Cosmetic pencils cost a fortune. Therefore, you should take care of them so that they last you a long time. Do you know how to cut them properly?
At first glance, they may look a bit like school crayons, but appearances are deceiving! While classic pencil crayons usually have a harder graphite solid, cosmetic make-up is composed of soft waxes, oils and pigments. This means that if you start to “circle” them with a classic school sharpener, it may happen that the soft filling comes loose and clogs the whole mechanism…
A tailor-made sharpener
That is why make-up artists recommend using special sharpeners for shaving cosmetic properties. How are they different? “Cosmetic sharpeners are mostly made of high-quality stainless steel and they gently cut not only soft wood, but also wax filling without any problems,” says British make-up artist Pat McGrath, adding that most special sharpeners have a built-in plastic tip (or a spatula) that is used to immediately remove excess wax.
Two holes for pencils
The difference between the school “cake” and the cosmetic one is also in the size of the holes. Cosmetic sharpeners usually have two – one for thick “jumbo” pencils, which are typical for pencil eyeshadows. The smaller opening fits classic lip contour pencils, hard liners or eyebrow pencils.
The freezer trick
Cosmetic pencils are quite fragile. That’s why experts recommend putting them in the fridge for a while before cutting, or ideally in the freezer, so that they harden a bit. “But be careful, don’t leave them there for more than five minutes! Otherwise there is a risk that the frost will damage the consistency of the makeup and then you won’t be able to use the rainbow,” warns McGrath.
What a pencil, what a different nib
When trimming on cosmetic pencils, do not apply pressure and do it piece by piece. This is the only way to prevent unnecessary accidents. “For eyeliner, prefer a sharper tip with a diameter of 3-5 millimeters. Cut the eyebrow pencil to a tip with a diameter of 4-6 millimeters, which you can then flatten as needed. The lip contour pencil works with a larger area, so it is advisable to count on a tip of 4-7 millimeters. Be careful, the tip should not be too sharp, so as not to injure the lips unnecessarily!” concludes the make-up artist.
