Magnetic eyeliner vs Adhesive eyeliner - what’s better?

Glue is out, progressive beauty is in! I think we’re all in agreement that we’re so over trying to stick lashes with toxic glue to our eyes. So what’s the best alternative out there? 

Magnetic Eyeliner 

Magnetic eyeliner is a thick (usually) black or dark eyeliner that has magnetism properties that come from a high level of the active ingredient iron oxide. This means that the type of eyelashes that you need to use with the eyeliner MUST have magnets. The magnets on the lashes will ‘stick’ to the iron oxide particles in the eyeliner. Sounds pretty incredible but is this fully safe? Technically, if brands use a % of iron oxide in their products that is within beauty regulatory guidance than it’s allowable. However does putting relatively harsh iron oxide and magnets on your eyes lead to any other negative effects? In our countless trials of magnetic eyeliners from multiple brands we continuously came across the same problems and concerns:

1. That the eyeliner is too harsh to take off without a heavy oil based remover (so not quite gentle enough for daily wear) 
2. The magnets caused irritation and even pain when pulling them from the magnetic eyeliner to remove
3. That the eyeliner was darkening eyelids over time due to the high pigment. 

If you’re wearing magnetic eyeliner only occasionally, it should be fine. It does have exceptionally strong hold due to the magnetism attraction, so your lashes should stay put all day. However you need to be aware of the ingredients (and their side effects) to achieve this hold. We’d recommend using a more gentle system if you like to wear lashes more frequently or have more sensitive eyes.

Self Adhesive Eyeliner

Self adhesive eyeliner can come in a range of colours from clear to black to other pigments.  In most cases it’s active ingredient is Acrylates Copolymer, a non toxic, paraben free PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive). So what exactly is a PSA? It’s a non reactive ingredient which forms a stickiness when pressure is applied, bonding the adhesive with a surface. In the case of our STICK WITH ME eyeliner, the surface is the soft flexible lash band of our SILK SYSTEM lashes. No magnets, water, or heat is needed. The pressure properties are also activated within 30 seconds of applying the eyeliner and keep their properties until the eyeliner is removed, which in practice means you can re-stick your eyelashes easily as required. PSA creates an incredibly strong and durable hold that lasts all day without fail. As gentle pressure is the only bonding agent, there’s also no risk of irritation on removal or the darkening of lids that occurs from higher levels of iron oxide in magnetic eyeliner.  

Self adhesive eyeliner also works with ANY stip lashes, which means that you can use any of your favorite lash styles over and over again. The lack of magnets also gives a far more elegant and seamless finish as the lash band will be completely flush with your eyelid - resulting in the most natural look possible. 

Here’s a quick comparison summary so you can make the most informed decision for your beautiful beadies!!