Another eyeliner set? I know I know… I'm a little crazy about pencil eyeliners in general! They are just low-maintenance and super easy to use. It hardly takes any skill to draw a smooth line with pencil eyeliners. When I saw this set during the Holiday shopping, I thought I'd give it a try since I'd never used any Sephora makeup before. Are they any good? Do they live up to today's eyeliner standard? Let's read on to find out! :)
First thing to mention is this 4-pencil special edition set is no longer available but you can buy each pencil individually. Also, the metallic silver packaging seen above is only for this set. The permanent line comes in black packaging but with the same lettering and everything on the pencil.
The four colors I have for this review are:
- 01 Black Lace – intense black (matte)
- 05 Diamonds Are Forever – metallic silver (metallic shimmer)
- 13 Tiramisu – medium brown (matte)
- 27 Sailor Suit – metallic navy blue (metallic shimmer)
From my research, it seems to me that what people love the most about these pencils are their creamy formula and lasting power. Well, having tried more than a handful of pencil liners myself, these do not have the creamiest formula. Compared to Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils or Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen standards, these Sephora pencils are not as creamy. However, they are not in anyway hard or dry in texture, they are just… not as creamy and will require a little more pressure on the lid to get the same color intensity as the UD or Pixi.
I find the formula of the matte ones (Black Lace and Tiramisu) to be a little drier and harder than the metallic ones (Diamonds Are Forever and Sailor Suit). They are not quite as easy to glide on, either. They tug on my lid, not to the point that the application becomes too uncomfortable or skips, but enough that I have a little difficulty getting a smooth line. I guess I'm just so used to UD and Pixi that I was expecting these to be ultra smooth, too. They also set extremely fast, almost instantly, so if you need to smudge it out, you must do so immediately.
As for the metallic ones, there are noticeable shimmer particles in the formula but they do not feel gritty going on the lid. I absolutely love the sparkly finish! So high-shine and with zero fallout! They feel creamier, too, and I did not experience any tugging or pulling. They dry down quickly as well, so smudge immediately if needed to.
The pigmentation is excellent. It is mostly opaque in one pass and I like the fact that you can build up the color without moving around the layer underneath.
They are not completely 100% waterproof (see my little experiment here) but under normal circumstances, I think you will not have any problem with transferring or smudging. They do, however, fade just ever so slightly at the end of the day if you are being picky.
Black Lace and Tiramisu actually work great for tightlining and on the waterline, too! They last well on both places for me but I did notice minimal fading on the tightline after 4-5 hours. I also like to apply Diamonds Are Forever in the inner corner to add some sparkles to my eyes and Sailor Suit to line along the lower lash line for a pop of color.
I do think these liners are worth checking out. There is some quality here for a lower cost and they really perform much better than I expected from the brand. For some reason, I had never really paid too much attention to Sephora Collection makeup and seemed to always walk past their display in the store (and they have the biggest display!). But after having tried their pencil liners, I have to say I'm happy I gave it a try! I'm actually really pleased with the quality of these liners in general (did I mention there are 35 colors to choose from?!) and are already thinking of exploring their makeup a little more so if you have any suggestion on what I should try next, please leave a comment down below! :)
Hey Jaa, I haven’t tried any of these, though I think I might need this shade called Snakeskin Dress! Glad to hear they actually are good!
Is that the olive green shade? I remember it being similar to UD Stash! Lovely!
Yup! I think it’s more gold though! I also really love Stash :)
Wow, that close up of diamonds are forever is stunning. It is a great name too, just too cool for me.
The effect is striking, though! I love using it along the lower lash line and in the inner corners of the eyes! It really takes my eye look to the next level! :)