Best Beauty Buy in a While – Eyeliner – MAC Vs Benefit

MAC Vs Benefit – Eyeliner

A really horrible thing happened to me about a month ago. A first World problem, Yes, but one that any gal or guy understands to be rather detrimental to a ladies health. I lost my make-up bag, full to the brim with all my favourites. Not only did each item add up to a pretty penny but there’s a part of me that still thinks even after all this time there is something I could have done to prevent it. Yes, I could’ve not brought it out with me that day and night. Anyhoo although the pain runs deep and my wallet does not, I have been slowly building up my lost collection and although I’ve had a mishap or two since, my new makeup bag is gradually getting back to it’s predecessor’s former glory.

The second item to be replaced, the first was the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation, was eyeliner. It wasn’t the YSL Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils liner, which I luckily had left at home and which is perfect for my Flick or Cats Eye look. It was my eyeliner pencil and I was lost for my smokey eye look which is a must for every gal in my books.

MAC – Eye Pencil in Coffee €17.50

I was introduced to this pencil and more importantly its colour about six months ago. Up until that day I’d always used black eyeliner, however when treating myself to a mini makeover at the local MAC store, I was recommended to use brown and given a tip on how to blend. From that day I was hooked on the colour as it blends so easily and looks great with so many eye shadow shades.

The colour of the pencil is a dark brown. It’s deep and when running it along your upper lids and lash-line you can see the intensity achievable so that you could if you chose decide on a flick effect. It’s the same for the lower lash-line, the pencil just glides along full of colour. However the real magic of this eyeliner is how it blends and smudges to create a smokey eye effect. It’s perfect. The colour can be smudged or blended for just a hint of smokiness or built on for intensity. With regard to lasting all day, it does a good job, more so on the upper lids but the way I see it if you are taking your makeup from day to night you most likely will reapply anyway.

*****

A tip I learnt from my aforementioned mini makeover was to create a sort of arrow / triangular shape on the upper lid and to smudge it into the eye socket along the crease line and out. I found this picture on Pinterest which highlights what I’m describing. I don’t have the original source and you’ll be waiting a long time for me to take photo’s of myself to illustrate same.

*****

Benefit – BAD gal liner Waterproof in Espresso €21.50

I work in the centre of Dublin so to say that I haven’t spotted Benefit’s BAD gal liner before a couple of weeks ago would be a lie, how I came about buying it was due to another mishap when I lost my MAC Eye Pencil again, this time solo. Don’t ask me how as I’m still curious. Anyhoo I did and I hoped that by buying a new eye liner I’d finally break the ‘loosing makeup curse’ I really didn’t want to become accustomed to. 

The eyeliner kind of jumped out at me. BAD gal, Waterproof and a special blending tip, sure why not! The liner is a lovely coffee or should I say espresso colour. It glides on the upper lids and does so on the lower lids but the colour is not as intense a colour as you’d expect. It can be built on on the upper lids to achieve a richer colour however on the lower ones it tends to look a little clumpy. When it comes to using the special blending tip … muh! Maybe I haven’t mastered it just yet however when I think about it I would prefer a longer pencil than this added blending tip. 

*****

Conclusion of MAC Eye Liner Vs Benefit BAD gal liner

Although I will continue to use both liners only one will be purchased again. In fact even though I bought Benefit’s BAD gal liner, I still bought a MAC Eye Liner pencil about a week later. That tells you something and why MAC Eye Liner wins. Here are the reasons why:

It blends better. It lasts just as long even though Benefit boasts of being waterproof. The colour is deeper and can be built on to create a dramatic effect easier. The tip is smaller so it can achieve a Flick or Cats Eye effect easier. It doesn’t look clumpy or dirty on lower lashes. There’s more pencil. It’s cheaper. (please see top photo).

These of course are my own views. You may disagree completely. If you do please leave a comment. 

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