The last time I tried to use eye primer was also the first—in preparation for doing my own makeup (and a few of my friends) for our high school prom. I had no idea what I was doing at the time. Just that all the gurus (did I just date myself with this terminology?) swore by how primers helped with longevity and color intensity. Truth be told, I got it because I was new to eyeshadows and like to be perfect from the get-go; however, I still don't remember if the eye primer I bought made a difference then because I rarely used it afterward to really care.
It wasn't until my recent frustrations with dewier sunscreen formulations and stinging eyes that I turned to Etude House's Proof 10 Eye Primer hoping for some relief. Inexpensive and effective, all bundled into one for my first dive into eyelid primers in...almost a decade. What's to not like?
Etude House's description:
Proof 10 Eye Primer supplies coverage to eyelids and around the eyes to enhance eye shadow color and intergrity for a longer lasting, Perfect 10 look.
High molecular substances coat your skin preventing eyeliner and shadows from fading, erasing, or getting in your crease.
Premium powder and mineral powder corrects even the finest wrinkles, leaving you with a silky, flawless eye base.
Smoothly applicable and finishes with a soft and dry touch.
Directions
Use fingers to gently apply primer to upper and lower eyelids prior to eye shadow application. Also applicable to eye lines prior to eyeliner application.
Ingredients
CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, TALC, MIC (CI 77019), HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, ISODODECANE, TRIHYDROXYSTEARIN, VP/HEXADECENE COPOLYMER, POLYISOBUTENE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, SILICA DIMETHYL SILYLATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), BEESAX, PEG-40 STEARATE, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, DIMETHICONE, 1 2-HEXANEDIOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, CI 77492, METHICONE, CI77491, CI 77499, BHT
Primer 10 ml / 0.35 oz
Etude House (Korean retail): ₩5,500
Etude House (American retail): USD $7.20
JOLSE: USD $7.08
YESSTYLE: USD $6.90
iHerb: USD $5.63
Packaging
A clear plastic bulbous, kind of teardrop-shaped, tube with a long cap (for better grip) and doe-foot applicator. It has a simple design that gets the job done. I can see how much product is left inside. The expiration date is also very clearly printed on the side. The end of the applicator does reach to the very bottom but I am not sure how well it would work to reach the widest part of the bulb because of the stopper at the top to help scrape off excess product from the wand.
Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent
The primer is pinkish in color in the tube. Once applied it blends in well and is virtually unnoticeable. There is an initial silicone-like slip and tack that does dry down to a matte finish. Etude House did not add fragrance so the primer itself has a very standard wax/silicone kind of scent to it. I don't notice it normally unless I purposely sniff the product.
How I Apply
After applying sunscreen and before any makeup, I spread a thin layer of the eye primer with the doe-foot applicator across my eyelids and near the bottom lash line. I make sure to use my ring finger to really smooth everything out and remove any excess product to avoid creasing of the primer itself.
Thoughts & Recommendations
Oily lids, rejoice! I can finally wear non-matte sunscreens without tearing up uncontrollably and having any eyeliner, no matter how long-wearing they claim to be, smudge like no tomorrow at the outer corners of my eyes. (Both are related but are conditions that can happen independently of each other if the products are right.)
I cannot say this product stopped ALL smudging. But the difference it does make when I do and don't use the Proof 10 Eye Primer is still very noticeable. Even the eyeliner itself holds up better when I add the extra primer step. Creasing isn't non-existent but it isn't quite as bad.
Since I don't have many wrinkles near my eyes at the moment, that isn't an aspect I can vouch for. However, I would say that I have to be careful when applying this because of my bajillion eyelid folds and constantly uneven eyes. Being too heavy-handed does cause the primer to crease and not set properly. If left to its own devices, it will mix with my eyelid oils through the day and the primer eventually finds its way into my eyelashes.
Really, who needs a more expensive product when the Etude House's eye primer works and comes in under USD $10? Even the doe-foot applicator isn't a huge hygiene issue for me either since the primer itself is such a small size—either I finish it fast enough or am not too hesitant to toss something inexpensive. My next eye primer would highly likely be this unless I want to spend some extra dollars to try the mini versions offered at Sephora.
If the TattooStudio is everything I did not expect it to be for the worst, Maybelline's Total Temptations Brow Definer is everything I did not expect it to be for the best. I had purchased both products at the same time, opened at the same time, yet only continuously reach for one over the other.
MAYBELLINE's description:
Total Temptation™ Eyebrow Definer Pencil precisely fills in brows with our first teardrop-shaped applicator.
Fill in and shape eyebrows with this must-have mechanical eyebrow pencil. Also, discover more of Total Temptation™, Maybelline's most addictive makeup collection. It's designed for pure indulgence!
Directions
1. Begin by defining the brow with the narrow end of the teardrop tip.
2. Use the base of the tip to fill from the brow anchor to the brow arch.
3. Fill in the remainder of the tail of the eyebrow using the narrow end of the applicator.
4. Blend and style with the fluffy spoolie end.
Ingredients
G2014168 SYNTHETIC JAPAN WAX, STEARIC ACID, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, HYDROGENATED COCO-GLYCERIDES, ZINC STEARATE, POLYBUTENE, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL, CERA ALBA / BEESWAX / CIRE DABEILLE, MYRISTYL MYRISTATE, COPERNICIA CERIFERA CERA / CARNAUBA WAX / CIRE DE CARNAUBA, POLYGLYCERYL-2 TRIISOSTEARATE, VP/EICOSENE COPOLYMER, TOCOPHEROL, CITRIC ACID, [+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE] D212789/1
Pencil 0.15 g / 0.005 oz
Maybelline (Suggested American retail): USD $7.99
Packaging
A lightweight yet sturdy plastic pencil-type tubing with a retractable brow pencil on one end and a very small sphere-shaped spoolie on the other. It is a unique design, one that I don't mind at all because it does allow for a little more precise blending.
The coloring of the tubes for the Total Temptations Brow Definer line is the same pastel-peachy-pink. The only difference lies in the color band around the cap to show the shade of the pencil itself.
Maybelline describes the shape like a teardrop. To me, a new Brow Definer pencil looks more like a diamond/kite. Either way, the shape takes more of an oval look while maintaining a pointy-ish tip once it is used and the edges have softened up.
Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent
The pencil itself is quite soft while being very pigmented. It glides easily and there is virtually no resistance when it comes to drawing a line. The finish is matte without being dry, so it blends out very easily as well. There is no scent detectable to my nose.
To me, the "Deep brown" shade looks like a neutral ashy brown. It is not too cool nor warm. There aren't any red undertones yet isn't overly gray. (I don't know...I'm terrible at pinpointing a shade like this.)
How I Apply
Sometimes I draw lines to mimic individual hairs. Sometimes I just make general swipes in the desired shape I would like my eyebrows to look. Then take the spoolie and quickly run through the eyebrows a few times.
Thoughts & Recommendations
I am glad that the first retractable brow pencil I got from the drugstore turned out to be such a great purchase. Even though it doesn't have the additional powder and sponge-tip applicator like my all-time favorite brow pencil designs, I really enjoyed the simplicity of the Total Temptations Brow Definer.
It is affordable in two-folds. The MSRP (manufacturer suggested retail price) is low and the drugstores always have deals/coupons for beauty brands. The pencil also has a great color pay-off while being versatile and long-lasting. I could draw with a light hand for a lighter stroke or press a teeny bit harder for a deeper color deposit.
The one thing I have noticed is people around me really notice how strong and defined my eyebrows are whenever I use this pencil (even when I thought I had tried my best to fill it in a natural way). This is great for those looking for a more Western approach with their brows. For me, the learning curve to dial back the pressure and number of strokes I need was a little difficult.
Because of how concentrated each line looks, my one pencil has lasted me many many months. The Brow Definer has yet to show any signs of drying out nor have I experienced snapping. In fact, the pencil is so creamy that excess product tends to gather around the pointed tip if I happen to press too hard.
Perhaps the biggest negative, overall, is the lack of shades the brand offers. Maybelline's website only lists 4 (Blonde, Soft Brown, Medium Brown, and Deep Brown) and what is available in the physical drugstores is usually less. I would recommend these to whoever those 4 shades would work for and need something effective yet affordable. I do warn that it may be a tad intimidating for those who aren't into the strong brows look or is new to brow products.
Never have I ever been more disappointed in a single makeup product as I am with Maybelline's TattooStudio Brow Tint Pen. I expect something to be long-lasting and easy to use with a name like TattooStudio. Yet this brow marker is anything but. Had I not made an impulsive buy and read some reviews beforehand, my wallet could have been a few dollars fuller.
MAYBELLINE's description:
TattooStudio™ Brow Tint Pen Makeup fills in eyebrows with natural-looking hair-like strokes that last up to 24 hours.
Achieving perfectly defined natural-looking eyebrows has never been easier! Our 1st eyebrow tinting pen features an exclusively-designed multi-prong tip that delivers the look of natural, hair-like strokes instantly. Our long-lasting formula delivers up to 24-hour wear that is smudge-proof and transfer-proof.
Directions
1. Always apply the TattooStudio Brow Tint Pen Makeup on clean eyebrows and use before applying other face makeup.
2. Angle the multi-prong tip up across the eyebrow and draw hair-like strokes from eyebrow anchor to tail using a small, slow motion. Repeat as desired for added intensity.
3. To saturate the tip of the TattooStudio Brow Tint Pen Makeup, hold the pen face down for 5 seconds or gently wipe the tip on a clean tissue before continuing the application.
Ingredients
AQUA / WATER / EAU, ALCOHOL, GLYCERIN, PVP, PEG/PPG-14/4 DIMETHICONE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRA-DI-T-BUTYL, HYDROXYHYDROCINNAMATE, TRIISOPROPANOLAMINE [+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR, CI 16035 / RED 40, CI 42090 / BLUE 1, CI 19140 / YELLOW 5] F.I.L. D217393/1
Ink 1.1 ml / 0.037 fl. oz
Maybelline (Suggested American retail): $8.99
Packaging
A lightweight plastic marker pen with a color-coordinated cap. The applicator is a very flimsy and thin 4-pronged, maybe felt, marker tip.
Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent
"Deep Brown" isn't quite as deep brown as one would imagine. Instead, it is a medium brown at best with some reddish, warm undertones. There is a surprisingly green-black undertone left once it is met with running water. The ink that comes out isn't wet or tacky. It has a matte look once dried and no discernible scent.
How I Apply
Brush through the general area of where I wanted my brow shape to end up.
Initially: As the second to last step (before lip) in my makeup routine.
Later: As the first step in my makeup routine, especially before any base makeup and even skincare.
Thoughts & Recommendations
Let me clear the air by saying I did not read Maybelline's instructions before using their TattooStudio Brow Tint Pen. I thought it to be like any other brow product (or even similar to liquid liners) and could use it over top a face loaded with things such as foundation, powder, etc.
A brand new Brow Tint Pen has no problem dispensing ink overtop all those mentioned things. But as the marker tip starts to dry up the struggle to draw on top of things with remotely any kind of oil and texture was real.
I found that even skincare hinders the ability of the ink or marker tip to work. Switching to incorporating the Brow Tint Pen before even having applied skincare is definitely the hardest; I like to wipe my face (and eyebrow area) with a cotton round and toner because I don't wash with cleanser in the morning. Any drop of water to the ink immediately washes/wipes the "Tattoo" Studio "Tint" away.
The other big gripe I have with this Maybelline brow product is how quickly the marker tip dries out. It seemed like within the week I opened a brand new pen, the tip or ink already had issues. At first, I thought it was my application method. Yet I had trouble even when I tried to swatch onto my dry, product-less hands. This doesn't seem like a lone occurrence either as reviews upon reviews also address the same issue. Had I looked, it would have been the deciding factor for me to not try this brow tint.
A small gripe I have is with the design of the marker tip. It is overly flexible which ultimately means something that is hard to control, especially when someone is wanting precision for their eyebrows. The natural human tendency would be to apply more pressure as the ink runs out but the marker nub flops over all too easily.
Save yourself all the disappointment and headache. Even at the drugstore, there are better and inexpensive brow products. I am honestly too scarred to try another marker-type brow product in the near future. Maybelline made an attempt but this item works neither like a tattoo nor a tint.
