REVIEW: Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2in1 Eyeliner
For years and years and years, I pretty determinedly avoided liquid liner. Why, you ask? Because it's HARD when you're first starting out to get a good, smooth line. I tried a few times, looked like a crazy person, and pretty much wrote it off from there. There were a few times that I've picked up some liquid liners in the past couple of years to try them again and my application got a little better, but I never really grabbed onto it as a product to put into my regular routine. Until recently. It's probably because of eye makeup photos on Beautylish and Pinterest, if we're being honest. They pretty much always have perfectly applied liquid liner and the looks are always incredible.
Now, being that I decided I needed to give liquid liner a real chance, I obviously needed to consult with the internet for recommendations. I wanted some affordable drugstore options to start out with because I certainly wasn't ready to commit. I tried a couple of others that never really did it for me and I think I've officially decided that felt tip isn't the way to go for me. A lot of people find it easier to use, but I definitely find it more fussy and difficult to get the kind of smooth, thin line that I like on the day to day.
That being said, after a couple of pretty significant misses, I picked this up on a recommendation when it was on sale (ALWAYS WAIT FOR PHYSICIANS FORMULA TO GO ON SALE BEFORE YOU BUY IT! Ahem) because I'd heard all kinds of good things.
Keep reading for my thoughts.
That being said, after a couple of pretty significant misses, I picked this up on a recommendation when it was on sale (ALWAYS WAIT FOR PHYSICIANS FORMULA TO GO ON SALE BEFORE YOU BUY IT! Ahem) because I'd heard all kinds of good things.
Keep reading for my thoughts.
PRICEPOINT - This is definitely not the cheapest liquid liner in the drugstore. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's probably one of the most expensive. However, Physicians Formula does go on sale a lot and that tends to bring it down to the kinds of prices that you're looking at for other drugstore brands. I believe I paid about $9 for this on sale, which I think is a pretty fair price for a quality eye product in the drugstore. Also, oftentimes you can find mail in rebate stickers on Physicians Formula products, which sometimes makes them essentially free.
CLAIMS - This product claims to have a lash boosting serum that "enhances the appearance of lashes while providing the instant definition of a liquid liner." It's supposed to make lashes instantly appear "luscious, glamorous and dramatic." Also, "Hypoallergenic. Fragrance free. Paraben free. Dermatologist approved. Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers."
As anyone who has read... well, pretty much anything on this blog knows, I am a fiend of for nice packaging. It doesn't excuse a shitty product, don't get me wrong, but it certainly improves my opinion of most products if they come in really nice packaging. The packaging of this liner is absolutely gorgeous. It's a sleek silver pen with black accents and it feels really sturdy. It's also just the right size. It fits perfectly into the crook of my thumb, which makes for really easy application. One of the best features of this packaging, at least in my estimation, is the lid. It snaps firmly into place so that I don't have to worry about it drying out before its time or the cap coming off in my bag and making a mess everywhere. Huge pluses right there.
Now, while this actually does look a lot like your standard felt tip applicator, this is actually a finely pointed brush. Like I said, I have officially concluded that I'm not a huge fan of felt tip, so the fact that this is a brush is a definite selling point for me. And I really can't complain in the least about this particular brush. There's something about it that allows me to really easily get this in right against my lashline for a subtle, smooth line, but can also work very easily to create a more dramatic liner look with a sharp, precise wing.
The pigmentation of this shade (Ultra Black) is really, really good.
Though the formula can seem a little bit thin, it doesn't apply patchy
or with bald spots and it dries fairly quickly to a beautiful dark line.
Where some of the other liners that I've tried out have definitely
skewed to a more charcoal shade than black, this one definitely doesn't
disappoint in being a rich, true black.
After letting the liner sit for about a minute, I did a pretty vigorous rub test on the swatch and there was virtually no difference in the payoff and it didn't smudge at all. However, I have found that towards the end of the day, particularly if I've been rubbing my eyes, it does smudge and wear away a little bit - so I can't really confirm their claims of this having 24 hour wear. That said, the smudging is minimal and I don't find it to be particularly off putting on this product.
Finally, as for the lash boosting serum, I had heard people say that they didn't think it did anything to grow their lashes, but I'm beginning to think that's not actually the claim that they're making. As far as I can tell from what's printed on the box and on their website, the serum is intended to improve the appearance of your lashes while you're wearing the product, and I think that's actually true - though that could just be attributed to the fact that looking like you have fuller lashes is kinda the point of upper lash liner to begin with, is it not? Anyway, I haven't seen any difference in the appearance of my lashes without this product on, so I wouldn't recommend it if that's what you're looking for.
Overall, I love this product and I'm actually enjoying improving my skills at applying liquid liner to the point that I've been wearing this almost every time I've worn makeup since I bought it. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a very, very good liquid liner at the drugstore.
Verdict - Two thumbs and all that.
XO.
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