theNotice: a beauty blog

Despite the rather unfortunate wear time, I’m still a bit head over heels for the gorgeous intensity of the new Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense eye pencils. Here are eye swatches and descriptions of Intense Charcoal and Ivy; for Intense Black and Plum, please visit this post instead!

Swatched L-R: Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Black, Violet, Charcoal, and Ivy.

Intense Charcoal

Used also in this week’s ethereal blue Clarins Colour Breeze makeup look, Intense Charcoal is a dark, gunmetal grey with silver and gold microshimmer. While definitely still dark enough to bring a bit of depth to the lashline, it’s a good deal less sharp than a straight-up black, and it isn’t as obvious as a soft navy – a good choice for a softer, more romantic eye look.

I have absolutely no idea what else I used in these photos, but I believe a I had outlined a similar eye look to go with the Intense Plum swatch (in part 2 of the review.) Apologies in advance! I rather wish I could remember what I had used on the outer half of the lid, though; I’m rather fond of how it captured on film.

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Charcoal lid swatches

Wearing Clinique Intense Charcoal

Intense Ivy

My current favourite of the range, Intense Ivy is a gorgeous gold-flecked green – darker than olive drab but lighter and more yellow than hunter green. ”Ivy” is a fantastic description of the dark olive shade, with its intense pigmentation and yellow tones; it’s a very earthy green, with a rustic feel rather than a synthesized one.

I can see this working on all skintones, but I think it would be particularly gorgeous on olive complexions.

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Intense Ivy lid swatches

Wearing Clinique Intense Ivy

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I believe that’s all for the Quickliner for Eyes Intense pencils on theNotice, folks. Hope you enjoyed the coverage! I do plan on doing a comparison with the Quickliner for Eyes (original) range sometime in the near future, though, so keep your eyes peeled for that if you’re interested.

(And, I suppose: don’t hesitate to give me a sharp jab in the side in a month or so if I seem to have forgotten. Because if that’s the case, I probably have.)

I believe I promised eye swatches, yes?

Here are two of the shades featured in our review — just two, because (in true Rae fashion), I accidentally took two photo sets with Intense Plum and none at all with Intense Ivy. So; the inky black and bright plum today, and we’ll leave the charcoal and green for another morning.

Swatched L-R: Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Black, Plum, Charcoal, and Ivy.

Intense Black

The terrible thing is (well, I mean, there are lots of terrible things in the comedy of errors leading up to this post, but this one is the most relevant) that I didn’t note down any of the other products used in these photos. So don’t get too curious, because I probably won’t be able to answer your questions! ;)

I believe, for Intense Black, it’s the highlighter shade from Clarins’ Graphites quad that I’ve applied through the lid, over translucent primer. A bit of concealer under the eyes, but nothing else on the lid, and nothing on the lashes.

Clinique Intense Black lid swatch

Intense Plum

There’s an ultra-nude eye that on a pretty frequent basis, especially when testing out or photographing liners or mascaras – a look that’s very natural; almost undetectable (even on film), while still adding a bit of depth to the eye area. I’m not 100% sure, but I can say with a reasonable amount of certainty that that’s what I’ve done here. I think.

For a look like this one, it’s just a bit of (1) primer through the lid, (2) black liner pushed into (but not above or below) the lashline, and (3, 4) two eyeshadows – a subtle highlighter on the inner 2/3, plus any brown or taupe on the outer third.

If you don’t have a favourite nude eyeshadow combination, try these highlighter swatches for your lid shade & these taupe eyeshadow swatches to add depth! (I’ve been partial to using a matte medium brown, recently, but I’m afraid I haven’t enough shades in that vein to swatch them en masse… yet.)

What really “makes” the look isn’t the products, but how much of them you use and how you apply them: the difference between a regular “natural eye look” and this one is just the amount of blending. Which is to say, apply sparingly and blend the crap out of everything. 

Finish by (5) adding eyeliner, if you’d like, (6) a quick coat of mascara – always a tubing one, for me, – and (7) blending in a bit of concealer under the eyes.

Clinique Intense Plum lid swatch

More Quickliner for Eyes Intense coverage…

• NEW | Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense
• The quick way to get intense eyes – even on the go. | Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense: review, photos, swatches

The product: Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense

  ↳ in Intense Black, Intense Plum, Intense Charcoal, and Intense Ivy.

The application: Okay, so, not the easiest pencil to get on – depending on the look you’re going for. I usually wear fairly clean eyeliner, with a bit of a wing at the end, and these are a bit terrible for that! I sort of have to get it on, then grab a liner brush, and smudge it into shape.

If you’re looking for a smokey, sexy, smudgey eyeliner, though… well, look no farther. These smudge like a dream. The buttery sort of dream, which probably revolves around desserts and has a plotline worth about 1200 calories, and ends with the dreamer eating an entire cheesecake or rolling around in butter or something.

Seriously. They’re the butteriest pencil liner I’ve ever come across, which is terrible if you’re going for a precise line, but absolutely wonderful if you’re a fan of a softer, smokier line.

The wear: Unfortunately, the wear is the one thing about these liners that’s not up to par. With my oily monolids, I can get only five or six hours out of these before the colour starts to transfer – and that’s with primer and powder eyeshadow underneath. (For my lids, that’s about on par with other popular long-wearing liners, like MUFE’s Aqua Eyes, but definitely less than what I get with a good liquid liner.) If a liner can’t hold up for at least ten hours, I’ll definitely think twice before wearing it – even if the product’s this pretty!

I do have really picky lids, though, so don’t write these off without giving them a go. I have actually read very positive reviews about the wear time of these, so I guess it’s another “your mileage may vary” type of product!

Swatched L-R: Clinique Intense Black, Intense Plum, Intense Charcoal, and Intense Ivy.

Indirect sunlight, no flash.

The shades: When Clinique said “Intense,” they weren’t joking around. The Quickliner for Eyes Intense liners come in six shades, four of which are featured here – and yeah, they’re pretty damn intense. (Missing from this post are Intense Chocolate and Intense Midnight, a rich brown and a dark blue, respectively.)

Intense Black (01) is an opaque, cream-finish black with absolutely no shimmer. Intense Plum (02) is a playfully sparkly dark violet – tons of very finely milled violet and blue-violet shimmer interspersed in a creamy black base colour. Intense Charcoal (05) is a gorgeous gunmetal grey with incredibly refined silver and gold microshimmer – think “brushed metal” rather than “shimmery”. Intense Ivy (07) is a dark olive green with gold shimmer – very, very pretty.

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Black, Intense Plum, Intense Charcoal, and Intense Ivy.

The packaging: Clinique has done a surprisingly clever (not surprising because it’s Clinique; surprising because it’s so perfect) job of packaging these liners, keeping the shape and function of the Quickliner Intense range, but making them different by colouring the tubes correspondingly.

What really gets me, though, is that they’ve factored in shimmer, too: like the shades inside, the packaging of Intense Black is completely shimmer-free, while Intense Charcoal‘s tube is slightly metallic, and both Intense Plum and Intense Ivy are wrapped in shimmering colour. Talk about attention to detail!

The verdict?

They’re good, but… they’re not quite there yet. Clinique’s Quickliner for Eyes Intense formula is buttery, blendable, and (just as promised), really intense – but it doesn’t have the wear that I’d want out of a liner.

I don’t want to write it off completely, though, because I do find the formula to be quite unique. If you don’t have difficult lids, these would be the perfect way to get the look (and creaminess) of a gel liner, but with the convenience of a pencil – something that I don’t feel has been achieved by anyone yet.

Keep reading! »

So, I was going to do another colour post for today – in green, of course. But while I was swatching the eyeliners I’d picked out, I came to the (rather startling) realization that they were more or less two sets of almost-perfect green eyeliner dupes.

And this, of course, absolutely begged to be covered.

L-R: MAC So There Jade, Marcelle Caribbean, Clinique Intense Ivy, Marcelle Metal Green.

(Click to enlarge!)

On the left, we have MAC’s Powerpoint Eye Pencil in So There Jade and Marcelle’s Waterproof Eye Crayon in Caribbean, two iridescent aqua-green longwearing waterproof liners. MAC describes So There Jade as a “light green jade,” but I call bullshit – I’d say it’s more of a metallic seafoam green than “jade,” and I’ve been to China.

(See, that’s funny, because jade is “the” Chinese stone, but you don’t actually have to be Chinese to recognize that Jade is typically, well, green, with perhaps a bit of blue.)

(… and now we’re making tongue-in-cheek jibes at hipster racism and the fact that it is WRONG, ANDERSON, WRONG! at ten o’clock at night. Sherlock references and passive-aggression at the beauty industry over sexism, racism, and orientalism: just a regular Saturday at theNotice.)

But, back on topic. Caribbean is So There Jade‘s prettier, smarter twin sister – she’s smoother, better priced, and more opaque. The Marcelle is a little brighter and bluer, but honestly, there’s no contest: if you’re in Canada (or you’re ordering Marcelle online from the US), go with Caribbean!

Marcelle Lux Metallic Liquid Eyeliner in Jade over the straight swatches, and alone on the far L&R.

Other eyeliners in the same order as above: MAC So There Jade, Marcelle Caribbean, Clinique Intense Ivy, and Marcelle Metal Green.

On the right hand side of the swatches, we have Clinique’s Quickliner Intense in Intense Ivy (a recent release – review of the formula soon!) and Marcelle’s Waterproof Eye Crayon in Metal Green. And you’d expect that I’d be all over the Marcelle again, right? Because that would only make sense.

Content on theNotice rarely makes sense, though, so then there’s that. (I’m sorry, I’m so sorry; I can’t seem to be able to turn off the meta tonight!)

While startlingly similar, the differences between Clinique’s Quickliner Intense and Marcelle’s Waterproof Eye Crayon are more varied, both in shade and in performance. Intense Ivy features a creamier formula, easier to apply & with a more complex shade, but Metal Green is cheaper, water-resistant, and makes it through more of my sixteen hour days.

As for which one I’d recommend? Well, that depends. If your lids aren’t too oily, go for the Clinique Quickliner Intense – the buttery texture is to-die-for, and the more nuanced shade of Intense Ivy is (har, har) really intense. It’s more black, more green, more metallic, and contains tiny gold flecks that just take my breath away. If your lids are oily, though, opt for the Marcelle Waterproof Eye Crayon – Metal Green is still breathtaking, and wears much better on my lids.

I should probably start rambling about now, but there’s one last thing we have to go over: I compulsively add Marcelle’s Lux Metallic eyeliner in Jade to all of my green liner swatches. It’s a bit of an addiction, admittedly, but can you really blame me? It’s gorgeous. 

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P.S.

For a green swatch post that actually managed to happen without getting sidetracked, here’s last year’s St. Paddy’s mini-post: Green swatches for St. P

The product: Clinique Almost Lipstick (all shades)

The story of Black Honey: Clinique tells this tale much better than I ever would, so:

“Black Honey made its debut in the US in 1971 and this deep, blackened rasin hue became an instant success. In 1989, when Black Honey was later launched as an Almost Lipstick, no one realized how quickly it would become an iconic lip colour. A precise blend of red, blue, orange and yellow pigments in a sheer base allows Black Honey to look beautiful and different on virtually every skin tone, making it a cult favourite.”

L-R: Tender Honey, Chic Honey, Luscious Honey, Lovely Honey, Shy Honey, Spicy Honey, Flirty Honey

L-R: Tender Honey, Chic Honey, Luscious Honey, Lovely Honey, Shy Honey, Spicy Honey, Flirty Honey

The formula: Like the classic Black Honey, Clinique’s range of Almost Lipsticks are best interpreted as gloss sticks, or sheer lipsticks, rather than… well, rather than lipsticks. They feel balmy going on, completely smooth and almost entirely scent-free (they do smell a bit waxy when applied, but the smell fades in a matter of minutes), and deliver wearable colour with a natural-looking finish.

The Almost Lipsticks are essentially glamorous tinted lipbalms, so they have a bit of a shine to their finish – think “fresh and hydrated,” rather than “sticky and vinyl.” All in all, while I’d like a bit more moisture out of the formula, I’m quite happy with them: they’re practically impossible to botch up (even without a mirror), and I’ve been wearing them non-stop since swatching them.

L-R: Tender Honey, Chic Honey, Luscious Honey, Lovely Honey, Shy Honey, Spicy Honey, Flirty Honey

Top to bottom: Flirty Honey, Spicy Honey, Shy Honey, Lovely Honey, Luscious Honey, Chic Honey, Tender Honey

The shades: In addition to the classic Black Honey, Clinique has added seven new shades to the Almost Lipstick line. They’re all varying degrees of “sheer,” but (ironically enough), I find all seven of the new shades more wearable than the “universal” Black Honey! For photos of each shade individually, don’t miss this post. (Fixed; two of the photos were switched earlier. Apologies!)

Black Honey (01) is a warm brown-red, one of the darkest and most pigmented Almost Lipstick shades. Tender Honey (35) is a medium nude with subtle microshimmer and just a hint of yellow-pink undertones. Chic Honey (36) is a (super-chic) berry shade; think “Black Honey for cool skintones.” Luscious Honey (37) is a sheer, juicy bright red .

Clinique Almost Lipsticks swatched heavily.

Lovely Honey (38) is a violet-berry with faint brown undertones and gold microshimmer – super pretty in the tube. Shy Honey (39) is an extremely sheer baby pink. Spicy Honey (40) is a wine red, not quite as dark as Chic Honey but somehow more sheer than Flirty Honey (which is lighter in the tube). Flirty Honey (41) is a bright fuchsia-pink.

I managed to somehow swatch Tender Honey fifth, rather than second, so I thought it best to label the swatches above directly onto the image – hope the order isn’t too confusing! There’s another small swatch set under the cut, with the correct order, if you need it.

The verdict?

As a lover of Black Honey in formula and theory (but not in shade), I’m really pleased that Clinique has built on their Almost Lipstick range. As promised, these gloss sticks ($18.00 CAD, available Feb 2012 onwards) deliver transparent, lightweight colour, and while my super-dry lips would like to see a bit more hydration from them, I’m quite impressed with the colour range & the feel of the formula.

If you were hoping for something a little more more pigmented than Clinique’s Chubby Sticks (I was, initially), then these aren’t going to cut it – but if you’re looking for sheer, scent-free, paraben-free colour, I think you’re going to like these!

More photos & swatches »