Independent Liquid Eyeliner

As I explained in my review of Lush's incredible mascara, Eye's Right, I had never considered buying any of my make-up from Lush until I purchased the above item. From the first application, I was hooked and began to wonder what other amazing products I had been missing out on. When Lush re-released this popular item early last month, I just knew I had to jump in the deep end and purchase a bottle to try.

Independent is described as a no-smudge eyeliner, and priced at £14.50 for a 5g bottle, I was expecting it to live up to this. Lush claim that this is one of two of their eyeliners that have a special formula that drys and sets immediately - meaning it can't be smudged and it shouldn't fade during wear. So how did it fare?

In it's favour, this eyeliner performed fantastically. It did exactly as it was supposed to - setting straight away so I didn't experience any streaking of the liquid, and remaining as vivid and 'in your face' some eight hours after I initially applied it. Yet, despite it's rigidity, it was really easy to wipe away with my 9 To 5 Cleanser afterwards, making it a perfect product.

When I compared this to my previous eyeliner, my ex paled in comparison and made me wonder why I had continued to use the other product for so long. Whereas my expensive, supposedly superior brand of eyeliner had faded a mere hour after application, and what was left had smudged underneath my eyes by the end of the day, this one didn't budge at all. I was amazed! What also worked to its advantage is that I received a good many comments about how good I looked and this made me love it even more.

At first I was a little worried by the design of the brush, as it's quite soft so does tend to move around a lot when you're applying it to your eyes. For someone like me who has only be using make-up for a few years, and is in no way an expert, I was initially worried that I'd end up painting my eyes, my face and probably my neck and arms as well. However, the picture that accompanies this review was my very first attempt at using the liquid eyeliner, and even my flatmates were really impressed with how easy it was to use and apply. 

Just like their other make-up ranges, Lush offer a much more practical packaging solution for their customers. The short brush means that the eyeliner doesn't get 'lost' or wasted in the bottle and it's a lot easier to monitor how much you have left, without running out beforehand. Additionally, it also means that you have much more control when applying it; this helps you to apply your make-up much more effectively. 

The only negative aspect about this product is that it's no-smudge look makes it impossible to blend. If you're someone who doesn't want such deep, prominent make-up, you may wish to use one of their other ones to get your desired look. For someone like me who wants to make a statement, this is the perfect product. 

The size of the bottle is compact enough that it's a perfect travel companion and happens to look rather gorgeous when lined up with Lush's other make-up products. I would even claim that it's size makes it a great product to slip in your bag so that you can top throughout the day, but there really is no need as it lasts the whole day by itself.

What makes Independent stand out from other shop-brought varieties, is that it features aloe vera gel as one of it's main ingredients. Much like many other Lush  make-up items, this ingredient just helps to keep it soft and gentle on your skin and doesn't leave your eyes feeling dry or heavy when the product is being worn.

What can I say? This is easily another 6/6 product from Lush and one that has knocked out all other competition. While the initial start-up cost may put your off, I highly suggest you make that investment; I've tried a good 8-10 other eyeliners and this one tops them all. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Organic Jojoba Oil, Triethanolamine, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glycerine, Glyceryl Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), CI77491, CI77499, CI77510, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £14.50 for 5g.