The world of makeup is a huge place where learning never ends. Just when you thought you have figured out types of eyeliner as being a gel, pencil, and liquid, you learn that cake eyeliner is a hot trend among makeup mavens and the Hollywood A-listers.
You may be going, “cake what now? Is there even an end to this?” But calm down, we are here with all the information you may need to understand this kind including what are the brands worth putting your money on and what looks this kind of eyeliner is suitable for.
What is cake eyeliner and how to use it
Even if you are just hearing about it, cake liner makeup is not as out there as you may imagine. It is simply a kind that comes in a compact dry form, like your favorite eyeshadow. To apply it, you need to wet the applicator brush and swipe or run it through the cake eyeliner then apply it on like you would liquid or gel types, along with your waterline or on your lash lines. You can also choose to mix a little of the cake eyeliner with your preferred activator on a clean flat smooth surface like a glass or marble table top, a plastic lid and then swipe with a brush and apply this.
The fluid, either water or a special activator fluid that comes with the cake liner is what transforms the compact powder. Some people swear by makeup remover as a great activator for cake eyeliner.
Some brands come with a sealer, in a different vial or container to set it all up nicely so it will not budge till you want it off. Other brands have the sealant all worked on the cake formula.
In a nutshell, cake liners are like the IKEA of eyeliner. You get all these little parts from the shop that you put together at home.
Why do you need to go to all the trouble you wonder? Why for this type at all when there are other kinds that are ready to use, all in one tube? The answers are in the next section, just before exploring the best brands.
Why opt for cake brand – pros
One of the reasons they are getting a lot of love is the deep pigment they are able to give once activated. If you have been shopping around for eyeliner you know how annoying it can be to get a weak line when you are excited about the color. People who use them, water activated or otherwise find that it delivers an intense line without having to redraw the line over and over again.
Some popular organic eyeliners come in cake form and we all know organic and natural makeup is having a moment. Also, who is averse to make up that will give you a great result without making your eyes irritated or watery? Definitely not us!
Let us not forget that those in cake form is still going to do all the things you do with the gels, liquids and pencil liners. But it is closest to a liquid brand.
You can use it to create cat eyes and to tight line, your eyes for that accentuated yet barely their liner look.
Tips and secrets for great looks with cake eyeliner
According to beauty blog beautifulbecause.com, “cake eyeliner can also be applied dry to the lower lash line, for further definition or an evening look. Plus, use it dry to add definition to the brows.”
Glamour magazine’s tip on cake eyeliner is “These work just like watercolor paint and are activated with a wet brush. They can take a few tries to figure out exactly how much water you need and how much playtime you have before they set.”
This is also a useful tip we found from Paula’s choice,” Those with oily eyelids, take note: Eyeliner Cake lasts longer than most eye pencils, but cannot outlast a silicone-based gel eyeliner.”
Best brands to buy including drugstore
Some of the best products are Kryolan, Nvey Eco High Definition, Laura Mercier Tightline, Ilmasqua which comes in a wide range of colors, and Ben Nye. Fran Wilson Cake Eyeliner in brown and black get great reviews on several sites.
You will also find good brands at the drugstore. Some brands to look out for are Maybelline and Clinique. Let’s look at a few of the above best brands.
Kryolan
The people at Kryolan must be doing something right. This product gets love from beauty experts and consumers and then some! A 4.9 review on makeupalley.com is not something a lot of products, much fewer eyeliners for that matter have been able to achieve.
You have the choice of mixing your cake liner with water or a sealer. The results may differ according to the activator you choose. Some people find water gives a more vivid line and prefer it as a mixer. You will find however that a cake liner sealer will give you a more lasting result. Kryolan has a sealer.
If you have sensitive eyes, you may want to skip the sealers which may contain some ingredients that may irritate your eyes and use Kryolan Eyeliner Cake with water.
According to lamagazine.com, the Kryolan sealer is a very handy product to have around. They describe it as “a fantastic sealant that prevents the liner from smudging, mascara from flaking, and shadows from creasing.”
Tightline
Tightline is the trendiest way to do eyeliner right now. If you don’t know what we are even talking about, vogue.com got you. “Sometimes called invisible eyeliner, tightlining is achieved when eyeliner is applied not above or below the lash line but on it. The idea is it mimics the natural area of darkness created by the base of your lashes and unless you look closely, it looks as though you aren’t wearing liner while still enhancing your eyes.”
Now that you are up to speed, we can discuss why this type of tightlining and which ones, in particular, are the best brands to use.
We feel one of the best tightline is Nvey Organic because it is not going to irritate your eyes, and you should consider that if you are going to tightline because the product will be closer than ever to your eyes. Cake liner gives one of the most intense pigments without layering so there’s another reason if you needed two to start tightlining with them.
You can also use the eponymous Laura Mercier Tightline.
Makeup forever
Makeup Forever Cake Liner has to be one of the best-reviewed products ever with a 4.9 from reviews on glambot.com and five on Amazon. Totalbeauty it gets a 9 out of 10 which is just amazing.
Expert reviews on Paula’s choice say that the eyeliner cake,
- Works well to define the eye when applied with a damp brush.
- Lasts without flaking.
- Color can be layered for more intensity.
But has a “slight tendency to smear or smudge a bit before the day is done.”
The product description on makeupforever.com describes it as waterproof which is definitely an important quality in a cake liner.
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