Tony Moly- Backstage self smoky eye collection.

Tony Moly- Backstage self smoky eye collection.
Price: 14500won ($14.50)

Ah, I have a fetish for packaging. Mini things, or  travel sizes, or multiple items, or compartments. That's the sort of thing that makes me snatch up the most un-necessary things.

The Tony Moly Backstage self smokey eye collection is a black cream eyeliner, with two baked (i think) shadows, and a brush, all in one sleek compact.
And since I ADORE cream eyeliners, and smoky looks, I had to buy this!

Luckily for me, the eyeliner, while you basic black cream is lovely. It's NOT the perfect balance between wet and dry. More dry creams are longer lasting, whereas wetter/looser cream shadows are easier to apply(dry ones clump and flake sometimes.) it's not the Best cream eye liner I have, it's too creamy, too wet. It tends to smudge.      Of course all creams do when first applied... But this one never really dries down.  So I can smear my eyeliner half way through the day. That just sucks.
But tony Moly liner is smooth, deeply pigmented and lasts quite well. As long as I don't rub my eyes, or I set it with a bit of shadow, it's fine. And really, I'm picky about my creams, and it's not actually bad.

The shadows above, are in dark brown and taupe. The box didn't claim baked, but other than the name, there was no English on the box, so I can't be sure.
The colors are lovely, if on the cool side. The create a nice natural look. Both are pigmented, with a nice shimmer.
The eyeshadow's are really nice quality. They aren't flakey, or dry, they apply smoothly and last well. Generally to the end of the work day.
The price is a lot for an eyeliner and eyeshadow here in Korea.  Eyeliners are usually between 8and 10, and bake eyeshadow around 7-10, but considering the liner is half the size of my Etude house liner, and the eyeshadow is less than half the size of the baked trio from face shop....  It seems like a bit much.

All in all I really like this little set. It's a nice 'collection' great for a clean professional look.  But for the price, and the quality, it's more of a gimmick that a worthwhile buy.

Etude House- Code B strong eyes cream eye liner

Etude House- Code B strong eyes cream eye liner

I have been a loyal user of Kate by Kanebo’s (Japanese brand) cream eyeliner for a long time. It is, in my opinion, the best eyeliner ever.
But, being here in Korea, Kate isn’t a brand easily available. Sure I could ship it in, but I’m trying to use more local stuff.
So when Etude house came out a combo pack with the  Code B eye liner and a mini of my favorite BB cream, I bought it almost compulsively.
There’s something about mini’s that just does me in.

The liner itself is boxed in a cute box, the look of the Code B item’s is very different from Etude House’s usually pink and frilly style. To me it looks a little James Bond.
A weird, but not bad, departure from the norm.
Inside is a little Jar, that looks very similar to Kate’s liner and nearly all brands of cream eye liner. But unlike Kate’s, this jar is.
This is a huge improvement in my opinion.
As some one who gets a lot of stuff over the internet, from half way across the world, plastic makes shipping cheaper. and really, what good are glass bottle anyways?
And once, I dropped one of my kate jars, and chipped a huge piece of glass from the bottom. The jars are super sturdy, considering the whole thing didn’t crack, but a huge chip f glass is pointlessly dangerous.
Another plus of the packaging, the brush is attached right to the lid of the jar.
Now this feature also drives me up the wall. It makes screwing on the lid needlessly complicated, with the brush flinging every where. Now, I flip the whole thing over and screw the bottom into the cap.
With the Kate line, I have bought, I think 6 jars of the liner. Currently I have 2 brushes….
So, it’s worth putting up with the hassle of an attached brush, simply to prevent me from loosing it.
The brush itself…. It’s not very good.
The quality is fine. The brush tip is soft, and tight. The handle can be pushed into the cap to lengthen it(then you have the cap dangling from the end, so I don’t).

But the brush tip is super wide and thick.
It’s way to wide for a liner.
I use the side, the narrowest side.
But still! It’s almost big enough to be an eye shadow brush! It’s absolutely ridiculous.

The liner inside the pot, is a good solid black.
The consistency is thinner and creamer than Kate’s, and a lot less dry. Because of this, the liner is easier to apply (slightly), and the jar last longer, because Kate’s has a tendency to dry out.
This thinner wetter consistency does mean a slight compromise in staying power.

As some one with a tendancy to rub my eyes, I need a liner that stays put. This liner barely flakes with even intense rubbing.
And stays put for all of a work day. But you will probably have to reapply before going out.
With Kate, you’re good all day, all night, and into the next morning.

Code B hasn’t converted me, but with that said, I definitely recommend it to anyone who doesn’t need intense lasting power, or doesn’t wear liner everyday, or  has any issues with products drying out.
Plus, since it’s almost half the price of Kate’s liner, it’s a great buy.