$1.49 Essence Metallic Eye Pencils and the Case of

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Funny how I can’t remember much from college chem lab, but I do recall the lyrics to Foxy Brown’s Get Me Home.

Uh-oh, uh-oh!

Both of them appeared in my life around the same time (in the mid-1990s), but while most of my chem lessons left me long ago, Foxy’s song is still fresh to def in my mind.

Of the few chemistry lessons that have, however, stuck with me after all these years, the law of conservation of mass seems particularly apt today. It states that mass can neither be created nor destroyed, or, as the 13th century scholar Nasīr al-Dīn al-Tūsī put it, “A body of matter cannot disappear completely. It only changes its form, condition, composition, color and other properties and turns into a different complex or elementary matter.”

If true, then what the heck is up with these $1.49 Essence Metallic Eye Pencils?

With so many cheap beauty thrills coming from the Essence line lately — like the Stay With Me Longlasting Lipglosses ($2.29) and Colour & Go Nail Polishes ($0.99) — I’d just assumed these six $1.49 beauties would deliver the same affordable BOOM-BOOM-POW!

From left to right: Iron Goddess, Green Day, Heavy Metal, Lilectric, Black Knight and White Divine

Swatches from left to right with the flash: Iron Goddess, Green Day, Heavy Metal, Lilectric, Black Knight and White Divine


Without the flash

While not as smooth, pigmented or soft as, say, an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil ($17), I do like the variety of colors, and you can’t beat the soft metallic finish or bargain basement price.

But, like a fleeting summer romance, these pencils fade fast. I’m talking POOF! Gone. I even tried layering them with several different eye primers to increase their wear time, including my go-to NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, but in every case the colors all but disappeared within two hours, as if to say, “Take that, law of conservation of mass!”

I’m left to wonder where the colors go when they do disappear…maybe to those pearly makeup gates in the sky.

Nevertheless, with these, plan on having to frequently touch up your eye look throughout the day.

I’m the kind of gal who likes to do her eye makeup in the morning and not have to worry about it for the rest of the day. Consequently, I’m a little frustrated by these. I might attempt to see how much more wear time I can eek out of them by patting a matching eyeshadow on top.

I love the idea of being able to fill an entire wardrobe of metallic eye pencils for about $9. Shoot, that’s less than a snack and a drink from Starbucks! If only they lasted a little bit longer…

PRICE: $1.49 each
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Ulta, Fred Meyer and HEB stores, and also online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: C

Thirsty for more?

So. I’m not quite sure what to make of the True Blood season premiere. I may have built up my expectations to an unreasonable level, but I thought it felt a little rushed and bogged down by so many small details. Probably just a lot of setup going on for the different story lines… I still can’t wait for next week.

What did you think?

I do have to say that the vamps are looking pretty hot this time around. Pam looked especially classy in her pink Chanel suit, and Eric in his tight v-neck shirt… Well, let me put it this way: “Eric, the invitation’s open. That’s all I’m saying. No need to knock.”

Yup. Totally open.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen