Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils (Review & Swatches)

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I have suddenly found several of the Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils in my posession, so I thought it was time to do a review! (I ended up with a couple from Gen Beauty,  a few more a Make Up For Ever Backstage Workshop that Samantha Jane invited me out to and then a couple more that she gifted me!)

Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils
Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils

So, a few months ago, Make Up For Ever launched their Aqua XL Eye Pencils in a wide of array of shades (20, to be precise). They cover the bulk of the rainbow and to me they look like they’re rivaling the Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayons which has always been my go-to product for my waterline since it just doesn’t budge.

The “Aqua XL Eye Pencil Waterproof Liner‘s superior, long-lasting formula will not smudge, crease, or fade until you remove it. Its innovative formula blends intense, rich color with a super-gliding texture. This versatile liner’s smooth texture effortlessly glides onto lids without skipping or tugging while delivering intense, one-swipe color that lasts all day. Perfect for creating a tight line or smudging for a shadow effect, it features shades that range from everyday neutrals to bright pastel pops.”

Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils
Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils

The shades come in a variety of finishes, although I would say the bulk of them are matte although they  do also have diamond, satiny, iridescent and metallic finishes just like their eyeshadow range.

Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils in M-10, M-16, M-26, M-92, M-30, I-32 and M-22 - swatched
Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils in M-10, M-16, M-26, M-92, M-30, I-32 and M-22 – swatched

You can see that aside from I-32, all of the shades are matte, which is definitely my preference in a liner! I’m particularly enamoured by the vibrant pastel shades in the center since it’s refreshing to see those shades in eye pencil format instead of just as eyeshadow.

At the MUFE Backstage Workshop, we were instructed to produce a festival look that involved layering shades in order to produce a graphic liner look. It’s not supposed to be totally cohesive – more abstract and frivolous (for lack of a better term). I felt a little silly applying my liner this way, but when I took the shot above, I was astounded with just how neat it looked. I especially felt that the white really helped to pull it together.

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Although the Backstage Workshop look was fun, the way I’ve mostly been wearing the Make Up For Ever Aqua XL liners is by applying them to my waterline. In the shot above I have I-32 on the outer half of my water line, and then M-92 on the inner half and I’ve blended them together to create a gradient. I was really, really surprised and impressed by how well this stayed on my waterline all day. I wore the aqua shade (M-30) in the office and it stayed put all day. I did touch up a tad at the outer corner since that’s where my eyes water, but really, that’s to be expected with any pencil for me (including the Marc Jacobs Highliner).

Final Thoughts

If you need a rock solid waterproof eyeliner, look no further than the Make Up For Ever Aqua XL. By industry standards, when something is labelled “waterproof”, it has to last THREE HOURS underwater (without any rubbing) and this one fits the bill! I love the shade range (although I would really like a red) and I’ve been having a lot of fun using these on my water line. They dry really solidly onto my water line – almost like it locks on and shellacs the area (I didn’t know how else to describe it) because if you touch the area with your finger it ends up feeling totally dry and yet it’s not irritating which is a huge blessing.

Also, removing these from your skin is no easy feat unless you’re using something oil based. Think that’s annoying? Think again, my friend! Cuz this means they are BUDGEPROOF! So in short… these are absolute winners. 🙂

The Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils can be purchased on sephora.ca for $25 CAD each or on sephora.com for $21 USD.

14 thoughts on “Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencils (Review & Swatches)

    1. I kind of liked how the purple and green blended together to create a blueish shade. I wasn’t expecting it and was like oh heyyyyy this works!

  1. These look great! I love how you did a gradient with the liners on your water line.. I don’t know why I never thought of doing something like that.. that’s brilliant!

    Maddy

    1. I remember trying to wipe them off my hands the first time I swatched them and I was like “oh dear god this is going to need more than what I’m throwing at it!”. haha

  2. I love the looks you created with them…As for red liner, have you tried the NYX Vivid one? I haven’t tried it on my lids but I swatched it and the color was beautiful. It dried down kind of funny, but I don’t know if it’s just because my hands were so dry?

    1. Yeah the NYX one dried down kind of crackly on the back of my hand… and yet it didn’t behave that way on my lids which is really, really weird!

  3. I love that second look you did! I should look into getting a few of these cause nothing ever stays on my waterline either. I really want a nude pencil right now. My waterline looks very reddish after I’m done doing my makeup (it’s just its natural colour) and a nude liner would be perfect for the kind of makeup I usually wear. That or white.
    Chantal recently posted…Sugarlash Lash Extensions at Nail Beauty LoungeMy Profile

    1. Hmmm I wonder if MUFE makes an nude one…. let me check. Oh shoot! No nude! There’s a pastel yellow, but I think that’d be more vibrant. Could always go with the white though!

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