Review: Zoeva Graphic Eyes+ in Close to Heaven, Nude Reflection and Mr. Marvelous

A continuation of the Zoeva review from the last post...

Zoeva Graphic Eyes+ are said to be:

The Graphic Eyes+ Collection combines the smoothness of a liquid liner with the ease of application of a traditional pen without compromising in quality or makeup result.

One thing's for sure - the texture of the pencils is amazingly smooth and pigmented.

Let's start with Nude Reflection:

Described as 'champagne beige with crystal shimmer' - I thought this would be perfect for the inner corner of the eyes but the shade turned out to be a bit darker so it's much better for the lower waterline to make eyes appear bigger and brighter.

Next, we have Close to Heaven:

This is 'iridescent light lilac/blue', which is pretty true although I don't know where the blue came from since it is 100% lilac.

It's a very pretty colour, perfect for teenagers but probably too pastel for women treading on the wrong side of the 20s like me.

Lastly, we have Mr. Marvelous, which colour of 'black base fine purple fine glitter' made me really excited. It sounds so pretty, doesn't it?

Swatches from left to right: Nude Reflection, Close to Heaven and Mr. Marvelous

The colour is strongly pigmented and goes on smoothly, but this means the pencil goes blunt very quickly. One swatch was enough to blunt the pencil. I foresee frequent sharpening and unnecessary wastage.

Above photo is after intense rubbing. They mostly faded, but I don't think this is an accurate representation. Perhaps I didn't let the swatches set longer, but I have better photos proving the staying power of the eyeliners coming up later.

Add some water...

Nope, it didn't fade anymore than it already did so it's mostly waterproof.

A better representation of the staying power of Close to Heaven below:

 

In the second photo, you can evidently tell my forearm has been rubbed raw but the iridiscent shimmer of Close to Heaven stayed on. And the funniest thing is, I went out with this on my arm, forgetting I swatched it. Realised it when I was at the mall and I tried washing it off with soap but it wouldn't budge. -__-

With Close to Heaven on upper lashline.

Above shows 9 hours later (albeit with a very oily face hahaha) - no transfer, no smudging, barely any fading.

I don't have pictures of the other two solely on my lids, but I have definitely worn them. Alas, Mr. Marvelous, pretty as the colour is with its very subtle glitter hurts my eyes. I suspect the glitter bits fell into my eyes and they felt irritated and uncomfortable all day.

Again, don't think Zoeva is really suitable for contact lens wearers. However, with the shimmery ones like Close to Heaven and Nude Reflection, I didn't have any trouble at all.

With its reasonable price ($9.20 at Luxola!) and quality of strong pigmentation and staying power, the Zoeva Graphic Eyes+ would have gotten a 10. But due to it not being made to suit contact lens wearers, it's going to get points docked.

(But good for you, perfect-sighted people.)

You can purchase Zoeva Graphic Eyes+ from Luxola.

Rating: 7.5/10

Review: Zoeva Cream Eye Liner in Eclipse

I have to rant. So the power button on my iPhone died, and I went to get it exchanged AFTER backing up my data. Found out after exchange that my backup was corrupted so I couldn't restore my data and my notes were ALL gone. I had a list that started in February this year, of all the makeup I wear on my face each day so I can remember when I tag and categorise photos. I haven't gotten round to posting about EVERYTHING so now that I've lost that, I probably have to begin the whole picture taking all over again.

In the meantime, here's a review of Zoeva Cream Eye Liner in Eclipse, which I purchased off Luxola when they had an introductory offer (30% off!) for Zoeva.

Zoeva is a German makeup brand which isn't sold internationally, so it's pretty difficult to find English reviews on their products. Which is a shame because I'm sure if there are more reviews on the brand, their products will be highly sought after due to its price and quality.

The 3.5g worth of product comes in a sturdy frosted glass container, which is pretty bulky compared to other gel eyeliners. It also has a safety seal on it, which is pretty uncommon. When I purchase drugstore gel eyeliners from L'Oreal, Maybelline or Kate, there isn't such a seal. But it's great, knowing that the product is airtight and fresh before you gleefully tear it open!

The colour is a pretty charcoal/gunmetal, with a metallic sheen to it.

On Luxola, it's described as:

This gorgeous charcoal-grey cream eyeliner gel, with a carbon pencil effect in deep metallic grey, is a true professional makeup product. Smooth and easy to apply, this cream liner is perfect for creating a precise finish with excellent true color coverage that will stay in place all day.

I dipped my Sigma E65 Small Angle Brush in, and it cuts through the product like butter. The texture is just so smooth and creamy!

It's also crazy budgeproof.

From top down:

1. Rubbing it so frantically, my forearm almost tore.
2. Spraying water on it.
3. Rubbing AFTER spraying water on it.

Nope, it is not going anywhere at all!

Ah crap, I didn't realise the first picture isn't sharp. But trust me, the colour is so pigmented, and the metallic sheen shows through beautifully.

But this eyeliner didn't seem to like me very much. Right after applying, my eyes started burning. But since I was wearing a new pair of contact lens, I figured it was them giving me problems. When I got to work, I couldn't take the burning sensation anymore so I popped out my contact lens. There were streaks of silver on them. It also took AGES to clean off the streaks - they were some tough stains and since contact lens are pretty delicate, I had to gently and patiently rub the lens with saline until all the streaks were gone.

I figured that it could well be the cream eyeliner not fully drying and creeping down to my contact lens. Which is odd since the eyeliner dried really quickly and hence, there is no hint of transfer to my crease.

I'm so sorry about the off-centre pictures. I wasn't wearing my contact lens or my glasses, so I couldn't see my camera screen in the facing mirror to judge the picture. I'm effectively blind without my contact lens or glasses (I had to wear my spare glasses at work all day).

There was no transfer to my crease or the lower lashline - just some smudging in the inner corner of my eye and a slight fading of the wing.

I really loved the colour and staying power of this eyeliner, but I wished it was made to be suitable for contact lens wearers. :(

(Sorry about not sharing the mascara - lost all my data, no idea what was used.)

You can purchase this at $11.50 from Luxola, which provides free next day delivery with a purchase of $10 and above!

Rating: 6/10

Review: Maybelline Eye Studio Master Drama Cream Pencil in Midnight Master

Bought the Maybelline Eye Studio Master Drama Cream Pencil in Midnight Master sometime back at Watsons as it was on sale, and it looked interesting, like it was a special line imported from the US.

It probably cost me about $13 or so, and it came in a tacky cardboard packaging. Otherwise, the eyeliner itself is pretty nondescript.

The eyeliner twists up, which I guess is good for those who think there's wastage in sharpening an eye pencil. However, there are other cons related to the twist mechanism, which I'll explain later.

There isn't a sharpener tool attached to the back of it - I guess you aren't supposed to sharpen it, ever? Or you're supposed to get down and dirty with a cutting knife and start sharpening it like a caveman does with his spear.

Website claims:

Experience the new generation of liner:              

• Oil-free cream formula holds the highest concentration of pigments for more intense eye drama.

• Smudgeproof and waterproof for 16 hours.

• Most intense line for lasting drama.                                                    

• Safe for sensitive eyes and ophthalmologist-tested.

• Contact lens safe.

FOR BEST RESULTS

2 SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Start at inner corner of upper eye. Extend beyond top lash line.

2. Extend lower line inward so lines meet in the inner corner of eye.

The colour itself is a a pretty dark black. It didn't tug at my eyelids much since application was so smooth and creamy but it went blunt pretty quickly.

Letting it set for a while, I rubbed at it and the words faded but didn't seem to smudge.

After vigorous rubbing and basically, tearing at my skin, the above is the final result. It looked like it was going to have decent staying power.

However, it just wasn't meant to be.

After wearing it for about 11 hours in an air-conditioned environment...

That's disappointing. The eyeliner completely transferred to my crease, which even my cheap Holika Holika Jewel Light Waterproof Eyeliner doesn't do. The eyeliner on the waterline had completely disappeared. There were also some smudges under my eyes, which I cleaned up a couple of times during the day.

Additionally, the twist mechanism also has some issue where it twists up but not back down.

This eyeliner is simply sitting in the back of my cabinet now. :( I definitely wouldn't recommend this to someone with oily eyelids.

Rating: 6/10

Review: Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

After raves from my favourite YouTube makeup guru frmheadtotoe, I have been camping at ASOS hoping to snag the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black. They almost always have Navy Blue or Olive or Brown but Black is a colour that's hard to come by.

Eventually, the day came and I got my hands on it.

Look, it comes in a pretty blue box!

I've always had a preference for pen eyeliners since I have uneven eyes and shaky hands, which makes for terrible skills with eyeliners in general. I can't use liquid eyeliners since the tip is way too soft and thin, which accentuates any shaky lines while I always mess up the flick with gel eyeliners.

Off Eyeko's website:

Our easy-to-apply, liquid eyeliner pen allows you to create thick feline flicks or fine defined lines to accentuate your eyes.  With our unique long-lasting formula featuring key ingredient Sodium Hyaluronate for a gratifying, colour-intense smudge-proof finish.

Off the box, it claims to be a "precise definition", and to "instantly define, line and emphasise". It also claims to be "smudge-proof, fade-proof and above all, foolproof". That's a lot to live up to.

At about S$22, the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner isn't the cheapest liquid eyeliner around. Compared to drugstore pen eyeliners which you can easily get at a lower price (i.e. Clio Kill Black Pen Liner), I was really hoping that this would be all that and more.

The nub is stiffer than Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner and even the relatively stiff Clio Kill Black Pen Liner. Using just the nub would tug at the eyelids but I discovered that this pen is AMAZING to draw with when you lay it parallel to your eyelids and just glide across using the side of the pen.

I love how intense the pigmentation is, and how precise the nub is as well.

After rubbing vigorously, the words are faded but not smudged!

I do like how I can decide how thin or thick I want the line to be. Having a teensy flick at the end wasn't too difficult since the stiff nub controls really well.

This is a day after I had my hair cut, and it's starting to go askew in all directions. :( I liked it when the stylist helped to blow dry my hair and it was nice and sleek, all curling towards my chin. Now it's just...messy.

Generally, I'm really critical of my selfies because I just don't like certain parts of my face - how my eyes are hooded and not large, how my chin is too long and juts out and how my smile seems a little lopsided.

But here's a rare selca taken with Instagram that I approve and like:

Anyways, we met up with my husband's ex-colleagues whom I love hanging out with, and we all had a drink or two at a pub.

This is how the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner looked after about 14 hours...

Yep, it's noticeably thicker. I might have thickened the line before heading out after work. ;) Regardless, there was no transfer whatsoever despite my hooded eyes. There was that bit of smudging in the corner of the eyes though, which is common for me.

On the downside, the pen seems like one of those which will dry up pretty quickly (ala NYX Fat Marker) as the cap doesn't click on like Clio Kill Black Pen Liner and Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner, which pushes back the tip and keep it wet. There have been times when the formula isn't enough for me to draw one full line (I draw on eyeliners very carefully so it takes a longer time than most people) and it dries up, so I had to put on the cap and wait for a while before resuming. We'll see how it goes then because if it does dry up quickly, then I may not be getting my S$22 worth.

To summarise, I do love this eyeliner as it has great control, pigmentation and stays on all day! It's definitely going into my daily essentials list.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Bourjois Queen Attitude Khol Kajal

So no posts last week, and I'm sorry about that. Le husband went on an overseas work trip so I trooped back to my mom's place to stay for a while. I was without my makeup photos or a proper working laptop but we're back on schedule this week!

Anyways, I was trawling my favourite online website - ASOS - and chanced upon this adorable looking thing.

Photo from ASOS.com.

Tell me how cute this is! It's like a lipstick tube, with a little ribbon hanging off the end of it. The name appeals to the inner diva - who doesn't want to be a queen or have massive attitude? It also apparently doesn't ever have to be sharpened.

From the Bourjois website, here's the description:

Bring out the Cleopatra in you!

Famous for intensifying and beautifying the eyes, our NEW Queen Attitude Khol Kajal gives a smooth and perfect line every time.

Cone-shaped for precision and to create an intense black line.

Enriched with pigments and natural waxes for a blendable, soft and ultra- easy application.

The Khol can be used on both the inner and outer rim of the eyes.

Paraben-free.

I knew what I was getting myself into - khol on monolids? What is this girl smoking? But I just can't resist adorable packaging so I got this at GBP$6.99, which is close to S$15.

Awwww it's a fat little tube, and check out the really sci-fi looking cone-shaped eyeliner!

It goes on so smoothly, almost like a waxy crayon! Black is deep and intense enough if you use a heavy hand.

 I like how easy it is to apply. This would be perfect for amateurs - even managed a little flick at the end!

But I don't like how it transferred to my crease almost immediately. I did let it set for a couple of minutes or two, looking like a right idiot with my head tilted backwards with semi-closed eyes. But it still transferred! :(

Face Primer: Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro in 002

Foundation: Kate Lasting High Coverage Powder Foundation

Eyeshadow Primer: e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

Base: White (from NYX 10 Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Strike a Pose)

Lid: Brown (from NYX 10 Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Strike a Pose)

Contour: Copper Red (from NYX 10 Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Strike a Pose)

Outer V: Black (from NYX 10 Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Strike a Pose)

Eyeliner: Bourjois Queen Attitude Khol Kajal

Mascara: L'Oreal Curl Impact Collagene Mascara

Blusher: MAC Powder Blush in Pink Swoon

Highlight: Canmake Highlighter in Milky White

Lips: Maybelline Baby Lips Pink in Pink Blast

Who would like to guess the mess at the end of a normal work day?

Note that I work in an air-conditioned office, rarely step out into the scorching sun or the humidity since we usually have lunch in the mall where my office is, and I don't do any hard labour for work. Just sit there in front of the laptop.

The little wing has faded, which is expected but that mess! It got all over the lids! I looked like I had two black eyes. So awesome.

It also got to my lower lashline but I cleaned up a little. And this is still the resulting mess. :(

I think this eyeliner would be good for those with a high creases, so there's no way your lid will fold over the eyeliner and get it everywhere. You can smudge it out as well for smokey eyes, since that's the whole purpose of using khol. And this eyeliner is definitely one of the smoothest and easiest to apply, so it's not all bad.

I've also seen photos of how the Bourjois Queen Attitude Khol Kajal can look and am especially envious of the photo below from The Black Pearl Blog.

I don't think I can ever achieve something to this effect with my silly monolids.

A girl can only wish. :(

For now, the Bourjois Queen Attitude Khol Kajal goes to the back of my eyeliner drawer.

The Bourjois Queen Attitude Khol Kajal retails for $17 at local Sasa stores.