Thursday, February 25, 2010

Review - Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Topaz

As many of you probably know, I'm a college student.  I totally fit in with the stereotype of late nights spent studying to wake up only a few hours later to get ready for class.  I try to get as much as sleep as I can, but being one who already has such deep, dark eye circles, I need a little bit of help to get to look fresh and better rested in the mornings.  Along with concealer routine, this is definitely something that I reach for when I am so tired that I feel as though I should try "every trick in the book."  So now here are my thoughts on the Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Topaz

 
What it is:
The Stila Kajal eyeliner is an eyeliner whose formula is designed to imitate that of the Indian eye darkener that goes by the same name.  The formula is also designed to be very smooth so that it does not tug on the sensitive skin around the eye area.  It is formulated for bold, vibrant color, and easy blending.
My impression:
Looking fresh and awake is one of those things that everyone wants.  Since I already have problems with my eyes looking tired, I thought that this would be a great investment.  I had already heard some really great things about this eyeliner, so I was expecting something really good.  When I saw it in the Sephora Valentine's Day weekend, I thought I'd add it to my basket and give it a try.
I've tried the flesh-toned/white eyeliner trick with several other products, but I had trouble with staying power and just having it look natural.  I was afraid that this was going to be the case with this eyeliner, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It definitely gave a brightness to the eye and the waterline.  I thought that it made my eyes look slightly bigger and more awake.  When I first started using it, I was a little shocked at the vibrancy because it was very light on the waterline, but I think that I was able to make it work.

I am absolutely positively in love with the formulation of this eyeliner.  It's so smooth and creamy.  It does not put stress on my eye area at all.  On top of all of that, it is very pigmented.

I was very impressed by the staying power.  Though it faded in the outer corners of the eyes after a few hours, the rest of it remained relatively put and I needed only minimal touching up.  This is even without setting it with an similar-toned eyeshadow.  It didn't run, either, which was something that I was worried about.  I believe that after my experience with this, I would for sure consider picking up some of the other colors.

My recommendation:
Although I think that this product helped to make my eyes look brighter and more awake, I think that it's one of those products that you need to be careful with to avoid looking a little bit weird.  I know when I first started experimenting with it, it took a few tries for me to get it to look natural on me.  

I think that one of the things that really helped the eyeliner to blend in was to not build the application up too much.  Building up the application too much made the eyeliner so bold it was almost white and blaring.  I think just a once or twice-over would be enough.  Having it too light or too noticeable is not the look that I was going for.

Another thing that really helped was putting eyeshadow on the lower lashline.  Mascara wasn't enough contrast for me.   When I do neutral looks, I think putting a brown or taupe eyeshadow like MAC's Espresso or Satin Taupe helps a lot.

The rundown:
  • Product: 4.5/5
  • Packaging: 5/5
  • Quality: 5/5
  • Overall: 4.8/5
  • Would I buy it again?: For sure!
  • Where to buy: You can buy this from Sephora, Ulta, Stila's website
  • Price: $18.00
  • Pros:
    +  Brightens eye area
    +  For the most part, looks natural
    +  Product is easy to use
    +  Very pigmented
    +  Smooth, creamy formulation
    +  Good staying power
    +  Doesn't run
  • Cons:
    -  Can look too light if application is built up too much
    -  Can look too light in general
Hope someone found that all helpful!  If there's any questions that you have, feel free to ask them here.  Or if you've used this product before, please don't hesitate to share your experience.  Also...if anyone has used any of the other colors, please let me know how you like them!  I'm interested in trying the other colors, like Onyx!


Disclaimer: I have not been paid to review Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Topaz. I purchased all of the products reviewed in this blog post and did not receive them for free. I ensure that this is my true and honest opinion.

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