I think 'how to create a smoky eye' is one of the most popular questions typed into Google and Rodial Smokey Eye Pens make it a really simple and easy thing to do. Although Rodial calls these pens, they are in fact pencils (not a felt tip pen liner.) You just draw along the lash-line and smudge the line upwards and out to create the smoke effect. Voila! Then reapply along the lash line for definition. These pens are creamy, they don't tug but glide on and are easy to smudge/work with. They're not as creamy as Urban Decays Perversion but on par with Rimmel's soft kohl pencil liner. I used the brush that comes with the Maybelline gel liners to help smoke out the liner. They are safe to use on the waterline so after you've smoked out the upper lid you can finish the look by applying the pen to the waterline and lower lash line.
Rodial says that their Smokey Eye Pens offers 'super-rich pigment and gel-effect definition...This long-lasting soft formula easily blends for a build-able smokey eye effect with all day hold.' I think their description is pretty much spot on apart from the 'gel effect.' The smokey eye pens are a little reflective like a gel liner but often it looks like pencil on the eyes rather than gel liner. I also found that the black smoky eye looked better than the brown one. I don't know if it's because black smoky eyes are more of a classic look. When it came to sharpening them I used a pencil sharpener as Rodial's website suggests but I soon discovered that you can twist the end of the pencil to get more product, which is much better as then you're not wasting any product. The only thing I'd want to change is having a colour indicator at the top of the pens so I can tell them apart quickly and easily when I store them in a pot without having to take them out in order to read what shade it is.
I really like Rodial's Smokey Eye Pens and I feel that they're not just a gimmick, they're actually really useful to create a smoky eye fast, even with minimal makeup skills. Another bonus is that they're safe to use on the waterline as well.
Rodial XXL Lip Liner in Nude
Rodial describes their XXL lip liner as a 'creamy, soft formula. This tinted lip liner glides effortlessly on, creating the illusion of fuller, more defined lips. Offering high coverage and excellent colour payoff with long-lasting, waterproof and anti-feathering wear, this formula will stay put.'
Nude is a light pink matte shade that looks fairly natural when lining the lips. It's actually a rosy pink colour that is a bit lighter than my natural lip colour. It was excellent at outlining my lips making them look bigger but it dragged and tugged when I tried to colour my lips in. Rodial and some other reviews I read describe the lip liner as creamy, but I don't find it to be so. Compared to the eye pens which are smooth, creamy and soft this is the opposite, being dry and hard which is such a shame. It does not glide on either. The light rose pink shows up well on my lips but the hard, dry pencil affects how much coverage and how much pigment you can get out of it. It's almost, but not quite waterproof in that it hardly transfers much on cups and glasses. It depends on what you're snacking on but it generally lasts through a snack. It does need to be reapplied after a meal though. It's pretty long lasting for a lip liner. I don't really have a problem with lipstick fethering but it wasn't that great at keeping my lip gloss in place. It does twist up from the bottom but mine doesn't seem to work so I have been sharpening it instead. Unlike the Smokey Eye Pens it has a colour indicator at the top so you can see what colour it is at a glance.
The XXL part alludes to a plumping complex consisting of a Vegetal Filling Spheres and Hyaluronic Acid to make lips appear smoothed and plumped with long-lasting hydration. However this definitely does not hydrate lips and I didn't notice a plumping or smoothing effect. Rodial's XXL Lip liner is £19 and I feel that the poor performance does not justify the expensive, luxury price. There are better lip liners out there for a much cheaper price.
Overall the eye liners are worth it, especially you struggle to do smoky eyes or are often tight on time because using Rodial's smokey eye pens are quick and easy. (However If you were on a budget you could experiment with other creamy eye liners to see if you can get the same effect.) While I love me some brown eye liner I think that going with the black Smokey Eye Pen is better for a creating a smoky eye. Personally I don't feel that Rodial's XXL Lip Liner is worth buying. How can you market a lip liner that's so dry as hydrating? The hyaluronic acid which is known for it's moisturising properties is lost in this product, they need much more of it to make it hydrating. Don't fall for the plumping effect either.
Rodial Smokey Eye Pens £17 Online here
Rodial XXL Lip Liners £19 Online here
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