Rodial XXL Lip Liner & Smokey Eye Liners Review

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

Rodial Glamolash XLL Mascara Review

Rodial Glamolash XXL Black Mascara was free with the August issue of Red Magazine! Rodial claim that this mascara is an intense black, long wearing formula that makes sure eyelashes are 'maximised from day to night' and gives them 'supercharged volume.' This mascara contains carnauba wax to bind the mascara to the lashes and prevent clumping. The beeswax helps to condition the lashes while soluble collagen makes them look shiny and thick. Due to the the beeswax this mascara isn't vegan.

Rodial Glamolash XXL mascara comes in a matte black thick tube which is different but a bit clunky, it doesn't exactly scream luxury to me as a £24 mascara should.

The  mascara has a natural cone shaped bristle brush. It definitely makes your eye lashes look longer and as you can see from the photos it makes eyelashes look thicker too. It gives volume although it does have a tendency to clump lashes together despite the carnauba wax. You may need to get rid of excess mascara on the brush or use a lash comb afterwards.  It's quite a wet formula and it's long wearing and doesn't flake. Although by the second coat it begins to look a bit spidery. The best way is to add another coat while it's still wet. One coat is good for a natural, daytime look and two coats is more dramatic for the evening.  It can hold a curl but it's not as good as Bourjois Glam mascara (my Holy Grail.) I can wear Rodial's Glamolash XXL mascara with my contacts without any problems. It does have a slight chemical scent which doesn't affect me and won't interfere when applying, it's just that mascaras don't usually smell of anything but I noticed this does. This mascara is also fairly easy to remove.

























This mascara is great for giving longer looking and thicker eyelashes! However I do wish that the brush was better at separating the lashes so that they didn't clump together. My other reservation is the price. It is more expensive than mascaras from a lot of high end brands such as MAC, Too Faced, Laura Mercier and Benefit to name a few. (I know price is relative as I've just spotted Chantecaille mascara for £62!) However I can't see myself buying this in the future simply because I know that there are cheaper drugstore brands that give the same results for less money. But if you have the money and want to splash the cash then go for it!

Let me know which are your favourite mascaras.