Noir Cosmetics for Smoky Eyes and Beyond

Noir Cosmetics is a new line of products by a Canadian woman, Caroline Cohen, who truly thinks all black is beautiful--when it's on your eyes! Noir Cosmetics are specialists in one one thing: eye makeup, and they create products only in different shades of black! That doesn't mean that they're ll the same, as you'll see in the descriptions below. Each product fills a specific need or purpose, and while all of the products are only in black, they're quite different. If you think all black is just, well, black, consider how difficult it is to match two different black items. They may look the same (black) individually, but together, they never seem to be quite the same hue. Noir Cosmetics's product line features a dozen, black-tinted products, all of which come in matte black cardboard packaging with white lettering that reminds me very much of another beloved makeup brand (Hint: it rhymes with "tack").

The only product Noir Cosmetics makes with colors other than black is their Jewel Box Eyeshadow Palette $30.00. An elongated oval, matte, black plastic compact (with mini pony-hair brush and slim mirror is filled with three very nice, silky shadows: a creamy, pearly, slightly shimmery super-light peach, a shimmery silver, and a sparkling, inky black. Use all three for lid colors, and the black shadow also works beautifully as a liner, but as a trio, they create the quintessential smoky eye look everyone wants (and that's not fading away any time soon).

The Lifeline Liquid Eyeliner $15.00 in "True Black" is a super-slim, elegantly tapered tube with a super-fine-line brush tip that dispenses an inky, intense, black liner that looks retro, punk, chic, ladylike...whatever you want it to be, depending upon how you apply it. It goes on smoothly, even if your hand tends to shake a bit.

More challenging for me (I just hate to dip a brush into a jar of liner), but easier for many to apply, is the Noir Gel Liner $15.00 in "Royal Black," a slightly softer but still intense, matte black. It's water-resistant, and long-lasting, yet you can blend your mistakes (if you make any) into a smokey eye and no one will be the wiser! The Noir Cosmetics High Precision Eyeliner Bush $12.00 has a perfectly sharp, beautifully shaped tip to help you get get a great line. Personally, I still think you need to have talent to use a liner and brush, but if you feel comfortable with a brush application, this is a good, inexpensive brush for your collection.

Eye Pencils:

I love Kohl Eyeliners. They're make me feel exotic, and their super-soft formula makes it easy to apply and blend. The Koh Eyeliner Crayon $13.00 is richly pigmented, but it's a soft black with a hint of smoke in it. A natural wax formula helps the pencil slide and glide smoothly...great if you're not so steady in your application.

The Long-Wear Eyeliner $13.00 in "Forever Noir" is also a soft pencil with a shiny, laminated exterior shell. It isn't quite as soft of the Kohl pencil, but it's still easy to apply. It's black, but more of a softer, cashmere black. It also contains good-for-your-lids ingredients such as jojoba oil and Vitamin E. I tested this one in hot, humid conditions, and it didn't run or fade for hours.

The Ultra Rich Eye Pencil $15.00 in "Black," is a short, stubby pencil in a medium black. It's 6mm lead size is 2mm larger than most standard pencils, making it easy to smudge this portable, creamy liner/shadow into an instant smokey eye. Every woman should have one of these in her makeup bag to multi-task as needed!

My favorite type of eyeliner pencil is a dual-tipped one. That's why I love the Smooth Blend Eyeliner $15.00 in "Smog." This soft, easy to apply pencil liner is intense, inky black, yet the smudger tip lets you change it's attitude. Wear it deep and intense as-is, or blend and smudge it to soften the color and change the look all the way to "grey" (no wonder it's called "Smog")!

Another favorite of mine in this seemingly endless choice of Noir Cosmetics black eye liners is the Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner $14.00 in "Jet." It combines the portability and ease of a slim pencil, with the blendability and long-wear of a gel or liquid. The soft, rich black is flattering on virtually everyone, and Vitamins C and E make the pencil creamy and easy to wear. The retractable pencil ensures that you always have a clean, sharp tip, too. This is another must-have in your makeup bag!

To keep the pencils sharp and for a clean line, there's a nifty Pencil Sharpener $6.00 with three different sizes of holes to keep any size of pencil, sharp. It's also got a snap-on cover and a blade cleaner.

And, after you've applied one or more of these liners, you'll want to finish the look with a great mascara. I really like the Noir Cosmetics Mascara $14.00 in "Black Out." This excellent mascara goes on deep black and somewhat shiny, leaving lashes fully covered, thanks to a generously-sized mascara wand. The mascara is build-able, so you can go "nice" for daytime, and all the way to "wildly sexy" for drama in the evening.

At the end of the day, what goes on, must come off. Noir Cosmetics Eye Makeup Remover $11.00 4 fl. oz is the color of the Mediterranean Sea and comes in a clear, plastic, flip-top bottle. With all that black color, you need a product that will wipe it clean without too much of a struggle, and this makeup remover dissolves the "smoke" and leaves your skin fresh and clean again. This water-based makeup remover didn't irritate my eyes. It's suitable for all skin types, and it's oil-free. What more could you ask from a bottle of makeup remover?!

If you love the smoky eye look, or if you're just looking to replace some of your ho-hum" basic black eyeliners and mascaras, you'll want to visit the web site at http://www.noircosmetics.com and check these out for yourself!