So, finally I have a review to share! It was raining cats and dogs when I was in Malaysia over the weekend, and I got the bright idea of doing a test on waterproof eyeliner. I'm a big fan of eyeliner, and never leave home without my handy-dandy gel eyeliner from Tony Moly (mentioned in my previous FOTD post). That said, I've been let down by eyeliner in the past, and am always on the lookout for more awesome, long-lasting formulas that are kind to the skin.
I came across the display for Make Up For Ever's ("MUFE") Aqua Liner, which was released in Asia this summer as the lynchpin for the "6 Summer Looks" booklet.
Now, I love MUFE displays, because they always look so professional and shiny, not to mention that you get to play around with the testers as much as you like without getting a snooty SA peering down her nose at you like you're a pleb who really should run along now if you're not going to make a purchase. ;~; It's refreshing to find a store that actually encourages experimentation, don't you think? ^^
From left: #5 Diamond Turquoise Blue, #9 Iridescent Fuschia,
The Claim:
MUFE claims that "This eye-catching, highly pigmented new collection of waterproof liquid eye liner was developed to outperform even in the most extreme environments." It contains acrylic copolymer, which is a hydrophobic macromolecule that forms a flexible film to lock water out, and has 50% more polymers than traditional eyeliner eyeliner formulations. To top it all off, Aqua Liners contain essential amino acids derived from apple juice for high-color intensity and bold pay-off.
The Acid Test:
Remember my post about walking in the rain? That was the test - a whole 2.4 km of smoky, sweaty, rainy conditions, that really put my eyeliner swatches through their paces. It was raining heavily the whole evening, and as I was browsing and eating (sometimes, with shame I admit, at the same time), the swatches got quite a battering.
What I loved:
The eyeliner applies like a dream. Application is smooth, sleek, and incredibly precise, which is quite a tough call for a lot of liquid eyeliners. This is because Aqua Liners have a foam applicator instead of a conventional brush, meaning that the former can pick up product and distribute it evenly in one, smooth stroke instead of you having to make a couple of haphazard ones. Coupled with the unique formula which combines high pigments and polymers, those with steady hands can get a clean, thin eyeliner line without much fuss. The handle of the applicator is pretty ergonomic, too, and fit easily in my hand without feeling clunky or awkward.
I also loved the colours - they were vibrant, opaque, and were true to the shades depicted on the eyeliner bottle. I liked how the ones with sparkle (in particular, #1 Diamond Gold, had tangible bits of glitter in them, and as you can see, #5 Diamond Turquoise Blue delivered a neon pop of colour which would have looked killer if I had applied it to my eyes. I only swatched each colour once, and the colours were so pigmented, I didn't need to do go over it again.
The eyeliner dried quickly - I had barely made it to the lipgloss stand (which was just two steps away) before the swatches had dried and were practically unsmudgeable (I did try). Removal was also easy, because the eyeliner rubs away with soap and water without leaving any ugly smudges and streaks. Champion!
What I didn't love:
It didn't survive the pasar malam. The eyeliner stuck fast when I was safe and dry indoors, but once I got caught in the rain (it was pretty heavy, but I had an umbrella) and started coming into contact with oil, grease and dirt, some colours didn't cut the mustard. See the swatch below:
This was after four hours of hanging out in the rain. As you can see the blue-green based shades (#5 and #4) bled right through, seeping into the fine lines of my hand. I can imagine this getting pretty messy if this happens on your eye. However, the other colours held fast. In particular, the #13 Mat Black impressed me with its staying power as it remained pristine and held up to the trials of the day.
That said, I think for the price, you don't get a whole lot of product (each eyeliner is 0.058 oz), so it is pretty expensive. In particular, if you're after a good, strong blue / green eyeliner with staying power under more extreme conditions, you might have to continue your search because they do tend to bleed. However, for regular use, I think the MUFE Aqua Liners more than live up to their claim. Just make sure you're 100% sure they won't run if you're going to be wearing it to the beach!
Here's the complete list of Aqua Liner colours:
I came across the display for Make Up For Ever's ("MUFE") Aqua Liner, which was released in Asia this summer as the lynchpin for the "6 Summer Looks" booklet.
Now, I love MUFE displays, because they always look so professional and shiny, not to mention that you get to play around with the testers as much as you like without getting a snooty SA peering down her nose at you like you're a pleb who really should run along now if you're not going to make a purchase. ;~; It's refreshing to find a store that actually encourages experimentation, don't you think? ^^
#1 Diamond Gold, #13 Mat Black, #8 Iridescent Electric Purple, #4 Diamond Lagoon Green
The Claim:
MUFE claims that "This eye-catching, highly pigmented new collection of waterproof liquid eye liner was developed to outperform even in the most extreme environments." It contains acrylic copolymer, which is a hydrophobic macromolecule that forms a flexible film to lock water out, and has 50% more polymers than traditional eyeliner eyeliner formulations. To top it all off, Aqua Liners contain essential amino acids derived from apple juice for high-color intensity and bold pay-off.
The Acid Test:
Remember my post about walking in the rain? That was the test - a whole 2.4 km of smoky, sweaty, rainy conditions, that really put my eyeliner swatches through their paces. It was raining heavily the whole evening, and as I was browsing and eating (sometimes, with shame I admit, at the same time), the swatches got quite a battering.
What I loved:
The eyeliner applies like a dream. Application is smooth, sleek, and incredibly precise, which is quite a tough call for a lot of liquid eyeliners. This is because Aqua Liners have a foam applicator instead of a conventional brush, meaning that the former can pick up product and distribute it evenly in one, smooth stroke instead of you having to make a couple of haphazard ones. Coupled with the unique formula which combines high pigments and polymers, those with steady hands can get a clean, thin eyeliner line without much fuss. The handle of the applicator is pretty ergonomic, too, and fit easily in my hand without feeling clunky or awkward.
I also loved the colours - they were vibrant, opaque, and were true to the shades depicted on the eyeliner bottle. I liked how the ones with sparkle (in particular, #1 Diamond Gold, had tangible bits of glitter in them, and as you can see, #5 Diamond Turquoise Blue delivered a neon pop of colour which would have looked killer if I had applied it to my eyes. I only swatched each colour once, and the colours were so pigmented, I didn't need to do go over it again.
The eyeliner dried quickly - I had barely made it to the lipgloss stand (which was just two steps away) before the swatches had dried and were practically unsmudgeable (I did try). Removal was also easy, because the eyeliner rubs away with soap and water without leaving any ugly smudges and streaks. Champion!
What I didn't love:
It didn't survive the pasar malam. The eyeliner stuck fast when I was safe and dry indoors, but once I got caught in the rain (it was pretty heavy, but I had an umbrella) and started coming into contact with oil, grease and dirt, some colours didn't cut the mustard. See the swatch below:
This was after four hours of hanging out in the rain. As you can see the blue-green based shades (#5 and #4) bled right through, seeping into the fine lines of my hand. I can imagine this getting pretty messy if this happens on your eye. However, the other colours held fast. In particular, the #13 Mat Black impressed me with its staying power as it remained pristine and held up to the trials of the day.
That said, I think for the price, you don't get a whole lot of product (each eyeliner is 0.058 oz), so it is pretty expensive. In particular, if you're after a good, strong blue / green eyeliner with staying power under more extreme conditions, you might have to continue your search because they do tend to bleed. However, for regular use, I think the MUFE Aqua Liners more than live up to their claim. Just make sure you're 100% sure they won't run if you're going to be wearing it to the beach!
Here's the complete list of Aqua Liner colours:
- #1 Diamond Gold
- #3 Iridescent Emerald Green
- #4 Diamond Lagoon Green
- #5 Diamond Turquoise Blue
- #6 Iridescent Navy Blue
- #7 Diamond Black Purple
- #8 Iridescent Electric Purple
- #9 Iridescent Fuchsia
- #10 Iridescent Red
- #11 Diamond Burgundy
- #12 Mat Mocha
- #13 Mat Black
- #14 Diamond Multicolor Black
- #15 Iridescent Anthracite
And so there you go! Be a fan of MUFE Singapore at their webbie, and for more information, visit MUFE's main website.
Which brand of eyeliner do you swear by? ^~^
Ingredients List:
Aqua (Water), Butylene Glycol, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone, Sorbitol, Laureth-2 Benzoate, Sodium Laureth-12 Sulfate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Ammonium Hydroxide, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Polyacrylate, Coconut Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Mica, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, [??? CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), CI 75470 (Carmine), CI 77000 (Aluminum Powder), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride), CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens), CI 77289 (Chromium Hydroxide Green), CI 77400 (Bronze Powder), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide)].
Helloooooo! I love those vivid colors!! x)♪ Are you interested in asian products? I am going to sell Japanese products on my blog in Dec, so please check it out! ;)
ReplyDelete@LiLy: Thanks, I'll check it out!
ReplyDelete