Lancôme expands its Grandiôse range. After the mascara I talked about here a while ago, enters now the Grandiôse Liner.
This liner was created by the new Lancôme makeup creative director and famous makeup artist Lisa Eldridge. Hired to give a facelift to the brand, she definitely brings a more playful and also more artistic vision to the brand make-up, which I definitely like! (I must confess that Lancôme isn’t usually a brand I’m very curious about ;) )
The Grandiôse mascara, first product in this range, was different from a typical mascara when it launched due to its curved wand, which allows an application of the mascara very close to the lashes. The Grandiôse Liner keeps this idea with a flexible/ bendable wand, which gives an angle in order to facilitate the application of the liner.
I’m a big fan of eyeliners and have been for ages. About 2 or 3 years ago, it was even my signature makeup look (a black liner combined with a red lips). However, I always preferred to use a gel liner applied with a brush. I think it’s much easier to apply than a liquid liner. Well, clearly, it totally depends because a lot of people swear by liquid liner.
Perhaps it also depends on the shape of your eyes. I have slightly droopy eyes, so I usually don’t apply my liner in the inner corner of my eyes because I feel it weighs down my eyes otherwise. And my wing is always quite dramatic, because I like it like that.
The brush that I use with my gel is generally a very fine angled brush (I love the Zoeva 312 detail liner). With this brush, I can do a very fine wing or a thicker one because it’s so fine and it has an angled shape so it gives me more control during the application.
So when I heard about this new flexible liner by Lancôme, I was quite intrigued. And I thought I could maybe finally have a liquid liner that suits me!
Lancôme Grandiôse Liner, presentation:
What the brands says about it:
“Achieve the perfect cat eye, winged eyeliner, feline flick and even more looks. Easy at every angle, a 35 degree bendable wand allows for the most precise & easy to apply liquid liner looks.
The bent wand allows for precise & direct application to the lash line. The wand bends at a 35 degree angle, and pivots to allow for 2 stable hand positions while applying. While the wand allows for close access to the lash line, the ultra thin tip of the felt applicator gives the clean look.
An improved formula uses pigment extracts for a beautiful matte effect. Formula applies smoothly, dries fast, and is smudge-proof & long-wear.”
It’s a liquid liner but with a little twist: its wand has a smart little mechanism inside which allows it to pivot to the right or the left with an inclination of 35 °. This angle helps the product application along the lash line and it’s also supposed to make the drawing of the wing very easy peasy!
This innovation is inspired by a famous tip from makeup artists, who often twist the brush of their mascaras or the wand of their liner brushes (although I don’t pretend to be a makeup artist, it’s a trick that I use a lot too, especially with my mascaras wink ).
The finish of this liner is ultra matte, which I love! There are 3 different shades (black, brown and navy blue), and of course, I chose the classic 01 Matte Noir – Jet Black (but the brown was also calling my name).
Lancôme Grandiôse Liner, my test and thoughts:
– Packaging:
I really like the design of the packaging, and I love the fact that it is flexible. I can bend the wand if I want to apply the product super close along the lash line or if I want to draw a sharp wing. And it really helps, it’s not a gimmick!
– Formula and texture:
Its quite liquid but well pigmented.
The formula is water-based, which makes it very easy to remove. And what I find very convenient is that you can correct your mistakes very easily: it’s possible to erase it and it won’t leave any black streaks all over your face as other more “oily” eyeliner formulas do. Even if I use eyeliners since like forever, the liquid format is not my fave and I definitely need to use a cotton bud to correct my mistakes! With this formula, I can fix them without putting it everywhere, which I like a lot!
However, it’s not waterproof at all, so it’s better to use an eyeshadow primer underneath, otherwise it tends to smudge (at least if you have oily eyelids like me)… uneasy
– Color Range:
3 shades (black, brown, navy blue), very classic. Very Lancôme, in fact! Let’s hope the brand expands the range in the coming months. I would love a nice burgundy or an emerald green for the fall, what do you think? wink
– Pigmentation and finish:
Very good, the color is intense and very matte, which I really like!
– Application:
It’s quite easy, the fact that the wand is bendable helps a lot. To be honest, it’s not as precise as my super fine liner brush by Zoeva, even if the tip of the liner is still quite fine. So usually, I use the Grandiôse Liner the days I really want a pretty intense “cat eye” effect. Because to be honest, I struggle to make a super fine line with it. But this is probably because of my lack of experience with the liquid liner format.
I apply this liner just after I apply my eyeshadow primer, and I only apply some eyeshadow after (if I decide to wear any). I finish with my mascara. I do it in this order because of all the corrections I need to do every time with my liner. I’d love to be able to do it like a pro and finish with my liner after applying all my eyeshadows, but it’s unfortunately impossible for me as I usually mess up all my work with my eyeliner. -_-
– Lasting power:
The lasting power is good if you apply a primer. If not, well, at least on me and my greasy eyelids, it smudges (it’s not waterproof). But anyway, on me, everything smudges without a primer if it’s not a waterproof formula, so nothing surprising here.
– Value for money:
Not cheap ($32). Even if I think it’s a good product, I don’t think I’ll be collecting all the colors… wink
Finally, here it is on my eyes:
On the first picture, my lipstick is the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution 1975 Red and on the second one, it’s the Vice Lisptick Sheer Liar by Urban Decay.
In summary:
[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]
I really like the Grandiôse Liner despite its minor flaws (the price being the main one). I won’t throw away my brush and my gel liner but I must admit that this smart bendable wand really helps me to draw a nice wing!
The Grandiôse Liner is available on Lancôme website for $32.
And you, have you tried the Lancôme Grandiôse Liner? Do you like it? And what do you prefer: liquid or gel eyeliner? Tell me in the comments! smile
Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com