Beauty

FACE OFF: EYELINER

prepare to pencil in our new favorites for fall.

by rebecca willa davis

Google "eyeliner" and you'll get about 36,800,000 results. That's a ton of pencils to try before you find the perfect one. We know, because we test out almost all of them. We've decided to make your search a little easier with our new regular feature, Face Off. We'll be taking the best new products out there (and not just eyeliners; we've got shampoos, lotions, lipsticks, and more lined up) and putting them head-to-head to determine who does what best. But eyeliner is up first because, well, I'm having a bit of an eyeliner moment. We all go through phases, and mine has taken me from eyeshadow to lipstick to mascara to eyeliner. It's now the only thing I regularly leave the house wearing. Maybe it's because I've got big eyes that can handle a cat eye or a smoky rim, but I kind of feel naked if I haven't even quickly swiped some across my lid. Clearly, I'm not alone: eyeliner was a major beauty player in the fall '12 shows, with everyone from Jason Wu to BCBG to Altuzarra making it the centerpiece. For autumn, both Smashbox and Jemma Kidd have new liners. I spent the week testing them, here are my findings:

The Product: Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner

The Promise: A dual-ended stick, with a thick crayon on one end and a little sponge on the other.

The Result: A smoky eye that stayed put all day and night.

Use It: If you're not afraid of a bold look. The liner is nubby, so don't expect a barely-there line, but it goes on really easily (its got a nice, creamy formula that just glides). Also, any mistakes you can erase with the other end.

Buy It: $22 here

The Product: JK Jemma Kidd I-Conic Eyes

The Promise: A basic pencil liner becomes not-so-basic with the addition of a built-in sharpener.

The Result: Genius! Because we can never find where we've stashed our sharpener (and we're sick of buying them over and over again).

Use It: If you're into fall's gem tones--because they're adding an evergreen and plum shade for fall. Both made my hazel eyes look insane--in a good way--and they'd do the same if you've got brown or green peepers, too.

Buy It: $14 here Stay tuned for our next beauty face off!