CMH asks: I’ve read a lot of hype about MAC Liquidlast Liners being “industrial strength” eyeliners. They are smudgeproof and waterproof to the extent that they stay on the skin for days (five days, in the case of one reviewer) in spite of showering and washing. They only come off with oil-based makeup removers and quite a bit of rubbing. What does MAC Liquidlast Liner contain that makes them adhere so tenaciously to the skin?

The Right Brain replies:
We haven’t tested MAC’s liquidliners so we can’t attest to their ability to last for several days, but we can comment on their chemistry. Eyeliners are similar to mascaras in their composition, so, before we begin, you should go read our previous post on how regular mascaras work. All done? Ok, let’s continue.

How eyeliners work

As you know from what you just read, most mascaras (and eyeliners) rely on waxes and oils to hold the pigments in place. But there are a newer style of eye products that employ a different kind of chemistry. These products use acrylic polymers instead of waxes. The properties of these polymers can be controlled by how they are neutralized and how they are mixed with other ingredients that have a plasticizing, or softening, effect. Products made with these polymers can be made very soft and water washable or very hard and long lasting. Blinc mascara is one type that uses this kind of formulation approach. (Have you read our post on how Blinc makes tiny little tubes around your lashes?) Another product that uses this polymer technology is the MAC Liquidlast liner that you asked about.

Why is MAC so waterproof?

Let’s look at the ingredients MAC uses:

Water (purified), Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Hectorite, Glyceryl Stearate, TEA-Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Acrylates Crosspolymer, Oleyl Alcohol, Isopropyparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Carmine, Chromium Hydroxide Green, Chromium Oxide Green, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake

Based on this list, our guess is that MAC uses a lower amount of neutralizing agent (Triethanolamine, or TEA for short), which makes the film formed by the polymer (the Acrylates/C10-30 Acrylates Crosspolymer) longer lasting. The trade off is that this type of eyeliner can be very hard to wash off. So you have to decide what’s more important for you – long lasting or easy to wash off. Like having your cake and eating it too, you can’t have both.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

If you like this effect, this is a good product for you. But if you want a more conventional feel from your eyeliner, you might consider Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner or Anna Sui Liquid Eyeliner.

Similar Posts:

• Who Wants To Get Wet n Wild? (Eyeliner, That Is!)
• Is Kohl Eyeliner Dangerous
• Why Eyeliners Are Like The Wicked Witch Of the West
• Beauty Q & A: Does Blinc Kiss Me Mascara Really Work?
• How Do Waterproof Mascaras Work?

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