Shoes That Make Me Want to Max Out My Credit Card

Cure for the Common Eye Pencil

Four eyeliners that will make you want to ditch your old pencil and never look back.

It's hard to find a good eyeliner. Period.

I'll admit it. I'm picky. First off, I generally only wear black. And I like my blacks to be VERY black so that they make my light eyes pop. I want a liner that is pigmented, will stay put all day, that goes on smooth, doesn't make a mess, doesn't burn my eyes, and that is VERSATILE. That means that I want to be able to grab my eyeliner and quickly create a light, thin, blendable line during the day. Then I want to be able to grab that same eyeliner, and architect a fancy, heavier line for a dramatic night-time look. Basically, I want it all. And I want it all in one product.

With that said, I kind of hate traditional eye pencils. You have to sharpen them...they can be messy...they get dull really quick. A lot of them are too smudgy and just plain suck.

But alternative liners can be just as frustrating. Automatic "pencils" or "crayons" are often crumbly, smudgy, and don't last long enough. Liquid liners (especially the cheap ones) tend to burn my eyes...and cheap or not, they are usually messy and hard to apply. Loose powder liners are always a mess...you get the point.

Believe me when I tell you that over the years I have tried EVERYTHING. The following four eyeliners exceed my high expectations. They are my absolute faves.

Lola Fineline Eye Pencil in "Jet Black"

 

$14.00 at lolacosmetics.com

I LOVE THIS EYELINER. As I mentioned before, I kind of hate traditional eye pencils. Automatic, twist-up "pencils" are a logical alternative, but since you can't typically sharpen them, the point is usually too fat and dull to maintain precision. So I began to look for an "inner-eye" liner or a super fine automatic pencil. I was ecstatic when I found the Tarte EmphasEYES™ High Definition Eye Pencil at Sephora for $18. I was relatively satisfied with my first pencil. It crumbled a few times, causing me to go through the liner pretty quickly, but I figured I just must have closed it improperly at some point. So I bought another one, and then another one, and then another one, and so on. Each and every time the damn thing broke or crumbled. I went through them sooo fast. I must have bought that stupid eyeliner a dozen times before it occurred to me that it was a dry, crumbly, crappy product and a colossal waste of my time and money. I was just really attached to the idea of a super skinny automatic pencil. But finally, I wised up and stopped buying that awful product. Then, one day I was browsing my local CVS beauty 360 and I found this glorious, AFFORDABLE Lola fineline pencil. And I've never looked back. It never breaks or crumbles. It's highly pigmented and lasts all day. I can get as close to my lashline as I want with this thing. I can even line my inner lashline. Then, when I'm getting ready for a night out, I can use it to sculpt a heavier line. No sharpening, no mess. It's amazing. The only slight downside to this product is that it's a bit hard to find. Beauty 360 never seems to have it in stock anymore. So I just order it directly from Lola's website.

NYX Felt Tip Liner in "Jet Black"

 

$8.00 at nyxcosmetics.com, $8.99 at Ulta

Felt tip liners are great...in theory. They can provide the drama and pigment of an inky liquid liner without the mess. In most cases, the concept is too good to be true. I've tried eyeliner markers that have irritated my eyes, exploded, and smeared. More commonly,

A Fresh Face in Seconds

A Fabulously lazy way to remove your make-up AND wash your face in one easy, convenient step.

After a long night on the town, taking off all my make up and washing my face is the last thing I feel like doing before I crawl into bed.

To avoid the temptation to pass out wearing a full face of make-up, I keep facial cleansing towelettes on hand.

They're also great to keep around for when I plan on spending a night or a weekend away. I just toss them in my overnight bag and use them to clean and prep my face. I always keep a pack in my car in case of emergencies.

But I won't settle for just any old make up remover wipes. Most of the towelettes I've tried are just too harsh to use regularly (or even at all in some cases). I've scaled drug stores, department stores, Sephora, Ulta, and Timbuktu, trying just about every version of the make-up remover towelette on the market. Most just don't cut it. I require a disposable towelette that does double duty: it has to gently and quickly remove all my make-up (including eye make-up), and it has to leave my skin feeling clean and refreshed.

Most make up remover towelettes irritate my eyes and/or my skin. Even the supposedly "gentle" ones recommended for sensitive skin are often too harsh. Throughout my years of trial and error, I always go back to my clear favorite--but I have found a few others worth trying along the way... 

Boots Expert Sensitive Cleansing and Toning Wipes

$4.69, 30 count at Target 

• dermatologist tested  

• hypoallergenic

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Target now carries products by Boots, an affordable U.K. skincare line formerly only available overseas. These cleansing and toning wipes were so affordable I couldn't resist giving them a try. While these towelettes are not the thickest or softest I've tried, they do remove make up relatively well and they leave my skin feeling great. They don't tingle or sting my skin or eyes in the slightest. Sometimes, I use these them to freshen up or tone my skin even when I'm not wearing make up. These are amongst the gentlest make up remover wipes I've tried and I definitely recommend them for those who have sensitive skin. However, their cleansing power is somewhat weak compared to other brands I've tried. I have to work them pretty hard to effectively remove my eye makeup. I do not recommend these for anyone with oily skin. 

 Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

$4.99 at Target, 25 count

• dermatologist/opthamologist tested  

• noncomedogenic/hypoallergenic

These wipes are very similar to the aforementioned Boots Cleansing/Toning wipes. They are as gentle as can be on my sensitive skin and eyes. These cloths are also somewhat thin and not all that soft. They cleanse effectively and remove make up pretty well. They aren't the strongest I have tried and they don't always remove eye make up as quickly as I would like, but I would say that they are a bit more powerful than Boots' version.

Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelette

$5.99, 30 count at Target, most drugstores   

• dermatologist/opthamologist tested  

• FSC Certified 

These wipes are affordable and relatively easy to find at your local drug store. They effectively remove make up and leave my skin feeling fresh and clean. While these wipes are gentler than most of the others I've tried, they still slightly (but somewhat tolerably) irritate the skin surrounding my eyes. Prolonged use of this product tends to leave my skin a pretty dry. I featured these wipes because they are better than most make-up remover towelettes that I've tried, but of the five products featured in this article, these are my least favorite. I think they would be best suited for those with oily skin who could use a bit of astringent in their cleansing wipes.

Yes to Blueberries Facial Towelette

$7.99, 30 count, Available at Target

• dermatologist/opthamologist tested
• Oil-free, noncomedogenic, hypoallergenic 
• Biodegradable & FSC Certified  

 These towelettes are gentle enough and they remove pretty much all of my make up with ease, but they smell really strange. I featured the "Yes to Blueberries" towelettes over the "Yes to Cucumbers" towelettes because these odd-smelling wipes are much easier on the skin than their harsher (but fresh-scented) cucumber cousins. I've tried both. If you can get past the strange scent (and really it's not THAT bad), these towelettes are sufficiently gentle and they are highly convenient. You can find them at virtually every drug store.

Comodynes Make-Up Remover for Sensitive/Dry Skin w/ Oats

$6.25 from Comodynes, 20 count, also available at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods

• dermatologist tested
• hypoallergenic
• eco-friendly production and recyclable packaging

I'm pretty sure these soft, smooth towelettes are soaked in magic. They quickly and thoroughly remove even the toughest water-proof make-up without irritating my sensitive skin in the slightest. They leave my skin feeling so fresh and clean that I don't even need to follow up with cleanser. I have used this as my primary cleanser over long periods of time with great results. I've tried every make up removing wipe from Korres, to Mac, to Philosophy, etc...none of them hold a candle to these puppies.

The bottom line: The Boots and the Simple wipes are a great bargain and work well enough to use while traveling or on the go, but I don't think they cleanse thoroughly enough to replace a traditional cleanser over long periods of time. Don't buy the Burt's Bees wipes unless you're in a bind and they're all you can find. They are better than most make-up remover wipes out there, but they still aren't gentle enough. The Yes to Blueberries towelettes are less irritating, but not perfect. Oh, and they smell weird. The Comodynes towelettes are perfect! They cause no irritation whatsoever and they remove make-up with ease.

<3 Bee