Best In 2016: The Project Vanity Top 15 Eye Makeup Finds
Dressing our eyes is the most fun part of makeup for us. It allows us to express ourselves and bring out our inner artist, but of course, that's only possible with products that are as reliable as they are pretty! And so we come to our best eye makeup picks in 2016. These were released or made available by official local distributors in the PH within the year.
Please do click the links for the detailed reviews and swatches!
Pink Sugar Honey I'm Good Eyebrow Kit (P399) / Available in Watsons and SM Beauty
Eyebrow trends come and go, so it's important to have a kit that can keep up. This highly customizable palette is great for those who want to mix and match colors according to their current mood and hair color. We also love using it as eyeshadow, as well as hairline and nose contour.
Benefit Ka-BROW! Eyebrow Cream-Gel Color (P1,400) / Available in Rustan's and Benefit stores
Benefit released a massive brow collection this year that became and instant hit worldwide. Each product has its own purpose, but our favorite is the Ka-Brow pomade. This is precise and highly water-resistant; it has its own brush included in the cap which makes it convenient to work with!
Kate Lasting Eyebrow W (P840) / Available in Watsons and SM Beauty
This dual-ended pen comes with a brush for creating hairline strokes and a powder that helps set and soften the look. We love how this doesn't smear, and creates lush brows that never looks overdrawn.
Essence I Love Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base (P249) / Available in Watsons and SM Beauty
This eyeshadow primer is so cheap yet so, so good. It previously only came in one skin tone shade, but this new translucent one should match all skin tones. It holds down eyeshadow well throughout the day and intensifies the pigments beautifully! It's highly comparable to my other fave eye primer, the NARS Pro Prime.
Browhaus HD Mascara (P998) / Available in Browhaus branches
Who would have guessed that an eyebrow salon would have amazing eye makeup? This mascara looks like falsies and is one of the most bulletproof formulas we've tried. This does not budge or smudge! It's quite a challenge to remove but sometimes, a girl just NEEDS fabulous lashes that will stay on all day.
Pixi Lash Booster Mascara (P840) / Available in Glamourbox
When we're gunning for more delicate, fluttery lashes, this is the mascara we go for. It's also long-wearing and does not create a mess no matter how long we wear it.
The Lash Sensational
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara (P429) / Available in department stores
We didn't like this at first, but once the formula dried up a bit, it revealed itself to be much more volumizing than it first appeared. This keeps the curl of our lashes up all day. This doesn't clump on us!
Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencil (P1,250) / Available in MUFE stores
Need eyeliner you can swim in? Then look no further than the MUFE Aqua XL! This comes in 20 gorgeous colors, glides on like butter, and is intensely pigmented in one swipe. This has got to be the best eyeliner formula of the year!
K-Palette Real Lasting Eyepencil (P795) / Available in Beauty Bar, Rustan's, and SM Beauty
For our daily liner, this reformulated version of K-Palette's pencil is our go-to. It comes in three matte, super-dark colors that every girl needs in her kit. It's highly water-resistant and smudge-proof, plus it comes with a sponge tip to help smudge or clean up our line job.
Kanebo Dual Eye Liner Liquid (P900 for the refill and P600 for the holder) / Available in Rustan's
Our fave liquid liner this year is this one from Kanebo. It's super black and the brush hugs our lids to create a neat line. This doesn't smudge on us, too, and can be worn all day.
Eye of Horus Copper Sphinx Liquid Metal Eyeliner (P742.50) / Available in Glamourbox
This red copper eyeliner is like liquid metal on our eyes. It's definitely not for everyday, but when we want to really bring all eyes on our, well, eyes, this is the perfect accent.
Bobbi Brown Wine Eye Palette (P3,300) / Available in Rustan's and Bobbi Brown stores
Have you ever fallen in love with a palette at first sight? That's how we feel about Bobbi's holiday offering! This palette has four wine-inspired eyeshadow shades and three cake eyeliners (which may also be used for a smokier look). We can see ourselves wearing this for years to come!
Happy Skin Glam Squad Eyeshadow Duo by Jigs Mayuga (P899) / Available in department stores, Plains & Prints, Beauty Bar, and HS stores
This is the year of huge eyeshadow palettes with all the colors of the rainbow, but if you just need something compact and versatile, two eyeshadow colors should be all you need. A deep brown and a black can be used as eyeliner, eyebrow powder, and of course for creating that dramatic eyeshadow look. We love the formula of Happy Skin's new eyeshadows since they're smooth and intensely pigmented - no need for a primer!
L'Oreal La Palette Nude in RoseĢ (P800) / Available in department stores
Drugstore palettes can be tricky beasts with too similar shades or uneven formulation, but L'Oreal's La Palettes avoids that. You'd still need primer, but the colors are on point and are fairly consistently pigmented. It's the perfect workhorse palette for those who want good quality on a tight budget.
Holika Holika Personal Eyes Palette in Sunkissed (P1,265) / Available in select SM Beauty stores and BeautyMNL
For eyes that crave a Korean aesthetic, then this pretty and sparkly palette from Holika Holika will not disappoint. It has the daintiest peaches, pinks, and deeps which are specifically chosen to create bigger Asian eyes. We love that it comes with a cream base (to hold down color) and powder eyeliner too!
And that is that! We hope you enjoyed our list. Stay tuned for the last one - lip products! - coming out tomorrow. Now, it's your turn. Which 2016 eye makeup products made your year? Sound off in the comments!
