8 Sept 2010

Illamasqua Precision Ink Liners

Today I've got a review of the new Illamasqua Precision Ink Liners (£16.50) of which there are currently two colors available: Alchemy (gold glitter liner) and Abyss (jet black). They are liquid eyeliners with a felt tip that allow for precise application.


(Left: Alchemy, Right: Abyss)

Alchemy is quite interesting because it's not a typical glitter liner, which is often a clear gel with chunky glitter particles contained therein as I have seen from other brands. Rather, it seems to be a lot of micro-glitter so densely suspended in the liquid that it doesn't separate from glitter particle to the gel. Hard to explain but see what I mean from the picture below.



I decided to compare the Illamasqua liners to some budget alternatives from the drugstore. Below you can see the Illamasqua liners on the right hand side, on the left are two similar products from other brands.

(From left to right: Essence glitter liner in Angel's Eyes, L'Oreal Super Liner in Carbon Gloss, Illamasqua Alchemy, Illamasqua Abyss)


The Essence liner is one of those liners I talked about where the chunky glitter particles are suspensed in clear gel that forms the liner, I had to apply several coats of it to get the color payoff on this picture, whereas Illamasqua's Alchemy (and all other liners seen here) is one stroke.

But where these liners really shine is their longevity in staying power. The Illamasqua Precision Inks just do not fade, and last until the moment you decide to remove them with an oil-based makeup remover. I was told by Illamasqua that the liner contains a special type of adherent that behaves a little bit like cosmetic glue that helps the product to literally stick on, but doesn't contain latex. I noticed this especially with Alchemy. In the picture below, you'll see how all these liners behave after running cold water over them and a little bit of smudging with a finger.


The Essence and L'Oreal liners are well on their way to rubbing off, whereas the Illasmasqua liners still look flawless. In the final picture, I've added more water and rubbed a lot with my fingers.




The Essence and L'Oreal liners have completely rubbed off, and the Illamasqua liners have taken some damage, but are still going pretty strong.

Conclusion:

Hands down, these are the most long-lasting liquid liners I've ever used. The special adherents make for a very strong protective barrier against smudging and bleeding. The only down-side is that removal of these liners does take a little bit longer than conventional liquid liners. You must use an oil-based eye makeup remover doused on a cotton pad to take these off, and avoid scrubbing back and forth. (Baby oil will work in a pinch too.) I found it best to let the cotton pad with the remover sink into the product for a few seconds, then gently dabbing off. Especially with Alchemy, you might see some clear residue that takes a bit longer to remove. I also love the fact that a mixing ball has been added to the product bottle, which makes it much easier to shake up the product before applying.

I'm hoping that Illamasqua comes out with more of these liners, especially in the glitter variety, as Alchemy is really superb. It's easy to use, very opaque in one swipe, and the glitter really stays put. I would love to see these in colors like teal, silver, copper, and purple! I would recommend these liners to people who love wearing the dramatic winged liner and want it to really last all day, or suffer from watery eyes.

22 comments:

  1. Hi, i was just wondering how do these liners compare to the MAC liners that came out with the feline collection.
    thanks

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  2. I haven't tried the MAC ones so I can't compare if the lasting power is the same. The packaging looks similar but it all comes down to the actual ingredients of the products. Just because the packaging looks similar doesn't mean the product will perform the same - but again, I haven't tried the MAC ones.

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  3. I love the gold!! I hope they come out with a whole collection of metallics, how awesome would that be!! Thanks for always giving the best reviews of new cosmetics! :)

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  4. Anonymous4:04 pm

    Wow that eyeliner is awesome. im one of those people who won't leave the house without eyeliner. And u really dislike gel eyeliners. I wad trying to do the arab purple smokey eye and that eyeliner took me forever! So thanks cuz I'm a pro with eye liner pencils whether liquid or not. I di have a question for u.. My face is really oily. I'm about to get married. What can oi so about face make up? I have tried everything from mac, airbrush and sephora to covergirl. They all give me the same problem.. Looks fine when I initially apply it but then it goes into my pores and makes my pores look bigger and idk if im using the right terminology but my makeup liike like its melting. I was thinking off not wearing any but I wanted to look beautiful in pictures. What can I do? My hair styler said use tonic? But I don't wasn't to but I want another useless product.

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  5. Du kannst die doch nicht mit einem Produkt von Essence vergleichen, ich mein, Essence ist ja genau das Gegenteil von High-End Make-up wie Mac oder Illamasqua. Der Liner von denen kostet nicht mal 2€, für den Preis ist der schon gut und erfüllt seinen Dienst.

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  6. @ghettobeutii771 have you tried mineral make up? Sometimes the dry powder form helps instead of using liquid and/or cream foundations. Another thing you can do is wash your face before applying any makeup and use either witch hazel or a little rubbing alcohol and dab it over your oily areas. This helps dry out the areas. I recommend the witch hazel as it's not as harsh on your skin.

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  7. Wow, those liners are perfect!

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  8. Wow! Those liners won't budge, not even with water. I love the gold one.

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  9. that is the DARKEST black liquid liner i have ever seen!

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  10. That's an amazing review! Thanks!
    And that black colour is truly black! Amazing!


    Confessions of a Beautyholic

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  11. What a beautiful, high quality product. I've not tried Illamasqua yet, so this may be my first.

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  12. I love those liners, they don't budge and the colors are very nice. I guess these are the only 2 colors they have? I will have to go to the website and ck prices as I am on a budget right now. Nice review though, thanks!

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  13. ghettobeutii771, Hi, I am writting from Peru, so my English is not so well, sorry :-) Have you tried Face to Face Super Matte Antishine? you can find this product in CameraReadyCosmetics and, I think, also in Alconeco. I have the same problem and I use to use this product just for people who has a big problem of very oily skin (also for grooms or guys). You can apply this before or even after your make up is ready. Hope this can help you!

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  14. Anonymous5:54 am

    do they feel like a felt tip marker or are they really flowy like a paintbrush?

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  15. Great review!!
    Whoa, those really do stay put huh?!

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  16. Anonymous11:21 pm

    Have you ever tried GOSH waterproof liquid eyeliners? Those are so hard to get off ;D

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  17. beautiful! too bad i can't afford to splurge on stuff like that

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  18. Wow so great!
    I was going to get these anyway but now I am even more excited about it!!

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  19. Anonymous9:58 pm

    they are lush but v simlar to the mac 1s. these are waterproof but the mac are water resistant and do 9 colours! i have compared both and they are really close! mac are staying in line forever tho and how ofter do u need waterproof over water resistant??? for that they have liquid last! viva mac! viva glam!!! xxxxxx

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  20. wow, i am amazed by the illamasqua liners!

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  21. Wow, where can I get those Illamasqua liners?! I'm in Detroit, Michigan. @Julia: Loreal has a H.I.P. line with a gold liner. Have you tried any of their products?

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  22. Anonymous2:59 pm

    I hope i can find it in indonesia :'(

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