Got kohl liners which are too hard to use? Rescue them!

We all have them, the pencils we bought hoping for smudgey, smokey kohls; which actually turned out to be hard, eyelid-tugging and completely unusable. Mine are below, and until recently they have been languishing in a drawer, completely unloved.

Well, here’s how you can rescue them from the makeup graveyard! I can’t take credit for this tip, as I saw it on Gossmakeupartist‘s YouTube channel. But it was too good not to share. Simply, use a lighter to soften the kohl.

Don’t place the pencil completely into the flame, as this will melt it. Hold the pencil about half a centimetre away from the blue part of the flame (the yellow part can be sooty) and wait a couple of seconds for a teeny blob of melted kohl to appear at the tip. Wait another couple of seconds for the blob to cool down, then apply. It’s that easy! It’s a good idea to ensure your pencil is quite sharp, unless you like a very thick line. See the results below.

The before and after is quite drastic! See how the lighter trick transforms completely unusable pencils into almost gel-like beauties? And they smudge wonderfully.

What do you think ladies? Is this too much faff for cheap pencils, or will you be trying it?

Webmistress extrordinaire! 27 years young, Medicinal Chemistry postgrad. student, BSc (hons) Genetics, former Lush Cosmetics employee and bunny mum. Beauty interests: Cosmeceuticals, natural and cruelty free cosmetics, managing oily & imperfect skin, debunking inflated scientific claims.
Kat
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  • Anonymous

    Mmm. I am trying to weigh up my hatred of waste with my inherent laziness before I can answer this question!

    • Anonymous

      I struggle with that every morning… But it’s surprisingly quick, as long as I leave the lighter on my dressing table :)

  • Mariga

    Sounds good to me..wouldn’t bother for cheap pencils but I’ve plenty of expensive ones that I can’t use and won’t throw out. Estee Lauder, I’m looking at you! I’ll be trying this. Wonder if storing on the heater would help?

    • Anonymous

       As long as the heater doesn’t get too hot, I’m sure it’ll work!  But be careful don’t want melted pencil dripping down your heater :P

  • http://miss-greeneyes.blogspot.com Miss Green Eyes

    Oh yay! I have a Sephora one that I refuse to throw out because it’s the absolute perfect shade of brown, but the last time I used it I felt like I was trying to gouging my eyes out. Brilliant tip for the ones you just can’t say goodbye to! x

    • Anonymous

       Hopefully it’ll work for you Sharon!

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