little white truths

We received this Ofra lip liner in our September 2015 Lust Have It Women's Boxes (reviewed here).

I don't use lip liners because it's one of those extra steps that I can't be bothered with, but I'd seen Ofra mentioned quite a bit in the beauty community - particularly its liquid lipsticks - and it was a brand I'd never tried so I was happy to give this a go.

Applied on bare lips below. It took me ages to line and fill in my lips (and I didn't quite get there - it's patchy!) because the pencil is so hard that it really tugs and doesn't apply smoothly. You can see how drying it looks:

Below is how it looks when I hydrate my lips first with a clear gloss and then add more gloss over the top. It looks much better and applies more easily when my lips already have product on them, but it's a lot of work to line and fill in my lips with this when I could just add a swipe of lipstick instead.

Verdict

As mentioned above, I don't love this product because it's so drying and really tugs when applied. It feels and looks even more drying after application, and it's so uncomfortable that I can't stand wearing it alone for more than ten minutes before adding a hydrating product over the top and getting some relief.

The other issue is that, because it's so stiff and difficult to apply, it takes a lot of work and layering to line the lips and fill them in. Also, I find that stiff liners make it difficult to get an even line because the tugging means you're 'digging' into your lips and moving them around during application, plus you're using quite a bit of pressure on a moving target so it's easier to make mistakes.

Do note, though, that the product swatches quite well and feels more creamy when applied to my arm, so it may be that someone who doesn't have dry lips might find this product more comfortable to wear and easier to apply than I do. Unfortunately I haven't seen many reviews of Ofra lip liners, so I can't say whether it works better for others than it does for me - although I have seen one reviewer note exactly the same problems with the product that I have.

One good thing about this liner is the colour. It's a nice nude brown with touch of rose, and it's dark and rich enough in tone that it doesn't look flat or uninteresting - a plus if you do want to wear it alone with a clear gloss. If I wear just a little of the product and add a gloss, it's a great 'my lips but better shade' and I'm disappointed that the product isn't up to scratch because the colour is great for everyday wear and it's something I'd be happy to use with many looks.

But of course, adding gloss means the product lifts and transfers in a heartbeat - so it's a lose-lose situation!

On the claims: I do think it's water resistant but it definitely doesn't deliver a smooth and soft application; it probably would be long-lasting if I could bear wearing it without a hydrating gloss, but since I can't that claim is moot; and I haven't had any issues with irritation on either my lips or eyes, other than the drying factor. It's not a colour I would wear on my eyes but I did try it there once for the purposes of this review, and it worked ok for that function.

In sum, I don't rate this product at all and I've given it a 'disappointing products' tag because I was expecting more from Ofra, given the hype I've seen online about some of its other lip products. 

Just not for me.