Review: Max Factor Kohl in Black

Have you ever had that moment when you are away from home for a few days and you realise you have forgotten to pack your one essential beauty product? Last month, I went  away for the weekend to Aberdeen  and upon getting ready for my night out, realised I had forgotten to bring any eyeliner with me!

A quick dash to Boots was required, where I found this - Max Factor Kohl in Black. Now unlike many kohl which profess to be black and are in fact just a wimpy, washed out grey, this one is a super deep black.

I love how dark it is, yet it is still ultra soft and great for smudging for a sultry, smokey eye. I've been using it on the waterline and whilst I do find that it stays around without migrating underneath the eye, it does fade significantly after 5 hours. I haven't yet tested it on the upper lid as I tend to use pencils and kohls more on the waterline, but i would imagine it would last longer. 

Verdict

This liner was a true lifesaver in a 'make up emergency' (if there can actually be such a thing!) and gives a deep, dark look which is perfect for a sultry look. Lasting power is not fantastic however, and you may need to reapply throughout  the day.

3/5

Price - from £4.49

Where to buy- Cheap Smells, Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy

Review: Laura Mercier Eye Kohl in Stormy Grey

As a contact lens user, I struggled for years with using eyeliner on my waterline.  It used to make my eyes feel dry, sore and just generally  uncomfortable all day so I just used to avoid using it, for fear of becoming a red-eyed mess for a day afterwards.

Recently, I have been dipping my toe back into pencil and kohl liner and Laura Mercier Eye Kohl is one that I have been enjoying using a lot.  Laura Mercier’s packaging is very simple and chic and I much prefer this to overly cutesy, retro packaging (cough, Benefit!).  Saying that, if a product is well made and performs well, I will generally buy it regardless of its packaging!

So  what about the liner itself?  The shade,  Stormy Grey,  came as as part of a gift set I procured from Space NK and is a deep, dark grey.  The pencil is very soft, as is usual with a kohl, (I hate pencils which feel like they are scratching away at your skin) and colour payoff is superb with an opaque line in one pass. 

I find this very easy to pop on first thing and find that it has been lasting throughout an entire working day.  It does tend to fade a little after about 6 hours but I was amazed that it didn’t slide around or migrate to my under eye area.

Verdict

This was my first foray into Laura Mercier Eye Kohl but it won’t be my last.  Long-lasting and kind to sensitive eyes, this was a winner for me and I’m certainly going to be looking at more of the shades in the range

5/5

Price - £15.50

Where to Buy - John Lewis  (currently out of stock but it is a permanent product so it should be restocked shortly)