The Battle of Pinky Lipliners

Lip liners, don't they take you back to the 90s? To me that is the time when over-drawing your lips was the coolest thing ever and many wore lip liner on it's own. As with all trends they have a tendency to come back and the 90s are no exception. Right now fashion resembles that of Spice Girls while makeup that of Cindy Crawford. As a result, lip liners are being sold like hot potatoes. I have picked up a few too many recently, trying to keep it in the neutral, rosy and mauve range. Today I would like to focus on Rimmel's Exaggerate Lip Liner in 063 Eastend Snob and Catrice's Long Lasting Lip Pencil in 080 That's What Rose Wood Do!

Let's start with Rimmel. Its lip liner in Eastend Snob has been  popular in the blogging community as many compare it to the Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk. I don't own that one so I can't say much about it. Eastend Snob is a pinky mauve colour, which looks very flattering on the lips. It does not wash you out. It comes in a retractable format with a slanted tip applicator, which is good for a precision work. The texture is creamy hence it does not tug on your lips when distributing the product. In my opinion it is a long-wearing formula, even though it doesn't claim to be one. I can also agree with the exaggerate factor, I think it does make your lips look a bit more plumped and defined. But I think that is merely an attribute that all lip liners should have by default. I did not find it particularly drying and I usually wear it on its own. I like to fill in my lips first and later smudge the edges out, so it gives it a more natural, sultry look. I really enjoy the finished look and how it wears throughout the day. The only downside is that it's not cruelty free.

T-B: Rimmel Eastend Snob and Catrice That's What Rose Wood Do!

L-R: Cartice That's What Rose Wood Do! and Rimmel Eastend Snob

Next up is Catrice's lip pencil in That's What Rose Wood Do! Catrice is an affordable makeup brand that has some really good quality products. Besides the incredibly long name it is very close to the Rimmel's Eastend Snob. The texture is equally creamy and makes it effortless to apply. When it comes to colour they are very similar. Rimmel's lip liner is a tad more dusty, but on the lips you can't really tell the difference. Unlike Eastend Snob, Cartices's lip pencil claims that it is long lasting and waterproof. To be honest, I think Rimmel's lip liner performs much better in terms of longevity. Catrice's lip pencil comes in a traditional pencil format, so you need to sharpen it. I personally don't mind that but just something for you to note. Catrice does not test on animals which is a big plus. The only downside is that it is not readily available. You can get it in Germany, Austria (probably other European counties) or on eBay. Rimmel's Exaggerate lip liners are available at Feelunique. 

Bottom line, these lip liners are phenomenal. They are easy to work with, reasonably priced and can rival many higher end ones (I am looking at you YSL and Mac). I will be picking up more of Catrice lip pencils next time I am in central Europe. 

Which one of the two caught your eye? I would love to know!

Cheers,
Muffy