Happy Fri-yay and welcome to your weekly French beauty rendez-vous! This week I want to show you a brand new and unique product by one of my favorite brands, Lancôme. You know that I love their swan-neck Grandiôse Mascara, so I obviously had to try its little cousin, the newly launched Grandiôse Liner.



The eyeliner looks very much like the mascara tube, in a smaller and thinner version. It has a similar curvy reservoir and long tapered ombre cap that ends transparent, with the brand's signature rose peeking through. I don't have the mascara these days so I couldn't photograph them together, but you can take a look at this post for pictures.

Apparently being angled runs in the family: just like the mascara wand is bent for foolproof application, this eyeliner's cap is articulated so you can bend it for easier use. You can't choose your ideal angle though, there are only three positions: straight, about 30 degrees to the left and to the right (okay I just checked Lancôme's website and they say 35 degrees. I was close!). The wand bends into place with a click that locks the position so it won't move during application.




I can see the bendable wand be helpful for some people, but I'll be honest, the feature is useless for me. I tried using it bent, but I feel like I have less control. I prefer to use it in a classic straight position and bend my wrist to reach for the inner corner of the eye or create a wing in the outer corner. I think that Grandiôse Mascara's bent wand is a game-changer, but this bendable liner, not so much.




You have to shake really well to get enough product on the applicator. Even then, I have to re-dip it in the reservoir at least twice to line one eye. That's a bit annoying. But the biggest issue I have with Grandiôse Liner is that I can't get the line to look razor-sharp on my textured lids. It skips a little so the edge looks a bit dented, and as I try to smooth it out I always end up with a line thicker than I wanted. I have this problem with many liquid liners and Grandiôse is not the worst for that (theBalm Schwing is!) but still, no matter how much effort I put into the application, it never looks perfect.

I know this review doesn't sound too good so far, but there are also quite a few things that I like about this product. This liquid liner is fluid but not runny or watery, so it doesn't feather or bleed into fine lines like some do. The thin felt tip applicator is very precise, just flexible enough to feel soft on the skin and follow the shape of the lid but not so much as to be floppy, and it's very easy to control.




And that color! It's a deep black in the perfect matte finish. I don't know why so many black liners are glossy, when matte black is really what makes your eye color stand out. It's perfect to pair with a smoky look! It also comes in two other matte shades, brown and blue, if you prefer colorful liner.

Lancôme promises smudge-proof long wear and they weren't joking. Grandiôse Liner won't budge once it's dry! It's humidity resistant, and it won't even flake if you rub lightly. In fact when I swatched it on my hand the first time I wasn't able to wash it off with soap and water! I wore it on long hot days and it looked as fresh at 10 PM as it did just after I applied it in the morning. Despite being so long-wearing it's not hard to remove as long as you use an oil-based or bi-phase makeup remover.






I think Grandiôse Liner can be a hit or a miss depending on your needs and expectations. I love the deep matte black shade and smudge-proof extra long wear time, but the formula doesn't work as well as I wanted on my textured lids, and I don't need a bendable wand. So for me the $32 price tag is a little steep. On the other hand, if you have rather smooth lids, if you struggle when applying liquid liners because you always end up with your hand in front of your eye, if you're a fan of bent liner brushes, or if the most important feature for you is wear time, you might absolutely love it.



The product featured in this review was purchased by Lulle. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links.