i always have problem keeping my eye makeup from smudging, esp the lower eyes area. therefore i usually go for clean under eye looks to prevent looking messy by the end of the day. ie, no heavy nor dramatic colors at lower eye area.

if i try to i can prevent them from smudging most times. but that requires a lot of work. i'll need an hour to put on makeup every morning and i don't have that much time.

so i usually go for lighter colors, which also brightens my eyes. i do need to look less tired from lack of sleep. i need to quit gaming till late at night but i'm too addicted. :)

some of the pencils i often use to achieve clean undereye looks, from top to bottom:

• guerlain eye pencil no 8, a pinkish white
• l'oreal eyecolor brightener in amber shimmer, a golden color
• l'oreal eyecolor brightener in ruset dash, a coppery color
• laura mercier kohl eye pencil in iced blue
• prestige kohl eyeliner in white, a very bright white

i think most of them have been discontinued or repackaged. i've had them for years.

closeup of the pencil tips, in the same order listed above.

color swatch in the same order.

they don't last any longer on me than any other darker color eyepencils. but... because they're lighter in color, it's barely noticiable when they smudge or become messy. this is good when i'm busy at work and don't have time to fix my makeup.

you probably ask why do i still use them if they don't last. at least i look good when i get out of the house. :)

these 2 are my most frequently used pencils. if you have noticed some slight hint of golden or coppery tone under my eyes in my recent looks, these were used.

i prefer to use them more than whites. they look more natural. thought the coppery red look less natural than the golden one.

these pencils were described as line and shadow pencil. i don't prefer using them as shadows. as mentioned, they don't last that long on me. there are probably ways to keep them longer lasting but i haven't worked out how.

sadly they've been discontinued long ago.

it's a shame that l'oreal has had some great products but they're like limited edition. once gone they're gone forever. if you're as old as me you probably remember l'oreal's stick foundation... it was my holy grail! i would have stocked up had i known it was going to be discontinued.