Benefit Cosmetics Magic Ink Liquid Eyeliner review
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Plus Girl Meets Pearl and Prrrowl Mascara Topcoat/Gloss Duo!
photos: we heart this
When I was a little girl, my mom (who was and still is quite the glamour doll) did not have a problem allowing me to play in her substantial makeup stash. I practiced putting makeup on myself, my brother, the dog – pretty much anyone who would stand still. My number one favorite “toy” was eyeliner, and I got really good at applying it at a shockingly young age. I’ve been fickle with my makeup loves over the years, but my heart remains true to liner, and Benefit pencil liners (like their legendary BADgal Waterproof Liners) are always in my makeup bag.
So I was euphoric when the wht team recieved a new batch of products from Benefit and I was chosen to test their new Magic Ink Liquid Eyeliner.
My longtime love of Benefit Cosmetics stems from the San Francisco-based company’s ability to create solid, exciting products that also appeal to the makeup-loving kid in me. Their retro packaging, their covetable from cover-to-cover print catalogs, even the names they give their products make me one happy girl. When I even see the name Benefit in print, I smile. And when I actually use their products, my heart fills with joy. Benefit never lets me down!
Not surprisingly, I developed a little crush on the Magic Ink ($20) as soon as I laid eyes on it’s packaging; a diamond-shaped black, silver and lime-green box printed with mysterious swirls. Nestled inside the box, I found a slim wand of jet-black liner.
The wand is slimmer than any other liner I’ve ever seen, but there’s a lot of power packed inside. Twisting it open, I discovered a tiny brush that is indeed “perfectly precise,” making application smooth and easy.
Even better, Magic Ink is that rare liquid liner when I love both the brush AND the product. The liner itself, labeled Jet Black is super dark and a little shiny, very dramatic overall. But would the color really last?
At the risk of sounding corny, no disappearing act here. Magic Ink lives up to its billing as a “liquid eyeliner with maximum staying power.”
Which leads me to my only minor complaint: no matter how carefully I removed my makeup, no matter what remover I used, I awoke the next morning with black raccoon circles of liner under my eyes. But if this is the price I must pay for perfect liner, so be it.
The wht team received two other new Benefit products that you’ll be hearing about in the comments:
the mascara topcoat side of Prrrowl
Prrrowl Mascara Topcoat & Lip Gloss Duo
This one is a multi-tasker and purse friendly! Prrrowl is a double-ended applicator with one side containing an iridescent peacock blue mascara topcoat and on the other, an opalescent pink lip gloss with micro blue glimmer. Word on the street is Benefit fans are really loving the unique, smile brightening gloss! $28
Prrrowl swatch, see that blue glimmer in the gloss?
Girl Meets Pearl
Girl Meets Pearl
A sheer, golden pink, liquid-pearl highlighter worn over makeup to create a glowing effect. Major props for the oh-so-easy to apply giant twist up tube (just like That Gal primer). This very soft shade can be swept over brows, cheeks, chest and more. $30
we heartsters – have you tried these gems from Benefit? Don’t forget to check the comments for the we heart this review team’s thoughts and experiences with the products listed above.
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
These look amazing. I’m a massive BADgal liner fan, but I stay away from liquid liners because I can never get the hang of them. This might have to change with Magic Ink…
I’m loving that highlighter also, SO pretty. And it looks like a pretty universal color, I’m curious to see what everyone thinks!
Great review, @turboterp!
Benefit is really a girl’s best friend.. Their line reaches all ages of women too, It’s not just for the young and trendy ones, it’s for the OLD geezers as well! I got a real kick out of reading your post @turboterp – how you were so good at applying eyeliner at such a young age; I was too. My mom was quite equipped wearing eyeliner and false lashes back in her day. I remember not being tall enough to get into the medicine cabinet that housed her stuff! Boy, it was a real endeavor to crawl up on the sink via the toilet to sit and play.. even fell off a few times! I’ll check this out after reading your rave reviews on Benefit’s new kid on the block. Does this come only in Jet Black? Does anyone know if they have this liner in other colors?
I’m the lucky gal who got to test Girl Meets Pearl. And it is as beautiful in person as it is in the pics. Love the twist up applicator (no dirty fingers in a jar) and the soft scent (slightly fruity, it does have raspberry in it). But the product performance is the true star here.
You know those pictures of models and stars where their skin just looks ethereal and glowing? This gave me that. It blends to a pearly pink-tinted gold that worked beautifully with my warm toned, light skin. Gorgeous on cheek bones and under your eyebrow. But totally wearable all over too; across your forehead, down the center of your nose and the tip of your chin (everywhere you’d put a bronzer). I find most highlighters are just too much for me. It’s like I’m screaming “Hey look at me, I sparkle!” But this is gives just the perfect amount of subtle impact.
Oh Benefit, how I heart you! 5 stars.
@irene, it sounds like we’re cut from the same cloth!
I wish Magic Ink came in other colors, but for now, it’s just beautiful, inky black. Which I give 5 stars.
I want to chime in . . . girl meets pearl gives me a great glow I thought only existed in the print ads and magazines.
I have not met a Benefit product I have not loved.
5 starts for me.
Thanks @@turboterp for getting back so quickly about the color question! After @stef and Holly’s positve comments- Now, I’m really jonesin after the girl meets pearl! Must go see first hand! :)
Oohh, I definitely want to try girl meets pearl…I need a light glow right about now!
OooooOOOOoooo that Prrrowl Mascara Topcoat & Lip Gloss Duo looks awesome! I love the hint of blue glimmer in the gloss. I wonder if it feels gummy though…
@turboterp! This is so funny! I have been looking for a good, new liquid liner. I was using YSL’s felt-tip liner, but the price is steep for something that can dry out quickly…this Benefit liner looks perfect! Great post!
@Stef, Girl Meets Pearl sounds like a fun must-have too!
I am a sucker for highlighter, so I’m adding Girl Meets Pearl to my wish list—it looks too pretty for words :)
I must have missed the memo that Benefit had a new eyeliner out :) I must see what this is all about! I’m scared of trying new eyeliners but I DO love Benefit. I always see Girl Meets Pearl in stores and always get sucked into checking it out each time because of how cute the packaging it. It’s a gorgeous shimmer.
Prrrowl is a product that lives up to its name! I was the lucky tester and ooooooohh yeah, it’s awesome.
I have a near obsession with mascara overcoats, specifically the glittery ones. Now the problem with glitter overcoats is that they tend to clump eyelashes together and when you attempt to de-clump the glitter falls off. Also, the glitter tends to be either too big or unnoticeable. Not so with Prrrowl!
One coat gives a slight shimmer, just something you may catch when the light is right and you blink. Two coats doesn’t make it blatantly noticeable, but it does give that “je ne sais quoi” to your appearance. I wore it out on New Year’s Eve and got so many compliments on my look. Most said that the whites of my eyes looked whiter and my eyes looked brighter, but a lot simply left it as “did you do something different?” I love those kinds of compliments! Best of all- I had no problems with clumping, even after applying Prrrowl over my normal mascara!
The lip gloss is a little trickier. The color is so cool that I feel it needs to be paired to specific looks. Luckily it’s winter, a perfect time for cool colored makeup and jewelry! The blue glitter is very subtle when on my lips and really adds a lovely dimension to the gloss. The gloss was slightly peachy in flavor/scent, but that dissipated quickly and wasn’t unbearable. I’m not sure it makes my smile appear brighter, but it certainly does make it pretty! The one complaint I have is that the gloss is almost too smooth (no gummy-ness here @Cori !) and it seems to want to stray off my lips and onto my chin or the corners of my mouth. Because of this the gloss seems to wear off quickly and needs frequent application.
Finally, the packaging is handy when you’re wearing both products at once but a little cumbersome to carry about when you’re wearing just one. I wish it came in two different tubes. That would also be great for those who want to use the mascara but can’t wear cool colored glosses well.
Overall I really, really love Prrrowl. The products are so pretty I can overlook a lot! I give it an easy and solid 4 stars.
I looooove Benefit products but haven’t tried these yet… The liquid liner is calling my name though! I want to try Girl Meets Pearl, but I never seem to look DEWY, I just look OILY. :(