Daily-use Eyeliner

My foray into “eye make-up” began with a little stub of Lakme Kajal that I found on my grandmother’s dressing table. This was in college. I asked her if I could borrow it. I nervously drew it along my lower waterline and admired myself in front of the mirror.  The next year, I grew adventurous and started with the liquid liner on my upper lid and since then, rarely has a day gone past when I’ve not had the eye liner on.

I stopped lining my lower lash line with kajal a few years ago as I was told it made my eyes look smaller.

I started off with the Lakme Insta Liner (which I don’t like now, owing to its thin brush). My favourite is the Lakme 9 to 5 Black Impact Eye Liner and I always go back to this one even though I may at times venture out and buy a different brand.

 I am currently alternating between 4 eyeliner/pencils in Black.

BRAND	COST	QUANTITY	WHAT I LIKE	WHAT I DON’T LIKE	WOULD I RECOMMEND?
Lakme 9 To 5 Black Impact Eye Liner	Rs. 250/-	3.5ml	· Thicker bristles to draw thick lines ·   Good colour pay off ·   Dries soon        ·   Easy to wash off	Not water resistant	Yes!
Nykaa Black Magic Liquid Eyeliner - Super Black	Rs.299/-	5 ml	· Water resistant!!! · Rich colour pay off and glossy · Thinner bristles to draw fine lines	· Make up remover resistant too! · Since it dries too soon, not easy to correct mistakes	Yes
Maybelline New York Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - Black	Rs.525/-	3 gm	Lovely matte finish The brush tip is best to draw wings	Hardens soon Takes long to apply	Erm...
Bella Voste Gel Eye Liner Kajal- Velvet Black	Rs.399/-	1.2 gm	· Glides on smoothly · Quick and easy to apply · Good colour pay off	·The‘line’ remains intact but the colour leaks on to the eye lid after a few hours · Difficult to wash off	Ahem !

Lakme 9 To 5 Black Impact Eye Liner- The only downside to this liner is that it’s not the slightest bit water resistant and if you aren’t careful while washing your face or yawning at a stretch, you’ll end up with a bald patch towards the inner corners of your eye. But this is what I like about this eye liner too. It can be easily washed off. Since I apply it daily, I don’t like to spend too much time or use a make-up remover just to get my eyeliner off.

Nykaa Black Magic Liquid Eyeliner- I bought this one recently and the first week, I wasn’t too comfortable using the brush as its bristles are sparser as compared to the Lakme brush. Now I have gotten the hang of it and manage to draw thick lines and wings. The finish is glossy. The liner dries up the second you apply it and a stray speck cannot be wiped off with a damp Q-tip.  I wouldn’t recommend this eye liner for beginners or those who end up sneezing the exact same moment you’re applying the liner (happens to me all the time!). You can splash water on your face and eyes all day long and probably even use a mild soap and this liner won’t budge! A bit of a pain to remove on a daily basis.

Maybelline New York Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner- I use this only for functions as it takes time to apply. It comes with its own brush. The kohl was never smooth to begin with and it has only gotten harder over a period of time. The finish is matte. This wouldn’t be ideal for those who prefer thin lines. It is perfect for a winged eyeliner!

Bella Voste Gel Eye Liner Kajal- I got this is in the March Glamego Box. This has got to be the smoothest eye pencil I’ve ever used. It glides on smoothly and can also be smudged easily for a smoky effect. The only issue I have with this liner is that it smears on to my upper eye lid ( after a few hours), making it appear like I have black eye shadow on. Also, it is difficult to wash off.

I prefer eye liners to eye pencils and since I’ve stopped lining my lower lashline ( I would use pencils for the lower lashline), I’ve stopped buying black eye pencils. The reason I love the Lakme eye liner the best is because of the thicker brush. I generally apply a thick line, with wings at the ends. Also, since I apply it daily, I need it to wash off easily without applying too much pressure on the eye lids.

Which one would you go for!

NYKAA HAUL

(Taking pictures for the blog has me frequently doing squats. I am on my way to toned glutes and calves)

As I got back home from a birthday party, I saw the Nykaa box lying on my coffee table and immediately set to work. (AD had made a shopping haul request and we try our best to oblige our readers’ requests).

I love green and look at the products, they are all green! Tadaaa....

Most of my online purchases would rarely constitute a haul as I generally purchase only what I require and my purchases are never on a whim. But this time I went crazy. Oh yes, I did and I bought five (you read that right, FIVE) items. You wouldn’t be rolling your eyes if you knew me well.

I purchase almost all my skin care and makeup products from Nykaa. I visited the site with the intention of purchasing just neem oil and over a period of one week, added 4 more items to the cart.  (I had to wait for Glamego to announce their June products as somehow the Glamego box always ends up having a product similar to my recent purchase).

I shall post a detailed review of each product once I’ve used it for a considerable period of time. Here’s a quick look at my purchases.

1.      KAMA AYURVEDA-ORGANIC, COLD PRESSED NEEM OIL

Quantity: 200 ml

Price: Rs. 795/-

I’d seen a review of this product on YouTube long back but refrained from buying it as I am not comfortable applying oil on my face. (I have super greasy skin). The last week Shugu couldn’t stop raving about this product and though she has a different skin type from mine, I went ahead and purchased this product.

Now, there are cheaper neem oils available but I love this brand and was keen on trying this one. If it doesn’t suit my skin, it can also be used as a hair oil or body oil. There are great reviews of it online as a hair oil.

2.      IT’S SKIN - POWER 10 FORMULA VC EFFECTOR FACIAL SERUM

Quantity: 30 ml

Price: Rs. 950/-

It’s Skin is a popular Korean brand and this has been on my wishlist for quite some time. I got a 15% discount on this item and I promptly put it in my cart.

I have wanted a Vitamin C product but as I have acne prone, sensitive skin, I have refrained from purchasing products with Vitamin C. A quick research on the net revealed that this serum is milder as compared to other Vitamin C products and hence ideal for sensitive skin too.  

3.      ORGANIC WELLNESS HEAL - AMLA C+(VITAMIN C SUPPLEMENT)

Quantity: 90 capsules

Price: Rs.269/-

I believe that prevention is better than cure. With the onset of monsoon and with all sorts of infectious bacteria and virus floating around, I bought myself this Vitamin C supplement. I usually take only physician prescribed supplements but hey, I was on a haul spree ;).

This supplement claims to boost immunity, reduce stress, enhance digestion and purify blood.

4.      ACNES TREATMENT POINT GEL

Quantity: 10 gm

Price: Rs. 225/-

I got the Acnes facewash in the May Glamego box. (I haven’t used that yet). Acnes is a Japanese brand and apparently is the leading acne care brand there.

It was either this product or the Nykaa Tea Tree Oil. I chose this. I hope this product works.

5.      NYKAA MATTE NAIL POLISH –KEY LIME SLUSH

Quantity: 9 ml

Price: Rs. 199/-

 I’ve said this earlier; I love Nykaa’s range of nail polishes. I have tried their matte nail polish and love it. I can’t wait to try this one and put it up on our next instalment of nail polish colours. Here’s a sneak peek of what the colour looks like.

(Skip has instructed me to inform the readers that this is not his pudgy finger. He doesn’t wear nail polish as he’s a boy)

And that was my “haul”.

P.S: I set to “work on this post” IMMEDIATELY after removing my makeup. I shall write a post on my makeup removal routine soon.

P.P.S: A day after I wrote this post, the Nykaa nail polish fell from my cupboard and broke, splattering neon green across the flooring and my feet. And I never even got to use it L