A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

It’s been a while since I tried a new mascara, the truth is that I’ve fallen into an extremely comfortable relationship with Clinique High Lengths mascara (the one with the brush that looks like a praying mantis).  Considering I first reviewed that particular mascara over 4-years ago now, it’s pretty good going for it to remain in my top-5 mascara list, no?

Anyway, as comfortable as our relationship is… I’m a terrible flirt and the latest mascara from Avon, which promises 24-hour volume with a buildable, clump-free formula, had me batting my eyelashes from 50-paces.

I usually get on well with lengthening mascaras as my lashes are fair, particularly at the tips where they disappear against my skintone.  I could apply boot polish and I’d still get an initial wow factor at uncovering those lost tips!  Having said that, my lashes, particularly post pregnancy, are a little sparse and volume and thickness is something I crave.

The Avon Big & Daring Volume mascara presents a large, curved brush… densely packed with bristles of varying lengths.  The idea behind this brush is the usual “capture as many lashes as possible in one go” remit, and it works well.  Obviously, the more lashes you can capture (per sweep), the less you’ll need to layer and the chances of clumping will reduce.

I hate clumpy lashes, with a passion.  I struggle to leave the house if I’ve had a mascara melt-down and have overdone it.  As a result, I generally dislike any “wet” mascaras or ones that apply too much product, too quickly.  Instant bin fodder.

Although the Avon mascara captures a lot of product on those many, many bristles… the packaging has an effective inner narrowing of the neck that ensures excess product remains inside as you draw the wand out of the tube.  The curve of the brush matches well with my eye-shape and allows me to get down into the root of the lashes without too much effort or wrangling.

The overall result is great for an “every day” look, the before/after picture shows how my lashes look with two coats of the Avon Big & Daring Volume mascara applied.  I could have gone for one more coat without clumping but in all honesty, I don’t have the luxury of time to keep building my mascara in the mornings.  It’s probably not quite dramatic enough for a night out but it’s perfect for the daytime, especially as I want something a little more impactful than “natural” without going overboard.  It strikes the balance just right for my tastes.

I don’t experience any flaking or smuding with this formula, infact… if anything, it’s a little too resilient as it does take some effort to remove it in the evening.

All in all, for a sub-£10 mascara, I’m really pleased with how it works.  It’s an effective choice for those on a budget and offers a generous 10ml of product for your pennies.

Avon Big & Daring Volume mascara is currently on offer at £7 (usual price £8.50), it’s available online from avonshop.co.uk

* press sample

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Our lashes are longggggg, with many a curly end.  That leads us to who, knows what… what to use…

We want hold!  Long enough to last the day.

We don’t want heavy… just natural muh-scar-ruhhhhhhhhhhhhhs.

Brownie points if you recognise the song I couldn’t stop myself from butchering.  I’m sorry.

Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara is a relatively new release, having launched only a few months ago.  It promises a softer, more natural look without compromising on hold and an overall fluttery effect.

The key thing to remember with this mascara is that it places a lot of stock in being a buildable product with a formula geared toward the application of more than one coat.  Of course, if you really only want a touch of darkness and gloss added to your lashes, by all means… stop after a single coat.

If, however, you want a little more va-va-voom, you will need to apply a couple of additional coats to get the finish you require.

The wand delivers a fine application of product, well-distributed almong the fluttery bristles which really comb-through the lashes as you sweep the brush from root to tip.  The formula never clumps and neither does it leave behind blobs of product at the tips, regardless of whether you’re on your first or third coat.  Longevity is good and I don’t suffer from flakes or smudges as the day progresses.

Ultimately, whilst I recognise and admire the strengths of this latest “natural” mascara from Clinique, I don’t really like it.

The tube contains only 5.5ml of product, a few ml less than Clinique’s other offerings while retailing at a few ££s more.  I’m quite happy with the finished result – as shown above – but to achieve this, I need to apply 3-coats.  That could get expensive, quickly.

In a classic, “it’s not you, it’s me” scenario… I’m not a good target market here.  I don’t want natural, barely mascara’ed lashes.  I want floor-sweeping doe eyes.

Thanks Clinique, but I’ll stick to your High Impact mascara for now.

Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara is priced at £18.00 and available to buy on counter and online from clinique.co.uk

* press sample

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You know, I’ve been “pretty” faithful to my true mascara love since I fell head-over-heels in love with it a couple of years ago.  I say “pretty” faithful (complete with irritating quotation marks) because it’s fair to say that I do throw a tantrum every now and then when it dries up too quickly.

I mean, when you find something that works in the makeup world… the heavens generally open and angels throw down rose-scented petals in celebration, it’s kind of a big thing.  I’ve since toyed with a few high street alternatives (mostly from Boots No7) that I quite like… but I do find myself returning to my original love for my lashes-that-flutter fix.

Except, there’s a new contender in town and she’s all gold n’ shiny n’ stuff.

Actually, I don’t like the limited-edition packaging.  I don’t like the word “Baby Doll” either… especially when used in the context of makeup and allluring lashes, whilst being scrawled in a Jordan-esque style font across the packaging of a brand that generally represents more class than that.  But maybe that’s just me…

What I do like, however… is the fan-bloody-tastic contents inside the tube.  But let me tell you a little bit about why I like this mascara and what it delivers that places this one firmly in the same camp as most of my other mascara-loves.

The thing that this mascara has in common with my other top-3 mascaras is the wand.  They all share the same plastic-bristled heads.  In all honesty, this is something that I’ve only recently noticed… and I’m thoroughly delighted to have found a common factor.  Any excuse to pee my pants in excitement at a mascara wand can only be a good thing… but seriously, it’s always nice for a bit of tangible vindication when you find an obvious similarity to an otherwise, rather abstract love.

I find that this type of brush delivers a lengthening formula that defines and coats beautifully in a single sweep.  It works really well on my naturally long but fair lashes that look like little wisps of nothingness when bare.  If you have the kind of short, stubby lash that needs a good few coats of product or you really dig the spidery look… this one may not be for you.

The beauty of a plastic-bristled wand is in its ability to comb through the lashes and give great definition which really makes the most of each and every lash… obviously something which is generally more appreciated by those of us with a good lash count to begin with.  I do wish that this wand had a couple of bristles on the very tip to help reach the inner/outermost corners with precision but otherwise, I’m really happy with the design.

The formula is inky black and a great consistency to deliver an even coat whilst drying to a non-crispy finish that doesn’t flake, smudge or migrate to my eyelid hood as the day progresses.

The only downside?  The price.  An eye-watering £24.50 makes this an expensive choice for anyone except the most die-hard of mascara freaks (I know you’re out there).  YSL mascaras also have a bit of a reputation for drying out sooner rather than later, though in fairness… it’s too early for me to comment on this one’s longevity.

All in all, a bloody great mascara with a horrible price.  If you can stomach the price-tag and like a bit o’ bling, buy it… otherwise, give the Boots No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara a try for a more purse-friendly £11.00

YSL Baby Doll Mascara is available to buy instore on counter or online from yslbeauty.co.uk priced at £24.50

* press sample

Lash lines.  Is it just me, or are they getting a little bit silly?  I’m all for a bit o’ flutter but what is with the false lash ALL OF THE TIME trend that I’m seeing everywhere?  It genuinely catches me by surprise when I’m in the supermarket, rooting around for my loyalty card, only to look up at and be greeted by a pair of ridicu-lashes courtesy of the cashier.  Nothing else, just lashes… the face is completely obscured by a pair that look like they’ve come straight out of Priscilla’s desert.

It’s about finding balance.  Sure, I don’t want “au naturel” lashes, if I did… I’d go and buy Maybelline Great Lash and maybe after seven coats I’d have something that resembled me not wearing any mascara.  I want volume, definition and a bit of lengthening.  Curl is always an added bonus.

Guerlain Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara

Guerlain have released a new mascara: Cils d’Enfer… or “lashes from hell” as the literal translation suggests.  Not quite sure where they’re going with that one but thankfully Cils d’Enfer* produces rather lovely, non-hellish lashes.  The packaging is interesting, when I first picked it up, I expected it to feel much weightier… it looks chunkier than it is.  Perhaps I’m so used to my gorgeous Guerlain lipsticks that I expected something similar in feel.

A standard-looking brush with fibre bristles

The brush is your standard old-skool bristle affair, the brand have focused the majority of effort into perfecting the formula of this mascara, the press release states:

The secret is in the combined action of three remarkable polymers.  The first one wraps the lashes in extremely adherent oils, coating and thickening the lashes.  The second one, made with supple waxes, acts like a conditioner, softening the lashes so you can sculpt them into just the right shape and style.  The last one forms a thin film, coating the lashes to trap the wax and set the amazing curve.

Va Va Voom lashes (on the right obv!)

The formula glides through my lashes nicely and does indeed coat them evenly with the minimum of effort on my part.  The above photo shows one coat, I did go back in for more but you need to be careful about clumping as this one definitely leans more toward the dramatic rather than the natural look.  I think that with the aid of a metal lash comb, you could achieve some serious party lashes from this product.  For me?  One coat is plenty.

I appreciate the inky black pigment and the fact that it doesn’t leave little splodges attached to the tips of my lashes.  It also dries rapidly, ensuring that only the most of violent of mid-application sneezes will catch me out.  I don’t have terribly watery eyes but didn’t experience any longevity issues, transfer or flaking… and you would think not, Guerlain’s Cils d’Enfer is priced at £22.00 – a premium price, for a premium product.

Guerlain Cils d’Enfer is available on counter now in two shades, 01 Noir and 02 Violet.

* press sample

When I made my first online Yves Rocher order a couple of weeks ago, they were offering a couple of free gifts and one of them was this mascara: Sexy Pulp, which to be honest makes me think more about Jarvis Cocker busting a Common People move than anything mascara-related.  And yes, I am not ashamed to admit that I had a soft spot for Jarvis growing up… go listen to Babies/Pink Glove/She’s A Lady and tell me they aren’t some of the best tunes of the 90s!

But less about my taste in music and back to the makeup…

Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp mascara has one of those brushes that curves inward in the middle.  I don’t think I’ve ever used one before and they do work quite efficiently, mimicking the natural curve of the lashes to ensure that you can achieve an even distribution of product across the lash-line without bending your arms into awkward angles.

The formula is neither too wet nor too dry but the packaging doesn’t provide much in the way of a seal when you slide the brush in/out of the tube so I don’t expect the formula to remain wet for very long.  The mascara is nicely rich in pigment and has an elastic quality to it that lengthened my lashes considerably, stretching them out to their full reach without weighing them down.

Two coats are shown above.  I didn’t experience any flaking or smudging and removal was easy enough with some warm water and my usual cleanser.  Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara doesn’t blow me away but it’s better than I expected from a free gift, no complaints here!

Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara is available to buy online, currently priced at £8.45 (but do look around for free gift codes!)

I don’t know if I’m just naturally stupid or if it’s developed with age but I only realised this week that prunes… you know those wrinkly things that your Nan used to serve you with custard to keep you regular, are in fact, plums.  Dried plums.  Did you know this?!  Why didn’t anyone TELL me?  I mean… I never thought there were such things as prune trees but I didn’t make the connection either!

Anyway, huge tangent aside…

Clarins have released a new mascara for Autumn, and in their infinite wisdom, have decided not to call in Prune mascara.  No Sir!  This is Plum mascara – see how that sounds so much better?

Clarins Instant Definition mascara in Intense Plum is a hit of purple-y goodness that stays natural looking, there’s no electric violet lash injections going on here.  This is a mascara that won’t limit your choice of eyeshadow when you wear it and works nicely to jazz things up a little bit in the eye makeup department.

The formula is on the dry side – something I favour in a mascara for giving greater control during application and quicker va-va-voom results but these drier formulas do sometimes last a little less time before hardening in the tube – although the neck seal on this one does feel pretty tight.  The wand is interesting, quite rigid and small – making it great for stubby lashes with an even narrower tip to tickle even the tiniest of corner lashes with colour.

Overall, the results are pretty.  There is clumping on the second coat, but I don’t mind defining the above as pretty clumping.  I have enough lashes in the lash-line for a little bit of clumping to work for the effect rather than against it but if you crave total separation and flutter… you might not like.  I felt that this one gave me Bambi lashes that looked really nice from a distance of more than 3 foot – any closer and I was a little bit aware of da clump.  The colour was a nice touch that didn’t overpower but gave an added interest.  No problems with longevity/flaking/smudging etc. etc.

Clarins Instant Definition Mascara in Intense Plum is priced at £20.00 – it’s a Limited Edition release for Autumn and is unlikely to be available for much longer.

* press sample

In addition to the new long-wear cream shadows, and eye pencils which I talked about here, the Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara* is putting in an appearance and promising to deliver results that last for up to 16 hours.

It’s probably fair to say that when I think of long-lasting makeup, I’m not sure that I’ve ever cursed any of my mascaras for not lasting the course of a day?  Sure, some are more smudgy than others and then you have the ones that flake a little as the day goes on but I can’t remember ever looking in the mirror and thinking “awww crap, where’s me mascara gone?”.  Or maybe they just mean that it won’t flake or smudge… but then again, don’t they all promise that?

If you experience this kind of problem on a daily basis, then perhaps the Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara is your next dream come true?

The packaging is particularly sexy with a metallic-chocolate finish and sleek lines whilst the brush inside is teeny, tiny… and for me, its main USP.  This fabulous brush reaches every lash from the longest to the shortest.  The brush consistently pulls out the perfect amount of product and you can feel the packaging doing its job at sucking back in the excess as you pull the brush from the neck of the tube.  As a result, I can’t see this one drying out too quickly either.

You can see how narrow the brush is in the above photo, a really great shape for women with shorter, sparser lashes to define from root to tip.  I particularly like this mascara for my lower lashes, it separates nicely, fanning each one out without leaving clumps or excess product in its wake.  As for the top lashes, well… it’s not quite volumising, nor lengthening enough for me.  My lashes can take a hefty dose of product before they begin to look worse for wear and this doesn’t provide the lash-drama that I’m forever craving.

It does, however, provide a better-than-natural finish that you can build without too much protest.  As for longevity?  Yes, it lasts the day without smudging – well done.  I do see a couple of flakes if I apply more than two coats but nothing that I’d worry myself over.  Removal is easy with just warm water, though my cream cleanser (waterless cleansing) didn’t experience any issues with sweeping it away at the end of the day either.

Overall, I really recommend this mascara if you’re looking for a good, solid formula with a fabulous brush that helps create precision definition without missing a single lash.

Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara is available to buy on counter and online, priced at £18.00

* press sample

Starting tomorrow morning and lasting for 48hrs only, receive a free D.J.V. Beautenizer Fiberwig LX Mascara (worth £18) with any CultBeauty order over £40.  Perhaps now’s the time to plump for the Face Atelier Ultra Foundation I talked about the other week?  Or… how about this 3 Custom Color Century in Red Lip Palette that has a permanent place on the Lipglossiping wishlist (alter-ego, can’t blame myself for these wishlists).

Whatever you choose, the D.J.V. Beautenizer Fiberwig LX Mascara has a cult following and even got me rightly told off by die-hard fans when I reviewed it without reading the instructions properly!

The offer ends at midnight on Monday, so be quick!

Finding the perfect mascara is much like finding the perfect killer heels.  You want something that makes your legs (lashes) look incredible without crippling the wearer.  Some mascaras sting, flake, smear, or generally flop halfway through the day.  The Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara* is a good choice for anyone who wants impressive lash scaffolding without too many side effects.

My lashes are naturally fairly curly and crave definition and impressive darkening to make the most of them.  Curling isn’t high on my list of priorities but even I could see how once this mascara sets, it holds a rock-solid shape throughout the day.

The brush is a curved affair, with a tapered tip to allow you to reach the tiniest of corner lashes.  It does offer good coverage with a single pass, which is just as well because the formula has a tendency to go a little spidery if you go back for too many coats.  I’d stick with two as a maximum.  The formula is a little wetter than some, so be aware of this when applying… I’m always a little heavy-handed which usually results in a couple of splodges of product on my eyelid when using wetter formulas.  Avoid this by removing any excess from the wand with a tissue, or wiping it against the edge of the tube opening.

The black is a true, inky black which coats my lashes evenly and offers great definition, curling and lengthening.  It also does well to volumise at the roots, but again… with the wetter formula, you do need to be precise here.  It’s a little bit ‘bitty’ as it builds, and these ‘bits’ will flake off throughout the day but it’s purely the excess which drops, so again, just take a little more care that you haven’t loaded your brush with too much product and you’ll avoid this.  Another issue is removal… you’ll need warm water to remove, so simply hold a wet flannel to your lashes momentarily and the formula will slide right off.  If you don’t?  This stuff is holding steady – making it a great choice for Summer holidays!  Basically, there’s a learning curve with this mascara that’s worth getting to grips with.

All in all, I think the Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara is a strong offering from the line.  It does what it says on the tube, and if you’re looking for supreme hold and curl with a long-lasting formula (albeit with a little work on your part to get the absolute best from it), you won’t go far wrong with this one.

Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara is available to buy on counter and online, priced at £16.00

* press sample

Small children and babies are often bestowed with the gift of incredible lashes.  Have you looked into a four year old’s eyes recently?  Go find one and then come back and tell me that it’s not ridiculously unfair that they get such beautiful lashes.  I don’t know what happens to them over time but eventually, they too will spend their adulthoods trying to recapture the flutteryness of their youths.  Leila has some of the most awe-inspiring lashes I’ve ever seen – she has my curl and her Dad’s length… it’s a killer combination even if I do say so myself.  Me, well I need a little assistance in the lash department.  Not too much, but without a good mascara – they’re pretty insignificant.

Today, I’ve got a really lovely mascara to show you.  Not only that, but I’ve got FIVE of them to give away to you, my lovely readers.

Revitalash, the brand perhaps better known for their length-inducing eyelash conditioner also make a rather nifty day-to-day mascara.  The Revitalash Volumizing Mascara (£19.50) promises both volume and definition, the holy grail for thin, weedy lashes.

The packaging is fairly unassuming and the brush… pretty unremarkable.  There’s nothing about the product that gives you a buzz of anticipation, but they say it’s always the quiet ones don’t they?

The formula is quite, quite lovely… inky black with an almost rubbery texture.  It’s wet but not runny and leaves my lashes super-soft regardless of how many coats I apply.  From the first coat through to the third, this didn’t clump on me at all.  It pulled the lashes together at the base to create a greater emphasis on the drama but kept some really good definition right through to the tips.  One coat yields a distinctly natural result but from the 2nd coat onward, it was easily buildable into something more flutter-worthy.  Want to see?

No mascara on the left, three coats of Revitalash Volumizing Mascara on the right.  You can see the fullness at the lashline, when combined with some careful eyeliner application, the effect is dramatic.  I didn’t experience any smudging or flaking though this isn’t a waterproof product so perhaps not as suitable for those with particularly watery eyes.

Overall, I’d describe the Revitalash Volumizing Mascara as a solid all-rounder that ventures gallantly into the dramatic territory.  It’s not quite false lash effect but will see you through from day to night without any clumpiness headaches.  For stockist details, visit www.skinbrands.co.uk or buy online from lookfantastic.com

Or…

Have a go at winning one for yourself in today’s giveaway!

To enter and stand a chance of winning one of FIVE Revitalash Volumizing Mascaras, simply…

1.  Follow @Lipglossiping on Twitter

2.  Tweet: I’ve entered to win one of 5 @Revitalash Volumizing Mascaras in an exclusive competition with @lipglossiping http://bit.ly/xOMl1F

The competition closes on the 7th March at 23.59.  You have one week to enter!

T&C
1. Entry open to UK residents only.
2. One winner will be picked at random from all @Lipglossiping followers who have tweeted the required phrase.
3. Competition closes on 7th March 2012 at 23.59.
4. Winner will be notified over Twitter within 5 days of the competition’s closing date.
5. If you don’t have a twitter account you may still enter by sending me an email via the contact page using the subject line: “Revitalash Volumizing Mascara competition” and leaving your name and contact details.  If you win via this method, you will be notified by email.  No email details will be kept once this competition has closed.

Japanese mascaras are hot property and DJV Fiberwig is the top selling mascara brand in Japan, Fiberwig LX builds on the popularity of the original Fiberwig formula with a new-fangled brush that promises to coat each lash with greater ease, allowing more of those lash-extending fibres to reach their intended target.

I already have fairly long lashes but lengthening is still high on the list of what I want mascara to do.  There are two things in life that can never be long enough… lashes, and um holidays? (stop smirking).

Packaged in a glossy, red tube, d.j.v. beautenizer Fiberwig LX combines a lash-building fibre formula that unlike previous fibre-rich mascaras I’ve tried, doesn’t irritate my eyes or drop little fibres onto my cheeks as the day progresses.  It has a filmy, slightly oily texture that glides onto the lashes and the curved brush makes applying the product to my lower lashes a breeze.

I found the finished effect to be more lengthening than volumising.  I have naturally curly lashes, so I’m unable to comment on how well it holds a curl but I can feel that this is a lightweight formula, so I’d imagine that it would do well for those who need to curl their lashes in advance.  The most impressive thing about the Fiberwig LX mascara is its resilience.  There was no flaking, no smudging and my lashes looked as mascara’ed up by the end of the day as they had at the beginning.  Removal was an issue… I did have to work a little harder than normal to dissolve the mascara with my cleansing oil.  The product removes in little clumps which can feel a bit disconcerting!

If I’d experienced better volumising from this mascara, I’d have it on my holy grail list – but as it stands, a girl needs more than just lengthening alone.  Unless you’ve got naturally thick lashes, in which case run RUN to CultBeauty.co.uk, where you can buy the Fiberwig LX by D.J.V. Beautenizer for £18.00

* press sample

UPDATE: I sheepishly stand corrected… this mascara removes like a dream with the help of some hot water.  Who knew water was so, err, useful? 😉

Following on from the Summer success that was Estee Lauder’s Illuminating Powder Gelee with it’s “tribrid” Prisma Shine™ technology, the brand have created a collection of six new eye-shadows that make use of this all-in-one liquid, powder and gel texture.

“A lot of drama on the eyes creates sensuality, a sexiness. Smokey eyes are sexy and playful and I wanted to give women different ways to wear the look, anytime.”  Tom Pecheux, Creative Makeup Director, Estée Lauder

The unusual formula strives to create an eyeshadow that applies as smoothly as a cream, gives a molten metal-esque gel shine whilst wearing like a powder.  Having played with the collection over Christmas, I don’t feel the creaminess in the formula quite as I did in the Illuminating Powder Gelee but the bounce and soft texture are equal to the brand’s previous creation.

The six shades available in the limited edition Pure Color Gelée Powder EyeShadow (£19) range are:

Cyber Copper; Cyber Pink; Cyber Lilac; Cyber Silver; Cyber Green; and Cyber Teal (not shown).

Designed to be applied with both a dry and a wet brush, I’ve swatched them all on bare skin to show the difference between the two types of application.  With some shades, the difference is extremely noticeable as the metallic shine amps up to extraordinary proportions!

A few points to note about the shades…

Cyber Copper is the “brown” in the set, a great crease colour that is unlikely to let you down.  Should work particularly well with blue/green eyes thanks to the underlying warm, copper tones.

Cyber Pink is best used as a highlight shade, on my pale skin it blends out a crease colour nicely without adding too much glitz when used dry.  Also works beautifully tapped beside the tear ducts with a wet brush for some super sparkle.

Cyber Lilac is one of the most versatile shades in the collection.  Used dry, it is beautiful swiped over a standard taupey-brown crease colour, adding a real 3rd dimension to the proceedings.  Wet, well… it’s simply a stunning metallic purple.

Cyber Green is, in my opinion, the must-have in the collection, though hardly ‘green’ — this is a black with antique-gold sparkles that positively shine when applied with a damp brush.

Cyber Silver is a more wearable alternative to standard silver being less glitzy or obviously metallic than other silver eyeshadows in my collection.  I like to wear this dry, layered over another shade to give greater dimension.

All shades blend smoothly, particularly when applied dry.  My favourite method of application is to apply the shadow dry with a brush before wetting the foam applicator and reapplying in areas I’d like to build greater intensity.  Despite the all-singing, all-dancing formula, I’m not sure that colour-wise they really offer anything hugely new BUT (and this is a big but), I haven’t achieved such longevity from an eyeshadow ever.  These babies wear like nothing else, all day long with no fading or creasing.  For reals.

Cyber Lilac and Cyber Green are my top picks.

Also included in the collection are six new Pure Color Intense Kajal Eye Liners (£16) in shades:

Blackened Black (01); Blackened Cocoa (02); Blackened Plum (03); Blackened Sapphire (04); Blackened Olive (05); and Electric Teal (not shown).

Described as containing 70% pure pigments that can be used on the inner or outer rim, I’ve found them to share the same long-lasting qualities as the eye shadows.  Wear is particularly impressive on the inner rim where the colour fades but doesn’t run or disappear completely.

From the shades shown above, only 05 (Blackened Olive) is a limited edition shade, the rest will make their way to the permanent line.  I found 04 (Blackened Sapphire) to be much harder in texture than the rest and was the only one to need warming-up prior to application.  You can see from the swatch that there is a bit of skipping in the application and from the set, it would be the one I wouldn’t recommend.

05 (Blackened Olive) and 02 (Blackened Cocoa) are my top picks.

For a ‘mini’ collection, it’s not particularly compact and as a huge fan of Estee Lauder’s Sumptuous Colour mascaras, I am delighted to see the inclusion of three new Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascaras (£22) in shades:

Extreme Teal; Extreme Violet; and Extreme Copper (not shown).

All of the coloured mascaras in the Cyber Eyes Collection are sadly limited edition and if you’ve never tried a coloured mascara before, I recommend that this is the place you start.  Estee Lauder’s coloured mascaras never make sacrifices on quality of product for the sake of injecting some fancy colour into the formula and the new shades that I have infront of me are both beautiful.

You walk a fine line with coloured mascaras, it’s easy to over-egg the effect with high street options and look like you’ve stepped off the set of Dynasty.  These are understated but have enough welly behind them to make people take a second glance!  Such a fun way to complete a look.

I put together a FOTD with some of the products.  The light was fading quickly so you’ll have to excuse the graininess in some of the pictures.

I’ll list the products used at the end.

Cyber Lilac on the lids (used dry, then reapplied wet on the lid (with sponge) once the crease colour was in place)
Cyber Green in the crease (dry)
Cyber Lilac under the eyes (wet, with a precision brush)
Cyber Pink in the inner corner to highlight (wet, with a precision brush)

Blackened Olive to line the inner rims (both top and bottom).

For the purposes of a useful FOTD, I applied a single coat of both shades of mascara, you can see in the closeup photo which eye shows which mascara!

The NEW Pure Color Cyber Eyes Collection* is available at Estée Lauder counters nationwide and online at www.esteelauder.co.uk

Are you lemming anything from this collection?  Already made your purchases?!

* press sample