ADDICTION Tokyo Story – Red Liner Revival

If you remember, I did this Red on Red Tonal Look utilizing red lipstick as an eyeliner. That wasn’t a good move because my eyes ended up being uncomfortable after several hours. Of course, that was just a pure, albeit high-risk experiment. I did say I will get an actual red eyeliner though.

And I did. *whoop whoop*

ADDICTION by Ayako Liquid Eyeliner in Tokyo Story.

Before I continue, I would like to say that I’m a little displeased by ADDICTION‘s new box packaging. The card stock material is very different from the old one. It’s a lot thinner and flimsier. It gets dented on the edges so easily, as you can probably see in the photos. As much as it pains me to say this, the satin, glossier finish makes the whole look.. cheaper *sorry* It just doesn’t feel like ADDICTION anymore. Ayako-san, please bring the old card stock back.

OK, putting that aside..

This is my first-hand experience with dipped-in liquid eyeliner. I never had much success with the felt-tip, marker-style liquid eyeliner other than using it to enhance my eyeliner flick. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I can use this either *HA* But I was eager at trying new things, and hello, it’s a red eyeliner! I think it’s time to get out of my pencil/gel liner-comfort zone, once in a while.

The brush isn’t pointy, it has a flat end. I had a thought how am I going to make a sharp flick. But I have my trusty brush that I always use to flick the end of my pencil eyeliners; I place it nearby, ready whenever I need it.

I have to say, it was a very peculiar experience for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I just do it. It was unforeseen, but I actually managed to do it successfully on the first try! *pats on the back*
I didn’t find any actual major mishaps, everything was under control and completely manageable. I only have one small issue and I don’t know if this happens to you too (if it does, please let me know!). The issue is the liquid eyeliner gets onto my lashes and will smear a little on my eye area if I’m not careful because it’s still wet. No excessive blinking is allowed here. No biggie, I always have my Biore with cotton buds nearby, so I can just clean up my lashes right away.

I am pretty sure that it’s just a matter of my application technique though. If I had leaned the brush to the side, I might not have that issue. That being said, I’ve tried it and that angle still feels weird and awkward to me.

Despite the shape of the brush, I’m happy to say that I encounter no trouble at making a flick 😀

Tokyo Story is a lovely wine red shade that applies wet in the beginning *duh, of course* and dries to a matte finish which I really, really dig! It dries fast so I don’t find myself having to close my eyes for a certain period of time waiting for the liner to dry.

I find two layers are enough to bring that color to life. If I go for the third layer, I will lose the red tone as it will become really dark. The formula feels smooth and fluid. Sometimes I find it has a tendency to ‘crack’ a little if I accidentally layered to much though. Which is why, two layers are just right for me.

And BOY, this LASTS. I’m talking the hot sunny day during last week’s Chinese New Year celebration with my family. I was sweating a lot. Tokyo Story didn’t smear nor smudge. It just won’t budge. When I looked into the mirror, it looked pristine. Of course, when I tested it on my hand, rub it with water, it will wear off after certain amount of force. But that’s not a treatment I will give to my eyes, ever –you’re not supposed to rub your eyes anyway!

Tokyo Story will stay put, until I decide to take it off. It doesn’t completely dissolve or melt away when I wipe it off with my Biore like my other eyeliners. Instead, it flakes off, like the photo above. It takes a little bit more time removing this though. It’s not a big deal, but I have to be careful not letting the flakes get into my eyes.

Here’s how it looks on my eyes..

Pretty good, eh? It does look dark in real life and not too perceptible, not to mention I have hooded eye lids. But sharp eyes will notice there is something different with my eyes when talking face to face. Just like a few days ago when I was talking to my cousin and suddenly she made a quick move, got closer towards me and inspected my eyes.

Tokyo Story is a conversation starter-material.

I love that it’s dark enough to create definition to my eyes. As I rarely use black eyeliner, Tokyo Story has become a great new addition and I feel confident using it daily. It’s probably not as versatile as my DiorShow Liner in Plum, but it definitely gets a lot more use than black.

Full face..

I added a little bit more interest by using a seafoam/mint eyeshadow in the inner corners. I used Chanel Ombre Unique Shadowlights 25 Siesta (discontinued) which I have for forever but never really used it. To make the green shade pops out more, I applied a shimmery base beforehand with the shimmer end on Anastasia Brow Duality in Camille/Sand. For the eyelids, I opted for something neutral like Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Pale Barley.

On the lips is Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Grand Cru, which will make its way to join my Lip of The Week posts, soon, eventually.

I think the seafoam, minty touch goes really well with the red liner. After all, they are split complementary colors. I have several ideas on using a few more shades to try on my inner corners, but my eyeshadow collection isn’t the most colorful. So those ideas will have to wait.

Thank you Tokyo Story, you make my eye makeup more fascinating that it has ever been!