Yves St. Laurent Automatic Eyeliner Pen

What They Say: "At last, an expert eyeliner. The calligraphic brush offers great precision and its continuous but controlled flow delivers the correct quantity of product for each application."

Jen's Experience: The first contender was the one eyeliner pen that seems to have made it into every magazine's fall fashion issue. So, beauty junkie that I am, I drove right over to Saks to pick up my very own. It's awfully pretty in its slim gold case. The pen is instead a small black brush that is designed to automatically fill with just the right amount of color. Well, I tried applying it on my naked eye, I tried applying it over eyeshadow, I tried applying it over eyeshadow base. In every case, I had difficulty getting any color out of the pen at all. When I got any color, it was a medium gray, certainly not Black #1, the only color option. Did I just get a defective pen? In any case, this contender for my eyeliner devotion clearly wins the title: "Most Disappointing".

Retail Price: $31.00 (Nordstrom.com)

LORAC Front of the Line Waterproof Eyeliner

What They Say: "Front Of the Line's unique automatic delivery system makes it easy and effortless to get a clean, precise line. A flexible tip provides smooth strokes and ultimate control. Line up your options - from very fine to dramatically bold - and create true Hollywood Red Carpet style!"

Jen's Experience:  After my terrible initial purchase, I went out in search of a black eyeliner pen that actually produced a crisp and true black line. I wandered around Sephora testing various pens from various pens on my hand, and walked away with my second contender, this pen from LORAC. On my first use, this one produced significantly better results color-wise, but I found the pen to be incredibly scratchy on my eyelid. After using the pen for a while and allowing it to become more saturated with color, that problem has become less pronounced. Still, I find it difficult to pull a line, and as a result, I just can't seem to get a crisp enough appearance for any type of effect, be it the bold eyeliner look or the cat-eye trend. While it's not the right choice if you're going for style, this is a reasonably good eyeliner for daily wear.

Retail Price: $20.00 (Sephora)

What They Say: "LORAC's new breakthrough mascara pulls a publicity stunt … unbelievably gorgeous lashes that last! This revolutionary mascara creates long, lush lashes that are gym-proof, cry-proof and red carpet beauty-proof!

Its ultra lightweight formula is loaded with natural ingredients that create a long wearing, innovative new technology, allowing you to take a break from re-applying your mascara every day without it smudging, budging, or flaking. Get the celebrities' red carpet secret to flawless, long luxurious lashes that last and last!"

What Melissa Says: Now, I'm one that doesn't so much mind a little next-day smudge when I am lazy and don't take off my mascara at night. I usually just use it to my advantage and add a bit of eyeliner for an easy dark-lined look that next day. But even I get annoyed when I get smudging during the daily wear, and this addition to long-wear mascaras from LORAC stayed put remarkably well.

Unlike some long-wear mascaras we've tested recently, this one did not flake and looked clean well into the end of the second day of use (it's suggested that you can easily wear this for up to three days, but can remove prior to that if you desire with makeup remover or soap and water). Even then, flaking was minimal through day three.

This mascara creates length and great separation, though I did find the lash comb handy when applying multiple coats, as the formula begins to set quickly and can create very minimal clumps on ends of lashes. The lash separator comb took care of those wonderfully.

I suppose my major gripe is the volume factor. I like my lashes to look really lush, and even though they suggest that two coats may be desirable for some, I actually felt the need for three to achieve the thickness I wanted. I also didn't think this provided any curl, though it didn't promise me that, so I can't really complain. With each layer, the potential for clumps increases as you need to move quickly, but as long as you get the timing down, your lashes will look fresh, well-defined and smudge-free for at least two days.

Retail Price: $18.50 (at sephora.com)

DeLush Rating:

What They Say: "This no budge, no smudge, rich, creamy, waterproof mascara dries quickly and curls lashes like never before. The custom brush lengthens and separates each lash instantly, for longer, fuller lashes that stay put. "

Jen's Experience: I am really picky about mascaras. I want them to apply evenly, without clumping. To actually last throughout the day. And a nice bonus is enough volume to actually give a little drama. Unfortunately, this mascara fails on two counts. It applies okay, so checkmark for that one. But when I leave the house and go about my business, both out running errands and working, I find that it doesn't last through the day. It flakes off almost immediately, into the finest black dust that settles under my eyes. It doesn't even depend on how much I use, one coat or three. I would try putting my Blinc Kiss Me Mascara over top to bind it to my lashes, but it doesn't really produce enough volume to be worth the effort. In short, this is one of the least effective mascaras I've used.

Retail Price: $18.50 (Sephora)

Rating:

What They Say: "Each tube of gorgeous color is infused with Maxi-Lip, a natural tripeptide that has been shown to visually enhance lips by stimulating collagen production and increasing lip moisture. After 29 days of treatment during testing, test subjects experienced up to a 30 percent reduction in fine lines and wrinkles, up to a 60 percent increase in moisture, and up to a 40 percent increase in lip volume - not to mention long lasting color that's undeniably kissable."

Jen's Experience: Normally, I expect my lipsticks to provide that punch of color that you just don't normally get out of a gloss or balm. I also don't expect my lipsticks to provide much in the way of moisture. This lipstick is pretty much the opposite of everything I'd expect, but strangely enough, I'm not complaining.

I chose this lipstick in Misbehavin', a color that is nude. Very nude. Almost like clear lip gloss with a hint of gold. At first, I didn't think it did much for me; the gold just wasn't good for my skin tone. But then I discovered the power of the lip pencil. Ths shade on top of my Laura Mercier pencil in Chestnut is downright amazing.

The main reason why I continued to try this lipstick is the tremendous amount of moisture it brings to my lips. They stay glossy, which is nice, but they also stay moisturized like I'm wearing a balm. Of course, the downside to that is that I do have to re-apply more often than I would with some less moisture-rich formulas.

I haven't used this consistently enough (29 days straight) to be able to say whether or not it's given me a permanent improvement in fine lines and lip plumpness, but I will say that the immediate infusion of moisture gives the appearance that the lip plumping action is working as soon as I put this on.

One last bonus? It tastes a lot better than a lot of lipsticks on the market with it's subtle cocoa flavor. Overall, I'm a fan and I'm definitely going to try out some of the other colors in the line.

Retail Price: $18.50 (Sephora)

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I used to hate eyeliner.  I'm not sure if I was horrible at applying it or if I was just not used to seeing myself with smoky eyes.  What does this have to do with eyeshadow?  Well, I've been using this Lorac Eyeshadow as eyeliner for a while now (as well as eyeshadow) and it has changed my view on eyeliner.

From the Sephora website: "This gentle, non-irritating formula is infused with rich botanicals to soothe and calm the skin. This versatile range of colors can be used to shade, shadow, and define - creating any look you desire."

My Experience:  I was trying for a new look for evening one Friday afternoon and had the good fortune to stop in Sephora when the manager was available to give a mini-makeover.  I told her what awful experiences I'd had with eyeliners and mascaras in the past, which was why I generally avoided them.  Then she recommended using this Lorac eyeshadow as an eyeliner.  I was worried that I would have an even harder time applying a powder.  I am happy to say, my worries were completely unfounded, and now I have a great eyeliner that applies easily and looks great all night without irritating my eyes. 

Tips:  Use a small, slanted eyeshadow brush.  Moisten the tip by putting it under slow running tap water, then blot thoroughly to absorb excess moisture.  Pick up a very small amount of shadow with your brush and line as you normally would, trying to fill in between the lashes.  If you like, you can use a dry brush to smudge it a little when you're done to get an extra smoky look.

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Reviewed By: Jen