Choosing eye makeup: eye pencils & kajals
"When a woman is talking to you, listen to what she says with her eyes" - Victor Hugo.
In our series on eye makeup, we take up pencils/kajal first - something almost all of us use daily. We hope these 4 FAQs will help you choose your next eye pencil/kajal better, and get your eyes talking...
1. Eye pencil or kajal pencil?
2. Kajal pencil or kajal stick?
3. Automatic pencil or sharpening type?
- Automatic pencils typically have less "stuff" in them than wood/plastic encased pencils. Usually, automatic pencils have 0.3-0.4g of actual content, while encased pencils have more than 1g of product. Sharpening does lead to some wastage, but we estimate that the sharpening type pencil will last 2-3 times longer than the automatic ones
- Need for carrying a sharpener - this is obvious. But remember that an automatic pencil will not have the same precision (sharpness) that a well sharpened encased pencil will have. It's a compromise, for convenience
- All-natural formulations are often not suitable for automatic liners. This is because they are softer and cannot be independently "plonked" inside an automatic pencil. If you prefer natural products which are kind to your eyes, chances are you won't find a decent automatic pencil, so one that can be sharpened is your best bet.
4. Which brand?
- What its made of: unfortunately the ingredient list on most eye pencils and kajals is missing, so we don't really know what's inside something that we use on and inside our eyes.
- Softness of the formulation: Is the formulation comfortable for day-long wear? Don't just settle for smudge-proof, check if it's something you want inside your eyes 365 days a year.
- Long-lasting: Most eye pencils and kajal pencils these days last more than 6 hours. Anything more is a bonus. We wouldn't choose one just because it says x-hours long. The first two factors are equally important
- Shades: Nothing beats black, but we see people getting experimentative. For Indian skin and for the kind of heavily printed/embroidered clothes we wear (as opposed to solid ones preferred by Westerners), it's tough to get the right shade match for your pencil everytime. Stick to black, and maybe a blue or a brown, that should serve you well for almost everything. Colored eyeshadows give more bang for the buck, in our opinion. More about eyeshadows some other day.
Let us know if you have questions or if we missed something on pencils/kajal, and we will be happy to include it. See you soon, cheers!
Related Posts
Know thy ingredients: 1-minute version
It's a bad idea to use your kid brother's sharpener on your eye pencil. Here's why.
Choosing Eye Makeup: Liquid & Gel Liners