Grown up and sophisticated (Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eye Liner)

Member Name: dextermummy

Product:	Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eye Liner
Date:	07/12/08 (305 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great all round eyeliner

Disadvantages: No good as lipliner

So how much can I really say about eyeliner? Lets see shall we?

I was ready to write about this product being part of the Rimmel
London range, believing that 'London' was just one theme in a larger collection based on our capitals' 'look'. Having researched (ie googled) it however I find that Rimmel, having it's origins as a
perfumery in London, rebranded as Rimmel London in 2001 in an attempt to get back to its roots, and capitalize on Londons' trendy image. Those more in the know are probably going 'duh!' right now, but I didn't know and thought it was quite interesting.

So I started wearing eyeliner in the form of kohl pencils when I was about thirteen, and since that day my eyeliner has always been my primary beauty staple (soon to be replaced with anti-wrinkle cream I fear). Me and my best friend used to wear it on the insides of our eyelids, and the outsides, and with big dramatic lines coming out from the corners of our eyes. We used it as lipliner with our black (yikes) or dark purple (yikeser) lipsticks. Very occasionally we would sharpen them right up and draw teardrops or hearts or stars on our cheeks.

I only tell you this so you will understand how amazing, and
groundbreaking, the discovery of liquid eyeliner was. It wasn't this particular liquid magic that grabbed my attention as a fifteen year old girl, probably some cheap stuff I picked up in Spar or something, but the impact was the same. Here was some grown-up make up, it was classy, and there was a skill to it. Gone were the days of scribbling on my eyes like a two year old with a crayon, it was all about a steady hand and a nice straight line.

Fast forward 10+ years and into a make-up routine as unoriginal as sin, and, not an abandonment of eyeliner altogether, I hadn't slipped that far, but a return to kohl pencils as the easier, quicker, cheaper option. Then one day I'm treating myself to a few bits of make-up and lo and behold they have an offer on Rimmel products, spend so much and get a free liquid eyeliner. So I paid my money and got my free goody, and when I got home it went in my make-up bag and there it stayed for a year or so, untouched, neglected, uncared for.

Then one day,getting ready for a rare night out, something made me pick it up. And all the thrill came rushing back, feeling glamorous just holding it, would it feel as good? more to the point could I still do it? Of course I could.

Rimmel London Exaggerate eyeliner comes in a .08fl oz/2.5ml bottle. The bottle itself is black and is a similar shape to a nail varnish bottle, but smaller. The lid is black and silver and is about twice the height of the base, it narrows as it goes up and is similar to the barrel of a fountain pen. This makes it easy to hold, and to hold steady. It also means it is not so small as to get easily lost amongst all my other hoards of makeup.

It comes in two colours, 100% Black (001) and Absolute Brown (002). Mine is the black variety as I have quite dark hair and skin tone and like quite a dramatic look, I would imagine the brown would better suit someone paler, or for day to day wear as I only tend to wear make-up to go out. When you unscrew the top there is quite a long brush section, which is good because it means it reaches right down to the bottom of the pot. The brush itself is tightly compacted, like the end of a felt-tip pen, coming to a fine point perfect for precision lines.

I find the best way to apply it is to stand really close to the mirror (maybe not such a necessity if you have anywhere approaching decent eyesight) and to pull my skin taught to the outside of my eye with my left index finger. I then apply starting just along from the absolute corner of my eye, right along to the outside edge. If you start right in the corner it is very easy for the liner to bleed into the eye itself which can be itchy and irritable and can be hard to remove. The bottle says it is 'opthalmologically tested', which I'm assuming means that whilst being as annoying as heck when it gets in your eye, it
isn't actually doing you any harm. If you are doing the bottoms of
your eyes I find it best to tauten the eyes as before then just gently brush it in under your lashes as I find you don't need such a firm line as at the top, of course this all depends on the look you are wanting to achieve.

It isn't difficult to apply, but it may require a bit of practice.
When you put it on it looks like, and has the consistency of, marker pen, although without the distinctive smell. Wonky, uneven lines are often a sign of hesitation when applying. Committing to a line and just going for it gives the best chances for success. If you do bodge the excess liner is easily removed with a face (or baby) wipe, or a damp sponge. This is best done while still wet as it does become harder to remove when it dries, which it does quite quickly. This is a plus because it means it stays on pretty well. There is no noticeable wear or shifting after a normal night out, although if you don't take it off before you go to bed you will have panda eyes the following morning. Excessive eye rubbing and/ or hysterical crying can leave it
looking less than 100% (don't let anyone say I don't thoroughly test the products). On the downside it's stayability means that, although the bulk of the make up removes quite easily, you can end up with residue around your lashes that can take a little while to get rid of.

When it dries this shade stays a real true black and really makes your eyes stand out. I am a glasses, and occasional contact-lense, wearer and when I wear glasses anything too subtle doesn't notice at all but any faults tend to show up, whereas with my contacts I can be a bit more adventurous because it will show better. I find this product fine for both looks, and don't find any problems using it with contacts, although, because I only wear them for special occasions, I tend to do my make up first and then put them in, don't know if it'd work as well the other way.

This product retails at just below $(pounds)5 and is available from Boots and Superdrug and probably anywhere else that has a good range of makeup. It is a small bottle but last a good long time, so it does not work out expensive. I highly recommend it, even if it's just for that grown-up make-up excitement, although I can't guarantee that people more normal than myself will experience it. Even without that it is a reasonably priced, versatile piece and a good addition to anyones make-up bag.

Thank you for reading.

Summary: Highly recommended