Colorful eyeliner is increasingly popular these days, but there's one hue that I still have trouble finding in a good formula: red. Every one I've tried has been streaky, flakey, or fade away by noon. Sure, I could dip into one of the dozens of eye shadow palettes that feature a raspberry, burgundy, or crimson shade with a wet angled liner brush, but it's not the same. As an avid eyeliner user, I prefer the creamy consistency of a pencil or gel.
Turns out that I'm not the only one trying to get their hands on a red eyeliner. I was recently informed that Shiseido's Kajal InkArtist in Azuki Red is flying off shelves in Tokyo. Although the Kajal InkArtist comes in 10 neutral and colorful hues, including teal, lilac, eggplant, and hunter green, it's the burgundy shade that's got the fastest-growing fanbase. In fact, Azuki Red is the product's most popular color at Isetan, a popular department store in Tokyo's Shinjuku neighborhood, even edging out Nippon Noir (a black) and Kabuki White. Could this be J-beauty's next big beauty trend? I've already tried out orange blush, so I should experiment with the popular burgundy liner, too.
Turns out, the Kajal InkArtist is more than just a liner: "You can either use it as a shape for graphic liner or blend it out for a more diffused shadow look," Shiseido's Global Color Artist Patrick Ta tells Allure. The Kajal InkArtist also can also be subbed in as a brow pencil if you want to add some color to your arches.
As I was thinking about what kind of looks I was going to do with the liner, I kept this tip from Ta in mind: "When I use bright colors like this, I try to keep most of the color on the top or bottom," he says. So I tried both out separately.
Kajal Underliner
The first look I created was a simple underliner moment for my friend's housewarming party. First, I drew the liner along my lower lids. Next, I dragged the liner outward to create the winged shape. For some reason, making winged liner happen on my lower lids is about 20 times easier than on my upper lids, and something about the creamy texture of the liner makes it even simpler. It might be because it's so pigmented that you don't have to layer it on to intensify the wing. One quick swoop outward is all you need.
The liner doesn't have a super pointy tip for etching on sharp-as-knives flicks, so I decided to work with its softness. I smudged the liner with a dense angled liner brush, like the Sonia Kashuk Angled Eyeliner Makeup Brush, to make the line thicker and less defined. (You can also use the foam smudger on the other end of the pencil.) It was easy to blend out, but once I was done, the look stayed put all night long and ended up having an unexpected sultry, smoky effect.
Geometric Graphic Liner
For my second look, I went more geometric and tapped into my advanced liner skills. The rectangular arcs are easier to master than they appear, though. You just have to be aware of where the creases of your eyes are. Here's why: I started off by making vertical marks on both sides of my creases. Then, I connected the top points with horizontal lines right above my creases. For the bottom points, I drew an arc that followed the shape of my creases. (Are you tired of me mentioning my creases yet?) There was a little space between the horizontal lines and the arcs, so I went back in with the liner and filled in that area. That's it. The liner glides onto lids so easily that making all the lines and arcs is a breeze. It doesn't tug or drag, which is often a problem I encounter with colorful eye pencils. I need to try this liner in the other nine colors now.
Want to try out the Shiseido Kajal InkArtist in Azuki Bean out for yourself? Luckily, it's fully in stock here in the U.S. on shiseido.com and sephora.com for $25.
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