte and I sometimes prefer a blacker, shinier black), but honestly, it is the most reliable everyday liner I have ever tried. I ran out of my last one just recently, so this would have already been a no-brainer buy for me.

Bi-Facil Double-Action Magic

(2) The Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover: Speaking of Holy Grails, this is one. Oh. My. Goodness. I had been meaning to try this because it is quite the superstar in online reviews and I hate, hate, HATE eye makeup removal. It pulls, stings, takes a long time, and by the end of it my skin is red and puffy around two beaten black eyes. But with this travel-size gift from the beauty gods, I think I can finally let myself wear mascara more often. It got both my eyeliner and mascara in one swipe–with a napkin! (Shh, I had no cotton on hand.) Plus, the name has a pun, and how often do you get that in brands like Lancome?

Disclaimer: not my picture, but too accurate not to post.

(3) The Hypnose Drama Mascara: Much better than expected! This was basically the cherry on top of the dynamic duo above. I had no idea if Hypnose or Definicils was the better mascara, but I picked this because of the unique shape. No regrets! It has a nice consistency, easy applicator, and dries fairly quickly. Did I mention it goes for $27.50 by itself?

So there you have it. An amazing buy for those of you needing to restock eyeliner, mascara, or even this Holy Grail makeup remover. Doctor out.