The Great Eyeliner Hunt III- The Cheapies

A few months ago I saw a L'Oreal ad featuring Milla Jovovich in several magazines. I can't remember if it was advertising lipcolor or hair products, because what stood out about it was Milla's sea-green eye liner. I haven't seen this color since the 80s, but there was already a blurb in Vogue about a bright teal colored Nars pencil, so it seemed that these hues are no longer part of the 'stuck in 1985' look.

I was still hesitant about running to Sephora and getting it, though. I mean, color is good and I'm not afraid of green, but there is nothing subtle about something so bright that is almost turquoise. But Milla wan't wearing Nars. Her liner was L'Oreal, so the next time I was in Target I checked out their offering.

What I found was Wear Infinite in Emerald. I don't know for sure, but it's probably what Milla was wearing in that ad- very bright, very green. I put it on as soon as I got home and fell instantly in love. The pencil glides on smoothly and is very creamy. Once on my lids, it was more powdery and settled nicely. The color stays true to its promise, and despite the softness (which I love, it's a major factor for me in evaluating a pencil) doesn't bleed. It's easy to smudge and blend into my other eye makeup, yet it holds throughout the day with only minor fading.

As for the color, I'm happy to say that it works. I line my upper lids and combine it with bronze eye shadow for a classic summer look. A nude lip color and bronzed face is all that's needed. The green makes my very dark eyes stand out, it's surprising, but with careful application it's flattering and not over-the-top.


Since I was so happy with this one and actually needed to restock on eye pencils in more conventional colors, I decided to get other L'Oreal pencils the next time I was in Target. I bought another Wear Infinite, this time in Brown Suede, a pretty neutral brown that goes well in just about everything. I also got Le Kohl Pencil in smoke, which is a taupish charcoal. Another winner- it's creamy but less powdery than the Wear Infinite, with an even better staying power. It gives great results and the color is great. It'll probably become my favorite when the weather cools down and makeup colors become less bright and more smoky.



But my favorite of all is the Pencil Perfect in Sage. It's a retractable, self sharpening eye liner. The texture is good, it glides on effortlessly, blends well and stays put like all the other L'Oreals. The reason I love it so much is the color. Sage is a dark khaki, the perfect blend of green and grey. This is one of the best colors I've ever had and complements my skin tone like nothing else. I can tone it down with neutral browns or bring it out with my favorite Bourjois shadow. This is one color that I hope they never discontinue. It's that perfect.