I bought this eye pencil to use up a No. 7 voucher from Boots a while back, not having read any reviews of it or realising just how good it really is. Black eyeliner has been part of my everyday makeup since I was about 17 and I feel almost naked without it. Having tried other, cheaper liners, I've discovered that Amazing Eyes is the best mid-priced pencil liner and beats the competition hands down.


** The product **

The Amazing Eyes Pencil is simply an eyeliner pencil with a normal tip on one end and a sponge tip on the other, which creates a smudged or smoky effect. It comes in a range of colours (black, brown, greyish blue) but I always go for black to match my hair and my mascara!


** Packaging **

This is pretty minimal - it's a pencil! Both the pencil tip and the sponge smudger have pratical plastic lids to prevent them from getting dirty or marking other items in your makeup bag. The lids fit snugly and cannot be pushed down too far (this is a problem with cheaper pencils, I find - you push the lid down too far by accident and it squashes the tip of the liner). The lids are also durable - they outlast the liner itself so there's not danger of them cracking or splitting. The sponge is securely attached to the pencil with a gold-coloured metal sleeve and has never, in my experience, fallen off or torn.


** Application **

This could not be simpler - all you have to do is draw along your upper lashline with a sharpened tip. The liner glides on smoothly and easily without dragging the skin and leaves a strong line that can either be left as it is or blended. The pencil is quite soft, which means it needs sharpening quite regularly, although you can go for quite a while without sharpening it if you like to line your eyes thickly, since a blunt Amazing Eyes liner gives a lovely thick, dramatic line.

To blend, use the sponge tip to gently stroke the line into the lashline and outwards. I also use the pencil on the lower lashline, though I prefer to keep it below the lower lashes. It can be applied to the waterline (i.e. the moist skin between the lashes and the eyeball) but I've found that it doesn't stay on - a few blinks and it's gone. I don't think this is a fault of the liner, since it's happened with every eyeliner I've ever tried - it must be that my eyes are too moist or something.


** Performance **

The Amazing Eyes Pencil leaves a lovely, rich line on my eyelids that stays put all day and hardly needs touching up. The black pencil has a lovely, inky pigment that doesn't fade. This is where I really notice the different between Amazing Eyes and cheaper eyeliners - the bargain products tend to wear off after a few hours whereas Amazing Eyes doesn't. While this liner isn't waterproof, it generally stays put in a hot or humid atmosphere, so is good for nights out and holidays.

As far as removing the product goes, I've managed to remove it with absolutely every makeup remover or facial wash/ wipe I've ever used, which means it's completely hassle-free. It also doesn't leave any residue behind.

As someone who suffers from sensitive eyes and allergies that result in conjunctivitis, I'm also pleased to say that I've never had any adverse reaction to this product. I can't comment on its suitability for contact-lense wearers as I've never worn lenses myself (yet!).

The only annoying thing about the pencil is that it sometimes crumbles when you sharpen it, but I find it helps if you put it in the freezer first.


** Price **

It will set you back £7.00 in Boots. That might seem quite pricey compared to other similar products, but it's worth every penny in my opinion. An Amazing Eyes pencil lasts me for about 18 months of daily wear, which I think is great value. I know they say you should throw eye makeup away after 6 months to one year, but I think pencils like this are an exception, because the liner further down the pencil doesn't get exposed to air or bacteria until you sharpen the pencil down.

I recently bought a Boots 17 black pencil liner that looked more or less identical to Amazing Eyes, save for the lack of sponge applicator, thinking that surely black pencil eyeliners are much of a muchness and a £2.49 one would do the job just as well. I have to say I was really disappointed with it - the colour wasn't rich and it rubbed off really quickly. For me it simply has to be Amazing Eyes.