You know what they say: “Woman cannot live off Chanel Mat Taupe alone!” (Someone must say that, right?)
OK, well…technically, I could, but where’s the fun in that? 🙂 Who wants to wear the same taupe liner day in, day out? Bluh. I’m always open to new alternatives to black eyeliner for tightlining because I like the softer, less aggressive look, and the older I get, the more I prefer lining with colors other than basic black.
That, my friend, brings me to the topic of a treasure I recently discovered from Maybelline called Jade Olive, which is only (drumroll, please) six bucks! (officially, $5.99) It’s a twist-up, long-wearing waterproof matte khaki pencil.
I don’t know if it’s a gel liner, because it’s soft enough to be one… It almost feels like a gel because of the way it melts and glides across the skin, but it doesn’t look as harsh and flat as some matte gel liners do.
It also doesn’t make my skin feel dry or tight like some gels have in the past, so the jury’s still out on that… Either way, it’s a creamy, smudgy, long-wearing kohl that sets like *that*.
The rich, true khaki green color is brighter and more intense than something like Chanel Mat Taupe, but it’s not as dark as MAC Coffee. It’s a nice in-between tightlining shade, and I think my brown eyes look more chocolaty when I wear it.
I wore Jade Olive the other day when I took pics for the Wander Beauty foundation review, and MBB reader Roma (what’s up, Roma?) said in the comments that she immediately noticed the wide-eyed effect, which made me so, so happy because, well…that’s exactly what I was going for when I lined my lash and water lines with this bad gal.
Just goes to show how transformative a little liner can be!
Using it isn’t rocket science, really. You just twist up the pencil, which is thin and precise. Then you line your lash and water lines, and you can smudge that with a pencil brush if you want.
The formula dries pretty quickly, in about 20 seconds, so there’s no transferring up into your crease.
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a person who wears colorful eye makeup, this green doesn’t look obnoxiously green on lids, unlike a kelly green or a neon green. Yes, Jade Olive is pigmented, but it’s not obnoxious because it’s 1) a matte, and 2) more of a subdued shade of khaki. I think it looks extra lovely when worn with browns. Warm browns, cool browns, golden browns. Any of your favorite browns or neutrals (or even taupes!).
FYI, in this same product line of matte twist-up pencils, there’s also a burgundy and a black. I haven’t tried the burgundy yet, but the black isn’t my fave because it breaks up and cracks if I accidentally use too much.
You can find Jade Olive pretty much everywhere. Oh, and did I mention that it’s only six bucks?! SUCH A STEAL.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
