I was at Dollar Tree recently and one of the employees just so happened to be opening up a new shipment of LA Colors products. As luck would have it, she kindly offered to let me poke around the box to see if I could spot anything new that I didn't already own, and I spotted these Auto Eyeliners. I'm not exactly sure how new they are, but this was my first time seeing them at my local Dollar Tree, and the packaging says "new" so I'm guessing they're fairly new:
LA Colors Auto Eyeliner
(retail: $1 at Dollar Tree, .009 oz)
In addition to LA Colors nail polishes (which I love and have reviewed several times on this blog) I've also had some really good luck with their cosmetics that I've purchased from Dollar Tree (remember that WnW Acapulco Gold dupe I found in the Mineral Eyeshadow line?). But to date, I believe these Auto Eyeliners are the first pencil liners I've ever tried from this brand.
As many of you know, automatic eyeliners are my favorite type of eyeliner, so I didn't have to think twice about snagging these in both of the available colors (this particular Dollar Tree only had Black and Black Brown, although I see that they do come in other shades).
Side note: one of my biggest pet peeves in product packaging is grammar errors. "Long wear shapes" makes me think there's a magical shape to these liners. Please fix this run-on, LA Colors! This package should read:
- No sharpening
- Long wear
- Shapes and defines eyes
OK, back to the review:
I don't know if you can see it, but the "lead" in the Black pencil is noticeably thicker than the lead in the Black Brown pencil. Not really a big deal, but I just wanted to point that out.
Actually, that's not the only difference in these two shades. I found that the Black pencil applied more smoothly (no tugging or pulling at all) and Black Brown seemed a little more waxy during application. I'm happy to report that I wouldn't classify either of the two as difficult to apply, and I was pleasantly surprised by the color payoff. I was able to get rich, vibrant color from both pencils, but I should note that Black isn't one of those super-intense black liners. It's a more wearable, soft black.
After doing my standard smudge-test where I rub my index finger back and forth across the swatches for about 10 seconds, you can see that these liners didn't really pass with flying colors. They definitely smudge, and with some extra rubbing I could make them disappear altogether from my arm.
As for how they wear on my actual eyes, I was pleasantly surprised to find that, on my top lid, both shades lasted all day on my oily skin. The bottom lid was where I ran into difficulties. Both shades smudged and ran on my lower lashline within just a few hours. If you've got oily skin, I'd avoid the lower lashline with these (although you might have better results if you set the liner with some powder or shadow). I was left mildy embarrassed the other day when I looked in the mirror and found my liner had migrated to about a quarter of an inch below my lash line. Don't you hate it when that happens?
FINAL VERDICT: As far as inexpensive eyeliners go (you can't get much cheaper than $1 a piece) I have definitely experienced worse liners than LA Colors Auto Eyeliners. The color payoff is surprisingly decent and I don't experience any tugging or pulling during application. I can get all-day wear from these on my upper lashline but, if you've got oily skin, I'd recommend you stay away from the lower lashline altogether. If you're on a tight budget and you need a standard black or brown liner, this might be the quick fix you've been looking for, and if you've got normal or dry skin, you may even have better results on your lower lashline. These liners aren't life-changing, but I was pleasantly surprised to find them much better than other $1 liners I've tried in the past.
Are you a fan of LA Colors? What products do you own? How do you like them? I'd love to hear from you.
I think I'll skip these since WnW makes a better liner for 99 cents. Also, the Dollar Tree generally has other liners to choose from, and I might be able to pick up a L'Oreal or Revlon liner with better staying power for that $1.
ReplyDeleteI guess it has been too good to be true with LA Colors, they really have some great inexpensive products, but now we know they have a few iffy ones too.
Donna: Oh girl, nothing can compare to my beloved WnW pencil liners--you're right about that! But you know me and automatic liners. I had to give these a try, and I really do think they're not nearly as bad as some of the other cheapie liners I've tried over the years--you know the ones where it feels like you're cutting into your lid during application because the pencil is so hard? lol!
ReplyDeleteI don't think these are new at all. :P I bought one about a year or so ago from my Dollar Tree.
ReplyDeleteLace Escapades: See, I wasn't sure because it's the first time *I've* seen them, but on the LA Colors website they're not classified as new. So thanks for confirming that! I wonder why the packaging says "new"...maybe it's old packaging. Hopefully the next time they print these they can delete the word "new" (and fix the grammar error). Ha!
ReplyDeleteI tried one of these and it was a nice liner except the fact there was no sharpener. If you want to keep your liner from budging,invest in a bottle of She-Laq by Benefit. It's a little pricy but lasts forever. Then you can save money and use a less expensive liner. Works like a charm :)
ReplyDeleteI've had the black one for a while and I use it at work when I put on my makeup. I have to hold the part that twists the liner up because it twists down on me when I use it. That might be because I got a dud. Overall I like it for $1.
ReplyDeleteI used this and this was the worst panda eye ever. Ran all over the place. Save your $1
ReplyDeleteYou seriously reviewed an LA Colors product?? You are my HEROINE!! I'm following your blog daily now. I just bought my 1st LA Colors eye palette (metallics in Tease), although I want to buy something from them every time I'm in a dollar store (for perspective, Hubby managed a Dollar General for several years - I was in all the time!).
ReplyDeleteBTW - liking the e/s so far...and it was only $1.50!
glitterchick: thanks for the tip! I've always wanted to try She-Laq! :)
ReplyDeletecontests and such: Argh! I hate it when that happens. :/ But other than that, I'm glad it works for you, girlie!
Miss: Yeah, like I mentioned in my review, it did run quite a bit on my lower lid, but I found it to work well on the upper lid. :)
Jean: Hahah! I've actually reviewed quite a few LA Colors products on this blog. :) And I the LA Colors e/s palettes! They are such little gems. Glad you like them too. :)