It's a fish eats fish world

We know it's the way of the world. I'm happy for both Essie Weingarten and Liz Earle who have accomplished something every entrepreneur hopes for: build a successful multi-million dollar business, make a mark in the industry and then sell it to a bigger company for a legendary amount of money. But I can't help feeling a little disappointed that from now on Essie Cosmetics and Liz Earle Beauty Co. will no longer be independent brands. The former is being acquired by L'Oreal and the latter by Avon, neither one gives me the warm fuzzies.

I guess it's time for a new wave of small indy companies to make it big.

Image: Fish Eat Fish by Michael Rossiter

Blue

It's the smallest things that can make a huge difference.

I wanted a touch of blue in my eye makeup, something dark enough to not be weird, but not navy. I wanted a hint of color, something bright enough to definitely be blue, just without the 80s associations. The answer was a touch of Loreal's Wear Infinite eye lining pencil, in a color called Deep Sapphire.

Like all the other L'Oreal pencils I've tried, this one is creamy and soft, not pulling my skin and the color stays nicely in place without bleeding, migrating or smudging.

Seeing Green

Here's a surprise: I'm not Lindsay Lohan. And, less than three months before my 36th birthday is probably not the right time to adopt the look of a smudged black liner under the lower lashes. Honestly, I've had dark under eye circles even in my teens, and putting anything dark in that area isn't going to make me any prettier.

However, I discovered something that does work: green. My love for green pencil liners is well documented here, so I tried both L'Oreal pencils in Emerald and in Sage. I applied them lightly just in and under my lower lash line, keeping the line thin and not too smudged. Since the pencils are great quality and don't bleed, the result was very pleasant without looking skanky.

The colors are known to flatter my oliveness, and applying them like that brings color and lightness while defining the eyes. It looks more sophisticated than the dark raccoon eyes. I'm wondering if now I should try a silver pencil.

The Great Eyeliner Hunt III- The Cheapies

A few months ago I saw a L'Oreal ad featuring Milla Jovovich in several magazines. I can't remember if it was advertising lipcolor or hair products, because what stood out about it was Milla's sea-green eye liner. I haven't seen this color since the 80s, but there was already a blurb in Vogue about a bright teal colored Nars pencil, so it seemed that these hues are no longer part of the 'stuck in 1985' look.

I was still hesitant about running to Sephora and getting it, though. I mean, color is good and I'm not afraid of green, but there is nothing subtle about something so bright that is almost turquoise. But Milla wan't wearing Nars. Her liner was L'Oreal, so the next time I was in Target I checked out their offering.

What I found was Wear Infinite in Emerald. I don't know for sure, but it's probably what Milla was wearing in that ad- very bright, very green. I put it on as soon as I got home and fell instantly in love. The pencil glides on smoothly and is very creamy. Once on my lids, it was more powdery and settled nicely. The color stays true to its promise, and despite the softness (which I love, it's a major factor for me in evaluating a pencil) doesn't bleed. It's easy to smudge and blend into my other eye makeup, yet it holds throughout the day with only minor fading.

As for the color, I'm happy to say that it works. I line my upper lids and combine it with bronze eye shadow for a classic summer look. A nude lip color and bronzed face is all that's needed. The green makes my very dark eyes stand out, it's surprising, but with careful application it's flattering and not over-the-top.


Since I was so happy with this one and actually needed to restock on eye pencils in more conventional colors, I decided to get other L'Oreal pencils the next time I was in Target. I bought another Wear Infinite, this time in Brown Suede, a pretty neutral brown that goes well in just about everything. I also got Le Kohl Pencil in smoke, which is a taupish charcoal. Another winner- it's creamy but less powdery than the Wear Infinite, with an even better staying power. It gives great results and the color is great. It'll probably become my favorite when the weather cools down and makeup colors become less bright and more smoky.



But my favorite of all is the Pencil Perfect in Sage. It's a retractable, self sharpening eye liner. The texture is good, it glides on effortlessly, blends well and stays put like all the other L'Oreals. The reason I love it so much is the color. Sage is a dark khaki, the perfect blend of green and grey. This is one of the best colors I've ever had and complements my skin tone like nothing else. I can tone it down with neutral browns or bring it out with my favorite Bourjois shadow. This is one color that I hope they never discontinue. It's that perfect.