Recently I noticed I was running out of pencil eyeliner and I also decided I wanted to purchase a white eyeliner as well. As I was shopping, I passed the NYC (New York Color) shelf, and happened to notice they had some eyeliners with two ends, one in one color, one in a second color, for a few cents extra, compared to the single eyeliners I could purchase from a company like Annabelle. As I picked up one of the eyeliners, intrigued, I remembered in the past that I had purchased a black kohl eyeliner from NYC and hadn't been impressed. While the product appeared to be a good deal, since they charge the same as Annabelle and give you literally twice as much product, I decided to go ahead and get that black eyeliner. Once I tried it, I really didn't like it. It didn't apply in the "jet black" it claimed to, and had an almost chalky texture compared to the smooth, rich eyeliners I had purchased in the past, which made me hesitate in buying the dual end eyeliner from the same brand, but I decided just to give it a try anyway.
When I tried the black end of the NYC duet eyeliner in "mockingbird" I was pleasantly surprised to find it applied much better than the kohl liner I had bought in the past. It still wasn't as nice as my all time favorite from Loreal Paris, but as far as second choices went, it was pretty good. The product applies smoothly, and shows as a rich, dark black.
The white end of the pencil proved to be a bit of a disappointment compared to the black side. I found that the white is extremely soft, so as I applied the product, the tip of the pencil actually bent, leaving me unimpressed with this part of the product, meanwhile trying, with great difficulty, to apply a bent and squished eyeliner. As I applied and experimented with the white liner, I found it really behaves more like a cream eyeshadow in a stick. This means that the white is blendable, buildable, and makes a decent base for any shadows you wish to apply over it, providing them with a pretty, velvet-like finish due to the shimmer in the product. However, as an eyeliner, this part of the product flat out stinks! That really is the best way to put it.
Finally, I decided to be fair, and test out my old kohl eyeliner again for the sake of the review. On my hand, it looks to be a rich and dark black, countering what I said about it earlier. The problem is in order to get it to the darkness you see in the pictures, I had to press harder than you could on your eyes. When applied to my eyes, the product comes out as more of a grungy grey than a black. Also, the pencil has a dry texture, which means it is very difficult to apply, let alone neatly.
Just as an extra measure, I decided to test just how easily these products smudge. Surprisingly, the black end of the duet pencil doesn't smudge very much at all and holds up quite well. The white pencil smudges like crazy, but I expected that, seeing as how it really is more of a cream shadow than an eyeliner. Lastly, the kohl pencil smudges very easily after application, so if you find yourself ever wearing it, don't touch it unless you want to make a mess! As I finished testing out these products, I decided to test them under running, lukewarm water. While none of these products claimed to be water proof as far as I could tell, I tried it anyway. The blacks held up very well, only getting mildly fuzzy, but most of the white washed out under the water after only thirty seconds. As far as removal went, the main amount removed with cleanser and water with a little rubbing, but I found that after that, they didn't remove well at all, even with the best makeup remover I have.
Like anything, these products have good and bad things about them, but I don't think I'd really suggest these products to anyone who is looking for a decent liner.
The things I liked:
NYC liners are affordable, and they provide the consumer with twice as much product than most brands
NYC seals their pencil liners in plastic, unlike most companies, meaning there's no chance of them being tested out while on the shelf.
While the products aren't quite what they claim to be, I'll probably find uses for them, such as they are.
My dislikes:
While the eyeliners are affordable, I would rather spend a little extra on a liner that I'm happy with, rather than spend less on cheapy ones. You really do get what you pay for.
The white liner isn't really an eyeliner, more of a cream shadow, which means it squishes and bends as you use it, making it kind of impossible to work with
The kohl liners are difficult to apply due to their dry textures
They don't look good as long as they should, and they don't remove well
That concludes my review of the NYC kohl and duet pencil eyeliners, I hope this review was helpful! If there are any cosmetic products you would like me to test, please leave the names of them in the comments and I will see if I can test them!
When I tried the black end of the NYC duet eyeliner in "mockingbird" I was pleasantly surprised to find it applied much better than the kohl liner I had bought in the past. It still wasn't as nice as my all time favorite from Loreal Paris, but as far as second choices went, it was pretty good. The product applies smoothly, and shows as a rich, dark black.
The white end of the pencil proved to be a bit of a disappointment compared to the black side. I found that the white is extremely soft, so as I applied the product, the tip of the pencil actually bent, leaving me unimpressed with this part of the product, meanwhile trying, with great difficulty, to apply a bent and squished eyeliner. As I applied and experimented with the white liner, I found it really behaves more like a cream eyeshadow in a stick. This means that the white is blendable, buildable, and makes a decent base for any shadows you wish to apply over it, providing them with a pretty, velvet-like finish due to the shimmer in the product. However, as an eyeliner, this part of the product flat out stinks! That really is the best way to put it.
Finally, I decided to be fair, and test out my old kohl eyeliner again for the sake of the review. On my hand, it looks to be a rich and dark black, countering what I said about it earlier. The problem is in order to get it to the darkness you see in the pictures, I had to press harder than you could on your eyes. When applied to my eyes, the product comes out as more of a grungy grey than a black. Also, the pencil has a dry texture, which means it is very difficult to apply, let alone neatly.
Just as an extra measure, I decided to test just how easily these products smudge. Surprisingly, the black end of the duet pencil doesn't smudge very much at all and holds up quite well. The white pencil smudges like crazy, but I expected that, seeing as how it really is more of a cream shadow than an eyeliner. Lastly, the kohl pencil smudges very easily after application, so if you find yourself ever wearing it, don't touch it unless you want to make a mess! As I finished testing out these products, I decided to test them under running, lukewarm water. While none of these products claimed to be water proof as far as I could tell, I tried it anyway. The blacks held up very well, only getting mildly fuzzy, but most of the white washed out under the water after only thirty seconds. As far as removal went, the main amount removed with cleanser and water with a little rubbing, but I found that after that, they didn't remove well at all, even with the best makeup remover I have.
Like anything, these products have good and bad things about them, but I don't think I'd really suggest these products to anyone who is looking for a decent liner.
The things I liked:
NYC liners are affordable, and they provide the consumer with twice as much product than most brands
NYC seals their pencil liners in plastic, unlike most companies, meaning there's no chance of them being tested out while on the shelf.
While the products aren't quite what they claim to be, I'll probably find uses for them, such as they are.
My dislikes:
While the eyeliners are affordable, I would rather spend a little extra on a liner that I'm happy with, rather than spend less on cheapy ones. You really do get what you pay for.
The white liner isn't really an eyeliner, more of a cream shadow, which means it squishes and bends as you use it, making it kind of impossible to work with
The kohl liners are difficult to apply due to their dry textures
They don't look good as long as they should, and they don't remove well
That concludes my review of the NYC kohl and duet pencil eyeliners, I hope this review was helpful! If there are any cosmetic products you would like me to test, please leave the names of them in the comments and I will see if I can test them!