If I felt a bit cheeky today, this Burberry Eye Colour Contour Pen review would be very short: Great product, must-have, buy it! But then, you’d very likely have a lot of unanswered questions, so here’s a longer version. You read the conclusion already above, so sorry about the spoilers ;), hope you’ll have a peek at the swatches and all the deedz below!
What is it?
Burberry says:
“Discover Eye Colour Contour, a versatile, mistake-proof pen designed to sculpt and smoke the eyes for effortless results. The precision dome tip follows the natural curve of the eye to add dimension and depth, while the creamy formula blends into the lash line for an intense smokey effect. Crease-free and waterproof for an all-day flawless finish, create multiple eye looks using lighter shades to illuminate and widen eyes before adding depth and vibrancy with more intense colours.”
The pens come in two matte and five shimmery shades that somehow match the existing powder eye shadow range. All shades are rather neutral, and retail for 29€, 29$ and 23£.
How do we like the Eye Colour Contour Pens?
The Pros
Both Astrid and I got different shades to test the pens thoroughly, and we both think that the formula is the best cream eye shadow formula in stick form.
Astrid got Pale Copper, a pale cool coppery shade, and Midnight Brown, a cool shimmery brown, while I got Dusky Mauve, a cool mauvey taupe, both shades from the shimmery part of the line-up.
The reason why I love those things is that there’re totally fool-proof to use, great for a very quick eye makeup, and also the best cream eyeshadow stick I ever encountered formula-wise. These things glide on flawlessly, and stick to your lids like iron. I haven’t tried to go swimming while wearing them, but otherwise I’ve worn them in pouring rain and in awfully humid weather, so I consider them the absolute best. They totally do what Burberry promises – the formula is a pleasure to use, and easily blendable with your fingers. I think that there’re great for hot weather – they’re awesome for an easy, quick and crease-proof summer look. They do fade minimally after about 12hrs of wear, but I don’t consider that a problem. As for application, the formula feels very silky – quite silicone-y, in fact. That makes it very easy to apply and blend – they set quickly, but not too quickly. You totally have some time to blend and smudge.
The Cons
Where Burberry goes a bit over the top, though, is the sculpt and contour part. For me, it’s like jumping on the contouring bandwagon to blow up the strengths of a perfectly created cream eye shadow. There’s no need for that, Burberry!!! The colours aren’t that complex that you’ll get that look that seems like you’ve used two or three colours when you used just the one. I guess, though, that you can achieve that when you use multiple colours, like the press blurb suggests. Both Astrid and I are looking forward to adding shades to our stash to actually try that! I like the look of Smokey Mauve so much that I haven’t tried it as a base for a powder eye shadow yet. It’s a taupe lover’s dream.
Comparisons – Chanel & Kiko
In comparison to Chanel’s cream eye shadow sticks Stylo Yeux, and their Kiko Cosmetics dupes (see our last review here) I’ve to say that Burberry’s formula is, for me, vastly superior, while Chanel’s colour range is usually broader and shades are more complex. The downside is that Chanel’s Stylo Yeux are usually limited edition, while Burberry’s are permanent. Kiko’s range boasts some more vivid shades, while their formula just isn’t that good.
In short, I have nothing bad to say about the Eye Colour Contour Pens. Go ahead and make more colours, Burberry!
You’ll like Burberry’s Eye Colour Contour Smoke and Sculpt Pens if…
… one-sweep-wonder eye shadows are your thing
… if you like cream formulas in stick/pen form
… if you like neutral shades
… if you’re going for a quick and simple eye look
… if creasing and smudging is often an issue for you – these don’t budge
… if you like your eye shadows waterproof
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