Liquid eye liner review: Vivo

Cat flick eye liner is a big part of my signature 'look'. I like 50's style flicks and if you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I mix and match eras, I'm no purist and I have no issues dressing in a 40s style, wearing 50s style make up and my hair? Well it could be a beehive, victory rolls, headscarf - it all depends on my mood. I have been known to throw it all up in dare I say it.... a top knot. Not very vintage but I think make up can add a vintage edge to any outfit. Flick eye liner, lipstick and I'm good to go.

 I started playing with eyeliner on my eye lids when I was fifteen. I still vividly remember reading my Just Seventeen magazine and seeing this 'how to' guide on a very sixties look. Lots of eye liner on the eyelids. I grabbed my kohl pencil straight away and loaded up my eyelids and went out expecting everyone to coo at my new look. No one did - not even my boyfriend at the time who I'm assuming probably opened his eyes at some point as we snogged, so he must have noticed surely? I can't rule out it was the night my hair got stuck in his braces and took some time to untangle but either way at some point he *must* have noticed surely? No one said a thing. I can only assume it possibly looked so awful that everyone was too polite to mention it........

I stuck with pencil for years, my typical make up developed in to a thin line of eye liner on my eye lids to define, with the occasional subtle flick. I stayed clear of liquid liner. I'd tried it a few times and it always ended in disaster and quite often with lots of swearing. Liquid eye liner takes practice. It is a skill that's worth mastering though and when you have, you'll be super pleased with yourself.

If you are looking for a new liquid eye liner to try,or may be you have avoided it because it terrifies you, then I think I've found a bit of a gem, that in my opinion is a really good product AND it will cost you less than a latte in your average coffee house.....

I'd like to introduce you to the liquid eye liner I can't stop recommending to people. The brand is called Vivo, it's exclusive to Tesco but you can now buy Vivo products online . There's so many things I like about this eye liner and the price is one of them. This is the cheapest eyeliner I've ever used, I discovered it when I'd misplaced my eye liner and couldn't afford to just buy another one of the same brand until the other one turned up (it had rolled under the sofa in case you're wondering!) So I picked this Vivo eye liner up as a cheap temporary measure and hoped it would do a half decent until the other one could be located. How much did I pay for this Vivo eye liner? ..................... £2.

Yes £2 and I've hardly used another eye liner since. This is my go to eye liner for almost every occasion. So apart from the price what's good about it? Because let's be honest cheap doesn't always mean cheerful when it comes to cosmetics and I've certainly been dissapointed a few times with products that have claimed a lot for the small price tag but offered little.

The lid/brush handle is tapered but not to such a width that it becomes fiddly to hold, the brush is bendy but firm enough, that the bristles don't separate in all directions. The colour I use is carbon black, but other shades are available including slate grey which could be a good option if you felt black was to dramatic. The other thing I liked about the brush is that it's really really easy to create a thin line or a more noticeable thick line (as my not so photogenic hand is demonstrating....) - perfect for a 50s/60s look and also ideal for creating a fine line in the inner corner of the eye.

The liquid eye liner goes on really smoothly, I know I'm well practiced in applying my eye liner - so much so that with The Historical Sauces I teach how to apply it, but I still have days when mine doesn't go perfect first time, In the same way that some days my hair curls better than others. Those days just happen, and they happen to everyone!  Liquid eye liner just takes practice and a bit of experimenting with a product that you feel comfortable with. This feels like that kind of product for me. It's easy to apply and it feels as effortless as liquid eye liner is ever going to be!

My 'concentration' face is quite miserable looking obviously! eek!

My top tip for make up application is a hand held mirror. This is a 30s one I picked up in a vintage shop for about £6 ages ago. I've also some beautiful ones picked up from charity shops and carboot sales. They really are brilliant. You're completely mobile to do your make up in any room you want to. You can easily chase the best light and importantly you can just angle the mirror to where you need it.

 

Mascara is an essential finishing touch to add some meow to your cat flick eyeliner.

Cat flick eye liner can be as subtle or as dramatic as you want it to be. There are no rights or wrongs, it's your make up and your look.If you're not sure you want to invest a lot of money in starting to use liquid eye liner or you just can't spend lots of money, then the Vivo eye liner is a brilliant choice. It's long lasting and hard wearing. Out of ten I would give it a nine! The only thing that would make it even more perfect would be if there was a waterproof option. This compares very very well to more expensive liquid eyeliners I've used including Mac and No.7. For £2 it's well worth adding to your make up bag.