Kohl is Cool

 

My first foray into the world of eyeliner was kohl. With this being my Mum's liner formulation of choice, it was always going to be my first option. I liked it, applied it liberally (mainly under my eyes - the pictorial evidence is not pretty) and found it easy to work with considering I was a makeup newbie. Then, things got dangerous - I was introduced to liquid liner. Mainly because my friends were wearing it, and I thought 'Yeah, I'll give that a go, why not?' As I explained in this post my first liquid liner was a Collection (2000) one, I think it was called Fast Stroke or something like that. Considering it was a 'traditional' liquid liner - one that has a proper pot, rather than a simple felt tip - and the fact I was only a first-timer - it didn't work out that bad. I managed to for the most times successfully create a flick without the use of too many cotton buds/makeup wipes.

It was a while down the line from when I first made my way into the liquid stuff that it the whole pen/pot thing became a bit much. Me and liner took a bit of a break, with me now only using eyeshadow and mascara for any definition. It was when I came to start planning my prom makeup, though, that I realised I wanted it back in my life. I looked around the aisles of Boots and Superdrug and came out with a liquid liner - but this time, it was a pen. With all the big brands coming out with this type of structure, and with so many people raving about how easy it was, I was sold on a L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim. I tried it out, loved it, and applied a nice, easy-to-do thin line come prom day. It lasted well, to.

But after prom, I found my new found love for liquid just wasn't going anywhere. The pen I'd bought just sat in my makeup bag for weeks on end, with me only occasionally getting it out, applying it, and then putting it back for another month or two. As my love for liquid was dying down, I re-found kohl, and I'm so glad I did. My sister had got me an Avon eyeliner set for Christmas the previous year, and up until then, it hadn't been touched. I got it out of pure curiosity and I saw just what I'd been missing. Compared to my previous use of the stuff, this was a much more pleasant experience, as I found that brands really have upped their game with formulations over the years. Kohl back then was quite dry and hard on the eyes, and when you drew a line - that was it. But these were something different - the blend-ability meant they were able to draw either a precise or messier line depending on your preference. They were much quicker to do than my liquid pen, and I liked the more natural finish they gave.

So, now (scarily quite a bit) of time has past since that discovery, where am I now? Still loving kohl? Most definitely. I still haven't really used liquid since my prom and now am an exclusively kohl liner wearer, and sometimes I forgo it completely and wear none - putting just eyeshadow at the lashline with a pencil brush for a hit of definition. Will I go back to liquid eventually? Maybe, maybe not. If or when I do, there'll sure to be a post about it...