Review: Pencil Me In Cosmetics Eye Liner Pencils

Hi Bellas,

I had the opportunity to review a new line of cosmetics- Pencil Me In Cosmetics. This brand was developed by Makeup Industry Professional Linda Eisner. With the trend being “Green”, she developed a line of eye pencils designed to be environmentally friendly with ingredients including antioxidants, vitamins, and natural products like green tea leaf extract.

Website Product Description:
My name is Linda Eisner and it is with pleasure that I introduce to you my creation “pencil me in” – a unique line of eye accent pencils. After working for over twenty years in the cosmetics industry, personalizing private label lines for several major companies, I decided to launch “pencil me in” eye accent pencils for you. These innovative cosmetic pencils provide long lasting consistent color. All 30 shades were custom created to boost ever-changing styles. The shades range from toasty browns and smoky greys to vivid purple to frosted shades of blue and green to metallic bronze to subtle glitter. There are sensational choices for people of all races, genders and skin tones. Application is silky smooth without pulling the delicate skin around your eyes. For your convenience, I also included a free a pencil sharpener built into every cap.

Color Selection
There are 30 colors to choose from coming in Matte, Subtle Glitter, and Metallic Shades (A star denotes the items I tested):
-Onyx*
-Snow
-Greystone
-Platinum
-Char-Kohl
-Black Velvet*
-Jet Sparks
-Champagne Sparks
-Pink Lady Sparks
-Orchid Sparks*
-Mint Sparks
-Sky Sparks
-Boysenberry*
-Amethyst*
-Purple Passion*
-Lapis*
-Indigo
-Denim
-Nutmeg
-One Cent
-Brownie*
-Buff
-Silky Suede
-Meteor
-24 Karat
-Pink Lady
-Sky
-Mint
-Emerald City
-Liberty Green*


***credit to pencilmeincosmetics.com

Ingredients
“Pencil me in” cosmetics has added natural ingredients and blended botanicals like Green Tea Leaf Extract, Pine Bark Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Lecithin, Shea Butter, Cacao Butter, Jojoba Oil, Wheat germ oil, and Safflower seed oil. It also includes Vitamins A (Retinyl Palmitate), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), C (Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin D and Vitamin E (Tocopherol). There is no Beeswax in the formula.

Review
I received these pencils to review a few weeks ago. I’d like to preface this review by saying that I have no affiliation with this company, and all views are coming from my own personal standing. With that said, let’s get onto the review!

I wanted to make sure I gave this product a thorough testing before I released my honest opinion to my blogging audience.

My first reaction to these pencils was hmmm these pencils seem familiar. I realized that I had seen them before on Coastal Scents. My second reaction was, “Yay! A built-in sharpener!” Not a lot of pencils out there have this feature. Oftentimes, I prefer pencils that can be sharpened because it is difficult to always achieve a fine point with the twist-up pencils. Moreover, when using eyeliners on clients, it is better to sanitize pencils by spraying them with alcohol and then sharpening the pencil.

I then ventured over to the website. I was surprised to see all the colors to choose from. There are over 30 which range from wearable tones to brighter colors. Most of the pencils I sampled were more of the wearable everyday colors…but looking back, I wish I could have tried more of the brighter colors. The website itself is very easy to navigate and offers tips and looks from these pencils. The close up eye shots they show of models wearing the products are absolutely gorgeous! I was really excited to try these guys out.



***Credit to www.pencilmeincosmetics.com

When I received the package in the mail, I noticed that they indeed had a built in sharpener and were shrinkwrapped in protective plastic. Those babies were wrapped tight! I had to struggle a bit to remove the plastic wrapping; you may need a pair of little scissors to help you peel off the layer around the entire pencil. I will say that despite the extra minute or two it took to unwrap the layer, it shows that these pencils are indeed untapered with and secure. Next thing I noticed was that the barrel pencil color matches the color of the product exactly. I don’t know why more companies don’t do this. It saves time when you’re in a pinch and don’t have time to check the bottoms or caps of certain pencils.


Next, I got to testing. The first pencil I tried out was onyx. I figured that black is probably the most popular color out there so I wanted to test it. I began to line my eyes and waterline. The first thing I noticed was that the pencil went on very lightly…it wasn’t a creamy consistency. I wore it on my eyes and noticed after only a few hours it started to fade. My first reaction alarmed me slightly. Moreover, I was in the middle of a move to a new apartment, so I put down the pencils for a week or two.

Once I moved, I decided to give these pencils another go. Sometimes, first reactions aren’t always accurate. I decided to swatch all the colors on my arms so I could give an accurate portrayal of color. Upon opening the pencils, I noticed that they all seemed to have the same stiffness I encountered with Onyx. They also had a slight white powdery finish on top of the pencil tip. As I started to swatch, I would rub the pencil over a couple times on my arm…while doing so, I noticed that the white finish dissolved and the pencils became more and more creamy as I worked them into my skin. I then realized that, “Duh! They probably had a protective layer on them!” This product reminds me of the consistency of MAC shadesticks…sometimes they get a bit hard after non-use, but if you rub them in between your palms, the product heats up and is good as new.

Swatches of the product. Colors left to right: lapis, boysenberry, amethyst, liberty green, orchid sparks, black velvet, onyx, purple passion (my favorite)


I went back and cat eye-lined my eyes again with the onyx. This time around, I rubbed it on the back of my hand a few times to get the product working. By doing so, it went on smoother and more vibrant. I kept the liner on even when I accidentally fell asleep. Hours later, even after rubbing my face in my pillow during my nap, the liner was slightly smudged but still on. The next day, I wore the eyeliner to work. Eight hours later…it was still on, waterline and all. I happen to have normal to dry skin, but I do have watery eyes from allergies. These pencils were able to hold up.
***shot of my winged liner test

I will say that they are definitely long lasting pencils. However, they aren’t the most creamy pencils out there…so if you’re looking for a creamy formula, this isn’t it. Rather, it’s more for those of us who want a colorstay pencil. I can see this looking great if blended with a smokey eye. Since the formula is of a more firm consistency, the smudged liner would probably last longer than your average kohl.

Did I mention that this pencil is environmentally friendly? I don’t know the ins and outs of green products, but whenever I do use one that totes the “green” tag, I always feel a tiny bit better about myself. Moreover, these pencils are one of the few that are actually GOOD for you. The antioxidants help product your eyes from the free radicals in the air, and the vitamins and natural extracts condition your lids. That's definitely a plus!

I also should mention the built-in sharpeners. While these pencils come with the built-in cap, I would probably still use my normal sharpener. I found it a little difficult to sharpen the pencil smoothly. Interestingly enough, I also noticed that for some reason, my glitter pencils sharpened more easily than the matte ones...

I’d rather turn to my trusty Victoria Secret pencil sharpener that I’ve had for years. But I will say that if I’m on the go, I’d throw the pencil in my bag and use it when I’m out. There have been many an occasion where I’ve needed a pencil sharpener and have had to try and pick away the wood layers with a fingernail, ewww!!! No fear, these babies are built in and perfect for on to the go sharpening and application.

In sum, I think that this pencil has some great qualities to offer. For $6.99, it’s around the same price as drug store brands, but it has a far greater color selection. Personally, I love my MAC pencils, but 80% of my eyeliner collection is from drug store brands. I find it hard to pay over $10 for an eyeliner pencil.

Moreover, unlike most pencils out there, it offers antioxidants, natural ingredients and vitamins that are beneficial to your eyes. The staying power is also far better than the average drug store pencils. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re into the super creamy pencil formulas. But if you’re into colorstay pencils, then you already know that they aren’t the most creamy products out there--if so,they’d just melt off your eye.

I would recommend checking this product out. The company is woman owned and I definitely support female entrepreneurs. Linda is also offering special introductory offer. If you type in TryMe into the source code, you'll receive a buy 2 pencils get 1 free offer (same goes for buy 4 pencils, get 2 free). $14 for 3 pencils is pretty good!

So until next time, ciao bellas!