Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eye Liner

Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eye Liner
$24

DivaDebbi reader's know by now, that the true quest of my beauty expeditions is not to have more fodder to blather endlessly about products...No, what I'm really hoping to do is find THE ONE. The one product in each category that will meet all my criteria; easy to apply, long wearing and natural looking.  When a product also multi-tasks as a treatment, I will only love it more.  If it turned out to be a "cheap and cheerful" find, I would have to start a Hall of Fame list.

I've not been completely satisfied with any of the things I have tried lately to line my eyes.  Pencils tug, skip and fade. Liquid eyeliner consistently gets the best of my fine motor skills, resulting in mini fortresses of used Q-Tips and unnatural lines resemble a seismograph. I fare no better with gel eyeliner.  I'd kill to be able recreate a smoldering cat eye, instead I end up looking like a Bengal tiger.

What I was really searching for was something that I felt in control of.  After scouring the aisles at Sephora, I happened upon Laura Mercier's Tightline Cake Eye Liner. Though their website features 7 different shades, Sephora only carried Ebony, Mahogany and Navy.  I asked for assistance to test them to see if the Ebony would be too dark and the Mahogany too light.  The Mahogany would have barely defined my eye, but the Ebony was just enough "off" black to do the job without appearing harsh.

Sold.

It takes a little practice to 1) get the right ratio of water to get the right consistency down and 2) to master the art of "tightlining". Tightlining requires a special brush, that has slightly jagged bristles. One then dapples the liner upwards on the upper water line, so that both pigment is imparted there and pokes through the upper lash line for definition. No makeup types take note; you will be thrilled with your deceptive handiwork.

Who knew???

It's actually quite fetching.  I then lightly line my upper and lower lids and do my best to connect them at the corners, via the edict of Ms. Bobbi Brown. I was lucky to already have the perfect brush, IT Cosmetics Tightliner 10-in-1 Dual Ended Brush.

The effect is natural but defined.  I will admit that I do use Milani's Eye Shadow Primer first, (a cheap and cheerful dupe for Urban Decay's Eye Primer),  but I'm impressed with the all day wear, that never requires touch ups.

My son's recent graduation was both a warm day and a teary event, but my LM Tightliner Cake Eye Liner didn't budge. Proof positive.

I have the feeling he will be getting married, by the time I need to replace it as well.  I can't possibly see ever getting to the bottom of the palette, though the Navy still sticks in my head as a pretty alternative for brown eyes.

So, after two weeks of wear and tear, I'm happy to consider Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eye Liner a bonafide DivaDebbi Holy Grail. So what if it took me 30 years to find it???

You're very welcome...

xox,
DD