I’m always looking for cheap thrills, especially ones having to do with makeup. 🙂 Before I tried them, I was sure the uber-affordable Milani Liquif’Eye Liquid Eye Liner Automatic Propel Pencils (just $5.49 each, SCORE!) would fit the bill.
New for spring 2011, these affordable twist-up eyeliners come with a fancy schmancy tip that doesn’t need sharpening. The fun shades of green, purple and blue are supposed to last all day long…with “supposed to” being the (controversial) key phrase.
I tested the green one today along my lash and water lines, but contrary to Milani’s claims, it didn’t last long. Along my lash lines, it exhibited significant fading after three hours, but that was still about two hours longer than it lasted along my waterlines, where it gave up after one.
While smooth, the tip doesn’t feel as smooth to me as similar twist-up pencils like the Tarte emphasEYES Aqua-Gel Eyeliners and MAC Technakohls.
And as if that wasn’t disheartening enough, it took five layers to reach opaque coverage, yikes!
The price, packaging and colors hit the mark, but their mediocre wear time and coverage leave me wanting more.
PRICE: $5.49
AVAILABILITY: Available now at drugstores and also online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: C
Dudes and Uggs??
In completely unrelated news, the other day while El Hub and I were walking around a shopping center we spotted a middle-aged guy wearing Ugg boots. Yeah…I understand wanting to have warm feet, but for some reason it just wasn’t working. Heck, though, what do I know about fashion? Tabs is the one with the fashion sense! 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. I hope your week got off to a good start. I’m glad we got Monday out of the way.
Janet says
Hahaha my coworker is this big, buff bodybuilder and he wears Uggs! Only around the house, I think, but it’s still hilarious to me 🙂 Have a good night, Karen!
Karen says
LOL, at least he does it in the privacy of his own home!
Emily says
no one should wear uggs!
Karen says
Haha, I don’t mind them around the house…
Another thing I don’t get is when/why wearing pajamas in public in the middle of the day became okay.
Emma says
OMG I thought the pj bottoms was just an Indiana thing – it seems acceptable to be a slob out of the house as well as in here (sorry to any non-slobby Indiana folk). Uggs are short for Ugly and until Pammy Anderson wore them outside the house most of us Kiwis and Ozzies wouldn’t have been seen dead outside the house in them! I only ever wear mine as slippers (I call them slipper boots to distinguish them from UGGS) and would you believe the cost a mere $10 because they don’t have a ‘brand’ on them and they’re real sheepy. AND men should never wear them – that’s who sheepy moccasins are for.
Shirley says
Really? I got it in purple and it lasted a really ling time. All day on lash line and a couple hours on the waterline. Even cream liners don’t last that long on the waterline for me. Maybe it’s the color? I agree it was sheer though.
Shirley says
Really? I got it in purple and it lasted a really ling time. All day on lash line and a couple hours on the waterline. Even cream liners don’t last that long on the waterline for me. Maybe it’s the color? I agree it was sheer though.
vonnie says
i hear that the twist ups are much worse than the milani pencils that don’t twist up….the ones that you sharpen are supposed to last longer and work much better 🙂
Tavi says
I’ve seen guys wear uggs all the time too! so strange :/
Aparnaa says
In re: male uggs: I think they are figuring out it’s comfy, and knowing men, comfort is key. I had a male friend refer to wearing uggs as “walking on cherubs”… so… there you go. They have some adorable wedges this season, though!
Rengirl says
Aww sad. I was looking forward to trying these as I am a huge fan of the Liquif-eye pencils.
Sarah says
you’re using the WRONG milani pencils. i use the liquif’eye regular pencils that you sharpen, and i swear by them. i will never use another eyeliner in my life. i love urban decay’s eyeliners but i can’t afford them lately. i heard about the milani pencils, got them in brown and black. the pencils are blacker than black and browner than a bear, and they stay on ALL DAY. i recently got a teal colored one but i haven’t used it yet. they cost about $6.50 i think. the colors don’t have a huge range yet, but i know they’re awesome and very popular. everytime i go to the drugstore to buy them, there’s usually none or i’m lucky enough to grab the last one. try and review those ones i promise you will not be disappointed. 🙂 <3 Sarah
Kim says
Oh, BOO, Milani. I love that you included the back of the package boasting about them lasting day and night. And remove with makeup remover? They should have added: Or, if you have an hour, just let the air remove them. 🙂
I’m definitely not an Ugg fan (for me). I’m no style queen and I always need warm feet, but I would feel silly wearing them. I’m more into the plain and can-still-wear-them-in-20-years-without-looking-dated type of boots. 🙂
Jessi (Lacquered, Painted, Polished) says
I usually don’t got for automatic pencils, they seem to dry out too soon for me. And a lot of time the formula is just drier in general and i don’t like the tugging. It’s a shame about these when I’ve heard that the pencils you have to sharpen are so good. I still want to try those!
Nina says
i am so glad i held off on buying the new milani liquif-eye colors. i have the first four they came out with (black, brown, gold, silver) and theyre decent on the upper lashline. i havent used them on my waterline though.
the new colors are so pretty — blues, purple and green … but i dont need them if i need 5 layers for them to show up on my eyelids.
thank you karen, for saving my wallet, yet again!
Vijaya says
Thanks for this review. This looks like something I’d’ve bought if not for you.
Kajal Couture says
The jewel toned colors are pretty, but I need lasting power. Who wants to keep reapplying eyeliner throughout the day?
Cassie says
Urgh…uggs are terrible. I tried to get myself pumped up for them but ’tis was impossible. Yes, they’re comfortable, but so are my trainers and leather boots. Whenever I look at ah Ugg sideways, it reminds me of a sheep’s tongue lying flat. The shape just gives me the shudders.
What’s Tabs’ opinion on them anyway? If anyone can change my mind, he can!
Mayra says
When the milani liquif’eye sharpening pencil came out I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. But something strange happens when I use it. I wear daily disposable contacts and I couldn’t figure out why my contacts would get so blurry, I would take them off and there was an actual film on the contact that looked like condensation on a window o_O I finally figured out it was the milani eyeliner. So im kinda glad the self sharpening ones are a no go! 🙂
Chris25 says
It’s too bad these don’t last. I have a Milani eye pencil that I have yet to try out. I just bought Lakme Kajal kohl pencils on eBay. They are very black and I love them! They do smear a little, but I set it with black powder eyeshadow and that solves that.
Wendy says
Oooh these pencils made me SO angry. I love the original pencils (non twist up) and these were irritating. I got two and one was dried out (so bad color payoff like you had) and the other wouldn’t twist up right. It’s annoying that they are propel only too… when they have retractable eyeliners out there already, I don’t get it. I emailed their customer service and they were really helpful. They said to keep submitting feedback because they are new and they want to know problems with them.
Lilac says
agree with some others, I have a few of the original Liquif’eye (that need sharpening) and they last like glue.. Seems they changed the formular for the twist-ups.
Lorraine ER says
The original Liquif-eye pencils that sharpen are awesome. It sucks when a company has success with one formula so they start putting the name on all kinds of products that don’t live up to the original.
Phyrra says
Thank you so much for reviewing these and saving me money!
Tracy Christoan says
Save your energy. Just purchase. The aqua cremes from Make Up Forever. They’re $22 each BUT they go on opaque, don’t bleed and are waterproof. Plus they’re avail on like 15 colors.