Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner

Product:  Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner.  This simple beauty staple never lets me down.

Overall Rating = 4 stars4 Stars – Excellent.

Cost:  $6.74 (.10 oz.) ($67.40 per ounce)  Price Category: Inexpensive

Sold By:  Almay; Target; Ulta; Walgreen’s; Walmart; Retailers everywhere.

Container:  Plastic tube, automatic twist-up pencil, built-in sharpener; snap cap.

Description:  Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner is an automatic retractable eyeliner pencil.  Depending upon your facial cleanser you may or may not need to use an eye makeup remover.

Formula:  This is a semi-creamy formula.  It can be smudged a little.  To avoid smudging for long-term wear, it should be set with powder.

Sensitivity:  Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner is hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and is suitable for those with sensitive eyes or contacts.

Company Claims:

“Define your eyes with beautiful color that lasts up to 16 hours. Water-resistant, long-lasting, smudge-proof formula stays true and stays put. Formulated with vitamin E to nourish and protect your delicate eye area. Built-in sharpener keeps point sharp for precise definition.”

Discussion:  Almay was invented in 1931 when chemist Alfred Woititz began making cosmetics for his wife, Fanny May, who was allergic to makeup.  I have been using Almay products my entire life.  I have severe fragrance allergies and Almay was the first entirely fragrance-free cosmetics line.  For many years this was the only brand of eye makeup I could wear.

An eyeliner pencil may seem like a boring product, but if someone told me I could only have one makeup product for the rest of my life, it would be an eyeliner pencil.  With a brown eyeliner pencil I could define my eyebrows, line my eyes and even add color to my lips.

Colors:  Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner comes in three matte colors: Black, Black/Brown, and Brown.  There are four additional pearlescent colors that are sold under the name Almay Intense i-Color Eyeliner.  Those colors are: Purple Amethyst, Brown Topaz, Black Pearl and Raisin Quartz.  (Try a black on the upper lashes and a color on the lowers.)

Please Note:  If you have hypersensitive eyes, you may need to stay away from the Almay Intense i-Color Eyeliner in the colors Purple Amethyst or Raisin Quartz as they contain Carmine and some people are sensitive to Carmine.  (I have worn both of these colors with no ill effects and Carmine does not bother me at all, but there are reports of sensitivity to these two colors by some users.)

Morning Review:  I apply pencil eyeliner after curling lashes, primer and before any other eye makeup.  The Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner is a retractable pencil so you just twist up what you need.  Unlike some pencils that cannot be twisted back down, this one can.  The pencil is a medium to thick diameter so if you want a thinner line you will need to use the little pull-out sharpener that is in the bottom of the pencil.

As far as the formula goes, the pencil is semi-creamy and glides on easily without tugging.  This is a good eyeliner for a classic everyday look.  I use this eyeliner on the upper lash line as well as the lower lash line.  If you are going for a heavy smoky, smudged look, you can layer with this pencil.  If you are going for an extreme winged cat-eye look, this will not make fine lines at the corner and you will get better results with a marker or gel eyeliner.  I also prefer a waterproof gel for tightlining or using on the waterline.

Helpful Tips/Tricks:

  • Do not twist the pencil up too far when you sharpen it or you will break it.
  • To avoid smudging, always set your pencil eyeliner with a powdered eye shadow in the same color as the eyeliner. This is especially important if you have oily skin.

Evening Review:  Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner stays on well.  After many hours there was no smudging.  This did not come off with my regular facial cleanser, but it did come off easily with eye makeup remover or my makeup wipes.

Overall Review:  Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner is easy to use, long lasting and does not irritate my hypersensitive eyes.

Pros:

  • Deep rich color
  • Applies quickly and easily
  • Stays on for many hours without smudging
  • Does not require a separate sharpener
  • Hypoallergenic formula does not cause any irritation
  • Readily available at local retailers
  • Inexpensive

Cons:

  • Sometimes the outer cap cracks (I have had this happen twice recently.)

Suitability:  Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner is suitable for the following users:

  • All users

RATINGS REPORT:

Morning Rating = 4 stars4 Stars;

Evening Rating = 4 stars4 Stars;

Average from Other Testers = 4 stars4 Stars;

Value Rating = 4 stars4 Stars;

Overall Rating = 4 stars4 Stars = Excellent.

Would Buy Again?  Yes, definitely.

(Please review the About 365 Cosmetic Reviews page for the rating info.)

Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour EyelinerAlmay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner

Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner Sharpener

Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner Sharpener

Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner Swatch

Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner Classic Everyday Look

Almay 16 Hr Crayon Contour Eyeliner Classic Everyday Look

Ingredients:  Cyclomethicone, Synthetic Beeswax, Arachidyl Behenate, Microcrystalline Wax, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, Mineral Oil, Propylene Carbonate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, BHT. May Contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Ultramarines, Chromium Oxide Greens, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Aluminum Powder, Bismuth Oxychloride, Bronze Powder, Carmine, Chromium Hydroxide Green, Copper Powder, Manganese Violet, Zinc Oxide.

Important:  Please read our full Disclaimer before using this or any product.

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil

Product: Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil.  When only the best will do, you can’t beat this luxury brand.

Overall Rating = 4.25 Stars – Excellent Plus

Cost: $29 for .003 oz. ($9666.67 per ounce)  Price Category: Expensive

Sold By: Dior; Dillard’s; Nordstrom; Sephora; Major department stores everywhere.

Container: Plastic outer housing, snap-on cap, retractable pencil, outer carton.

Description: Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil is a very slim retractable water-resistant eyebrow pencil that allows you to simulate actual hairs with the extra-small tip.  There is a built-in spoolie brush on one end and this pencil never needs to be sharpened.  Depending upon your facial cleanser you may or may not need an eye makeup remover to completely get this off.

Sensitivity:  Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil is a fragrance-free product suitable for those with sensitive eyes or contact lenses.  I have never experienced any sensitivity issues personally and I have never had any complaints from clients or testers.

Company Claims:  “This ultra-fine retractable pencil naturally fills in brows and helps shape with precision.  Brush brows upwards to widen the eyes, then apply with light pencil strokes to fill in brows. Blend with the brush.”

Discussion:  If you ask most American women the first brand of makeup they used as a young girl, the response is usually something like Max Factor, Maybelline or Revlon.  The first makeup I ever bought and used was Christian Dior (as it used to be known).  I spent a lot of time in Europe in my late teens and twenties and Dior was common there.  This is, and always has been, one of my favorite lines of eye makeup.  Yes, Dior is expensive, but you can’t beat the quality of most of their products.  I’m not a huge fan of their skin care line as I stay away from anything that contains fragrance.

I have been discussing eyebrows quite a bit this month because they continue to be such an important trend.  There are so many options when it comes to eyebrow products that it can be daunting to find the right combination of products to achieve natural-looking eyebrows.

A lot of women draw their eyebrows on with their eyeliner pencil.  I do not advise doing this as an eyebrow pencil is very different from an eyeliner pencil.  An eyeliner pencil should be soft enough so as to go on smoothly and not tug on the delicate skin of the eyelid.  That same soft pencil will smudge terribly if used as an eyebrow pencil.  The formula for a good eyebrow pencil should be much dryer and firmer feeling than an eyeliner pencil for better staying power.

What makes a good eyebrow pencil?

  • Natural looking colors that aren’t too red or orange
  • Ease of application
  • No smudging
  • Good staying power
  • Waterproof or very water resistant
  • Nice thin point for control

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil meets all of my qualifications.

Colors:  Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil comes in three colors:  001 Universal Brown; 002 Universal Dark Brown; and 011 Light Brown.  I use 001 Universal Brown the most.  Universal brown is a cool medium brown.  Blondes should go with Light Brown and those with naturally black eyebrows or dark skin should go with Universal Dark Brown. 

Morning Review:  Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil is step one in my eyebrow application when I don’t want to use a marker.  If I’m in a hurry and only have time for one quick step, this is the pencil I use.

The beauty of this pencil is that the diameter of the lead (so to speak) is so tiny that you can actually simulate individual brow hairs for a completely natural look, if you have the patience to draw them on.  Very few eyebrow products offer this much control.  It will look the best if you use lots of tiny short strokes.

If I have time, I will set this pencil and the eyebrow hairs with a gel to keep the brow hairs neat and flat.

Evening Review:  After twelve hours the Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil was still on and did not smudge, fade, flake or cause any irritation issues to my dry skin or sensitive eyes.  My testers with normal skin and oily skin had similar results.  It did come off with my makeup wipes at the end of the day.

Overall Review:  Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil is probably the best eyebrow pencil I have ever used.  Yes, it is a splurge in terms of cost, but sometimes the cost can be justified by the results and this is one of those items that produces impressive results.  Sadly, this is too expensive for me to use on most clients on a daily basis.  When I find a less expensive dupe, I’ll update this post and let you know.

Pros:

  • Fine tip allows for precision application
  • Professional results
  • Colors are excellent and don’t look red or orange
  • Water resistant
  • Stays on extremely well without smudging
  • For sale at many US retailers

Cons:

  • Price
  • No professional discount program
  • I wish it came in a refillable package.

Users:  Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil is suitable for the following users:

  • All users

RATINGS REPORT:

Morning Rating = 5 stars5 Stars;

Evening Rating = 5 stars5 Stars;

Average from Other Testers = 5 stars5 Stars;

Value Rating = 2 stars2 Stars;

Overall Rating = 4.25 Stars = Excellent Plus.

(Please review the About 365 Cosmetic Reviews page for the rating info.)

Ingredients: Talc, stearic acid, rhussuccedanea fruit wax, hydrogenated castor oil, cera alba (bees-wax), cera mictrocristallina (micro-crystalline wax), paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil), hydrogenated coconut oil, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, hydrogenated palm oil. Mica, tin oxide, Cl 19140 (yellow 5, yellow 5 lake), Cl 42090 (blue 1 lake), Cl 75470 (carmine), Cl 77000 (aluminum powder), Cl 77002 (aluminum hydroxide), Cl 77007 (ultramarines), Cl 77163 (bismuth oxychloride), Cl 77288 (chromium oxide greens), Cl 77289 (chromium hydroxide greens), Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499 (iron oxides), Cl 77510 (ferric ferrocyanide, ferric ammonium ferrocyanide), Cl 77742 (manganese violet), Cl 77891 (titanium dioxide).

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil Tip

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil Tip

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil Spoolie

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil Spoolie

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil Tester Eyebrow Before

Tester Eyebrow Before

Tester After Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil

Tester Eyebrow After Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-fine Precision Brow Pencil (Makeup by Tester, not L A Rose)

Important:  Please read our full Disclaimer before using this or any product.