Splurge Or Save: Nude Eye Liner

Today I'm comparing the NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte - light almond ($29) to the RIMMEL LONDON ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Nude (~$9). 

A nude shade of eyeliner is applied to the waterline (see the arrow in the photo below) to brighten up the eye and erase any redness that tends to appear in that area. If you're wearing a darker eye look, with lots of shadow and mascara on the lower lash line, using a nude eyeliner makes the whites of your eye appear larger, opening up your face and keeping the dark makeup from making your eyes appear smaller.

NARS (twist-up pencil)

- Intense colour, easy application 

- Sharpener included in in the bottom cap

Rimmel (sharpen pencil)

- Very creamy, nice pigmentation 

- Not as long-lasting

As you can see in the photo to the right, The Rimmel liner is a shade or two darker than the NARS option. For my skin tone, NARS Rue Bonaparte is quite "brightening". The Rimmel pencil is too dark to give me that bright look.

I've actually tried the black versions of both of these pencils, and can confidently say that they are nearly identical. The NARS liner is creamier in general and lasts longer before the pencil dries out. I've noticed that you can't keep the Rimmel eyeliners for very long since the cap doesn't have a super tight seal and the formula turns dry and flaky around the one year mark. But they both work great within the first few months. 

Final Verdict: I probably wouldn't splurge or save if I were looking to make the purchase again. It's just too high-maintenance of a step for me at the moment. But for the sake of this review, I'd splurge since it doesn't even seem worth using the Rimmel pencil on my skin - the effect is barely evident.

Note: I've also heard of people using a nude eyeliner to trace around a dark lipstick to keep the edges sharp and the colour in place.

For any of you with a very light skin tone, go for the NARS pencil if you really want to erase all redness for a brighter eye look. For anyone with a darker skin tone than me, I'm sure you'd notice a significant enough difference with the Rimmel liner. 

xx