Etude House has really got something very right with their very small yet extremely mighty Proof 10 line of products. Both the Proof 10 Eye Primer and this Proof 10 Gel Pencil Liner have worked wonders for me together and separately. That is saying a lot considering I tried a bunch of eyeliner products at the same time but prefer Etude House's one much more.
Etude House's description:
Its creamy gel texture helps you draw a precise line with ease.
Create your everyday makeup look with the super wearable shades.
You can sharpen the tip with the bottom sharpener to create a precise, fine line for defined eyes.
Strong waterproof film polymer withstands water and sebum for a long-lasting, smudge-proof eyeliner that stays put.
Directions
Twist to dispense a certain amount and use it on the desired area. Close cap after use.
Ingredients
DARK CACAO
TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77499), ISODODECANE, POLYETHYLENE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), SYNTHETIC WAX, CERESIN, MICA (CI 77019), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), SYNTHETIC CANDELILLA WAX, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, POLYISOBUTENE, METHICONE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE
Pencil 0.3 g / 0.01 oz
Etude House (Korean retail): ₩6,800
Etude House (American retail): USD $8.84
YESSTYLE: USD $12.90
BeautyBoxKorea: USD $7.40
Packaging
A lightweight plastic retractable pencil with a cap on one end and a pull-out sharpener on the other. Most of the tubing is navy blue in color. The only bit different is the part that attaches to the sharpener, which has the same color as the eyeliner itself.
It doesn't appear to have the expiration or manufactured date printed on either the box or the pencil itself. I guess it shouldn't be too big of an issue if purchasing from a reputable seller or Etude House directly.
Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent
The pencil is available in 6 colors: Black, Dark Cacao, Milk Chocolate, Rose Brown, Wood Fire*, and Honey Bronze*.
*Glittery colors in the line.
Dark Cacao is as its name suggests a dark and rich chocolate brown color. The formulation is soft enough to dry well without being overly creamy to the point that it smudges—reminiscent of "cray-pas"/oil pastels if you're familiar with those. Overall, it glides with a breeze onto my eyelids without any tug or pulls. The line I get from it is very smooth without any crackly edges. Since it is a matte brown color, it also dries and sets to a very matte and dull-looking finish. There is no detectable scent.
How I Apply
Draw a line however I feel after having applied my face products and eyeshadow, even after curling my lashes but before mascara (if any).
Thoughts & Recommendations
I can't even remember the last time I liked an eyeliner product as much as I do the Proof 10 Gel Pencil Liner. I would go as far as to say that it is the I have tried so far (that is still available for purchase).
Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but not really sorry as I just really love these points about this product. The pencil itself isn't too hard that I have to tug and pull to draw a smooth line. Yet it isn't so soft and creamy that it smudges like crazy once it meets any kind of oil or water. I have gone well over 12 hours with it on, without primer and with a dewy sunscreen/base, and get only the slightest of smudges. Despite it lasting so well, the product still cleanses off easily with makeup remover or cleansing balm/oil.
I haven't used the sharpener even though there is built into the packaging. It just feels a little wasteful to sacrifice some of the good product just to get a pointier tip. If I want a truly defined line I would go for a liquid or potted liner + makeup brush. That's just my thoughts.
Dark Cacao may be a bit dull in color for some. But it is a great as a less obvious line color. Black would definitely be on my To-Try list the next time around. The other colors in the line may be too bright to wear on the daily. If it isn't already obvious enough, I think everyone should try it...immediately.
I thought I would love the Missha Ultra Powerproof Pencil Liner the minute I first swatched and attempted to rub and smudge the line away. I don't think I have ever met an eyeliner that stayed so well on my hands even after washing with normal hand soap and water. If only the eyeliner continued to last just as well against the oils from my face and eyelids, this would have easily been my new favorite liner product.
MISSHA's description:
Ultra Power/Waterproof Effect - This new eyeliner lasts in water, sweat, and sebum while giving your eyes a strong bold effect.
Smooth Texture - Easily glides onto your lids with its smooth texture.
No Smudging - Quickly dries reducing any possibilities of smudging for a long-lasting, clean look.
**Renewed recently. Claims to have an "improved formula for a brighter, clearer, long-lasting effect".
Directions
Twist the upper cap to show just enough of the pencil to use.
Follow your lash line and draw.
This gel-type pencil liner takes 3-5 seconds to fully set.
Blend naturally by using the sponge tip for a deeper look.
Ingredients (new formula)
BLACK IRON OXIDES, TRIMETHYLSILHOXYSILICATE, ISODODECANE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, POLYETHYLENE, SYNETHIC WAX, MICA (CI 77019), CERESIN, EUPHORBIA CERIFERA (CANDELILLA) WAX, POLYISOBUTENE, POLYDYROXYSTEARIC ACID, DIMETHICONE, LECITHIN, ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE, ISOSTEARIC ACID, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, GLYCERYL GAPRYLATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYRICINOLEATE BROWN TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, ISODODECANE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77499), CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), POLYETHYLENE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), SYNTHETIC WAX, CERESIN, MICA (CI 77019), EUPHORBIA CERIFERA (CANDELILLA) WAX, POLYISOBUTENE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, POLYHYDROXYSTEARIC AIC, LECITHIN, ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE, ISOSTEARIC ACID, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, DIMETHICONE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYRICINOLEATE ASH BROWN TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, IRON OXIDES (CI 77499), ISODODECANE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, POLYETHYLENE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), SYNTHETIC WAX, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), CERESIN, MICA (CI 77019), EUPHORBIA CERIFERA (CANDELILLA) WAX, POLYISOBUTENE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, POLYHYDROXYSTEARIC ACID, LECITHIN, ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE, ISOSTEARIC ACID, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, DIMETHICONE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYRICINOLEATE
Pencil 0.2 g
MISSHA (Korean retail): ₩11,000
MISSHA (American retail): USD $18.00
YESSTYLE: USD $8.90
Packaging
**The renewed Ultra Powerproof line of pencil eyeliner, liquid liner, mascara, etc. has chromatic, rainbow-colored packaging.
Other than color changes, the overall design of the old versus new Ultra Power Proof Pencil Liner seems to be the same. One side offers a retractable, thicker-type eyeliner and the other a firm and pointed sponge-tip applicator.
I won't comment on the materials of the packaging since I only have the old version which isn't available anymore. However, I do hope that the new design shows the manufacture date a little more clearly. The black text they used to print it in, on both the dark navy box and the black retractable portion of the pencil itself, is difficult to see.
Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent
**Missha currently offers 3 colors for this specific pencil range: black, brown, and ash brown.
The black pencil (at least the old version I have) has an intense and dark pigmentation even with just one swipe. It is soft and glides very smoothly with no tugging. Once a few seconds pass, the drawn line does not budge. Even the provided sponge-tip applicator doesn't really "smudge" said line; it just rubs away surface pigmentation giving a less intense line color. There is a slight wax smell if one were to sniff the eyeliner in its tubing but not noticeable at all when applying or once on the eyelid.
Perhaps the formulation is too soft? A few days after I started to use this new liner, I snapped about 1/3 of it off because I had mistakenly twisted too much of it out before application.
How I Apply
After applying primer and eyeshadow, I twist up just enough eyeliner to see it sticking out through the tip and draw a line close to my lashes (without being a tight line).
Thoughts & Recommendations
**I am only commenting on the old formulation.
Missha even claimed the old formulation of the Ultra PowerProof Pencil Liner to have been great against water, sweat, and sebum. I wouldn't have questioned their claims after that initial swatch on my hand. The eyeliner stays well on my clean skin or with a matte base. Splashing water on it and tears didn't really budge the product at all.
However, once my facial oils start to gather and collect at the corners of my eyes the eyeliner inevitably starts to smudge, and a lot at that. The amount of smudging greatly varies depending on the sunscreens I use as well; the less matte the formulation the more panda-like I end up. Likewise, the hotter the day and earlier my face produces oils, the earlier and longer I end up having liner transferred to the bottom lash line.
While I don't hate the thicker pencil, it didn't help draw the most defined and thin wing/liner tail. Using this for a general smokey eye also wasn't a choice since the product cannot budge to create that desired smudged look. In the end, the Ultra Powerproof Pencil was mainly used to darken my lash line.
I wanted so much for this product to work. The smooth texture is a dream for easy application. Its waterproof-ness is something to be envied. Perhaps the improved and "new" formulation would fill in where this one lacked? Before discovering the renewal I would have definitely not considered a repurchase. Otherwise, those with a less oily face and eyelids would probably thank Missha and believe it to be a godsend.
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.
