Lancome Artliner Waterproof Gold Passion (103) Summer 2012 Precision Point Eyeliner

Lancome Artliner has been a permanent fixture in my collection for about twenty years. It used to be one of the first and few felt tip eyeliners on the market, and had set the standards for ease of application, performance, and longevity. This season Lancome is offering a waterproof version, Summer 2012 Precision Point Eyeliner, in three colors: Gold Passion (103), Bronze Desire (104), and Pink Luxe (200). I chose Gold Passion, a blackened, brassy, dirty gold.

The waterproof formula of the summer Artliners seems to have required Lancome to change the applicator. This is not a pen, but a foam-tip that's dipped in the tube. I'm not the biggest fan of foam tips because they can be extremely floppy (I assume to protect one from stabbing herself in the eye, for which my klutzy self is thankful). Lancome's version is pretty solid, or at least I've seen a lot worse. It's easy enough to use and with some practice can yield a nice fine line. Since Gold Passion is not too dark or harsh, I actually like to draw a thicker line than I would with black or dark brown. The metallic finish is not glittery or too obvious, and it plays well with many eye shadows and/or a navy blue mascara.

Lancome's new waterproof  formula is also different from the original by being somewhat flaky. I prime my lids religiously, so I never experienced a problem while actually wearing this Artliner, but when I remove my eye makeup this eyeliner comes off in chunks and flakes, so you should take extra care to prevent the debris from wandering off into the eye (and keep eye drops handy, as I learned the hard way).

Bottom Line: Nice. I wish for a similar color in the regular line.

Lancome Artliner Waterproof Gold Passion (103) Summer 2012 Precision Point Eyeliner ($29.50) is available at the counters and from lancome-usa.com.