Review & Swatches: Tarte Aqualillies Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner in “Splash”

Availability: Sephora, Tarte
Price: $24.00

Tarte’s new Aqualillies collection includes a new, limited-edition shade of the company’s Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner in the shade Splash–a shimmering turquoise.

Packaging: 9.25/10

This eye liner comes in glass jar with a plastic, twist-off lid decorated with the Aqualillies collection design.

Quality: 8.75/10

Splash is a sea-green turquoise color with shimmer. The color shows up very well on the lids, giving your lash line a distinct green tint.

This cream eye liner formula glides across the skin in a semi-opque manner. True to Tarte’s claims, this liner is long-wearing, smudge-resistant, and essentially waterproof. I applied it before going to an hour-long dance class (which means there was plenty of sweating) and even after showering, the liner was still there, though admittedly it was a bit faded.

The dual-ended brush you get has extremely narrow bristles to help give you a thin line on the lids. You have a straight side and an angled side, which helps adapt to your application preferences.

Ease of Use: 8.5/10

I’m a big fan of thin liner brushes when it comes to gel, liquid, or cream liners. But I think the bristles on this brush are a little too thin. The brush is great for getting that razor-sharp flick at the outer corner of the eyes, but the thinness of the bristles makes it hard to get a good line on the rest of the lash-line. I found I had to work in smaller strokes or layer the liner to get a smooth, evenly-pigmented line when using the brush that comes in this kit.

Price: 7.25/10

For $24.00 you get 0.08 ounces of liner, plus a brush. This is an extremely small amount of liner compared to most cream liner products, including from brands like Smashbox and Clinique. The fact that you get a brush helps.