Hot Topic Glitter Eye Pencil, $2

So I was in Hot Topic lately, checking out their latest inventory of studded platforms and skull rings, and I noticed their updated makeup display. In high school I bought some bright pink eyeshadow from there (like 10 years ago!) and I remember being obsessed with it. Hot Topic's stepped up their game lately (totally fell for some crazy platform heels) so I figured, why not check out their makeup too? I grabbed 2 glittery eyeliners in purple and black at $2 a pop.

The designs on the pencil are geared toward their customers--a silver casing with a black fishnet overlay and a skull and crossbones logo--which, by the way, I'm totally into. When I used the eyeliner, I noticed that it goes on really smoothly and the pencil is really soft (well, the purple is softer than the black, which felt a little grittier).

The colors go on pretty well (shown above with just some primer and mascara) but the glitter is pretty subtle (read: doesn't really show up). The slight sparkle would probably just look like excess eyeshadow. The liner seems comparable to other nonwaterproof pencils in color and lasting time (just average) but at least the purple is really pretty.


Final verdict
Cost: $2--you could probably find that buried in your couch cushions.
Color: The color shows up pretty well (I especially enjoyed the purple) but the glitter isn't really noticeable, so that's kind of a drag.
Lasting power: Pretty average. I wouldn't expect it to last all day/night. It would probably be best to stick to the top eyelid for this one.
Repeat offender?: Sure, I'd try another one. For $2 it's really not a bad eyeliner pencil. I'd recommend it for experimental looks, like, how would my eyes look lined in teal? I'll probably try their other products as well--this $5 bright eyeshadow palette looks fun!

-T