It’s been a long time coming, but Kat Von D Beauty finally have a matte liquid liner…the Ink Well Liner (UK*/ IE*) for all the matte fans out there! There seems to have been an influx of KVD liners hitting the market recently (what with the Lash Liner and Dagger Tattoo Liner also being launched in the space of a few months) but I feel this one has been the most anticipated. I’m a huge fan of the OG Tattoo Liner and actually don’t mind a textured/ satin finish liner at all personally…but if given the choice and if I had to pick one (dramatic?), matte would always have the edge for me as I know it would for so many other liner connoisseurs too! Both the OG Tattoo Liner and Dagger Tattoo Liner have the exact same formula (and brush fibre tip, the only difference is the shape of the brush tip) so they’re both super black and have a satin finish…not glossy or matte but sitting in between. The new Ink Well Liner (UK*/ IE*) is also blackest of black, but with super opaque matte finish.
Here are the comparison swatches…
It’s not the easiest to capture the finishes properly, but I hope you can see the OG on the left of the picture has a definite sheen to it, where as the Ink Well on the right looks velvety matte.
All you need to know about the Ink Well Liner…
✖️ Smudge proof, transfer proof and waterproof.
✖️ Available in 6 highly pigmented shades (White Out – white, Trooper – black, Vampira – burgundy, Outlaw – red, Darkwave – cobalt blue and Dreamer – turquoise).
✖️ 1 swipe matte opacity without the need for layering.
✖️ ‘Weightless Flex Technology’ which locks down quick drying colour that moves with your skin for a finish that doesn’t fade or crack.
✖️ Ergonomically designed felt tip applicator (inspired by Kat’s antique quill and ink set up that she uses for all of her intricate calligraphy lettering) for precise placement, perfect for detail work and crisp lines.
✖️ Cruelty free an Vegan.
The only other matte finish liner I’ve found that I like and that works for me is the NYX Matte Liquid Liner*…the only thing is, I don’t find it lasts long enough on. It doesn’t help that my eyes can get annoyingly very watery, but although it lasts pretty well…I just can’t rely on it for all day wear and tend to instead go for either the KVD OG Tattoo Liner or Dagger Tattoo Liner. FYI…if you’re looking for an affordable alternative to the Tattoo Liner that lasts, the NYX Epic Ink Liner* is a pretty close dupe (read more about that one and see it compared to the KVD Tattoo Liner here) I really like that one too!
You need to give the Ink Liner a good shake before applying and with it drying so quickly, I’d recommend working in smaller sections for the most even finish. Because it’s so fast drying, I do find you need to dip back in to the ink well itself several times to complete your liner (the applicator doesn’t hold on to product like the Tattoo Liners do and dries out, so the extra dunks are needed). The benefit of this though is it’s less likely to smudge while drying (it doesn’t smudge at all!) so this would be perfect if you normally struggle with liner transferring to your eyelid and wrecking your eyeshadow.
I know that so many people just prefer a felt tip type applicator (and I will say it’s probably a little easier to handle/ control/ get to grips with if you’re new to liner or just not fully confident at applying it yet) but I personally prefer the brush tip applicators of the other liners. Yes there’s less room for error and they’re a bit more of a challenge to control, but I guess it’s just what I’m used to and for me and find them so much faster on my own eyes! (I’ll always prefer a gel liner on clients/ models and Inglot’s 77 AMC Liner will take some beating in my opinion for use in my pro kit!) I feel like the formula of the Ink Well Liner but in Tattoo Liner Brush Pen form would be the perfect liner of dreams for me! Saying that though, I’m not mad at the traditional ink well liner style and the formula of this is definitely enough for me to get over my applicator issues!
The Kat Von D Ink Well Liner may not be my favourite in terms of applicator, but formula wise it is! I’ll still use my other go to KVD liners ofc, but when only matte will do or I need my liner to out survive me on any given day…I’ll definitely be reaching for the Ink Well Liner! It applies smoothly and the result is super opaque, black and is dry in seconds! From a felt tip liner you get way more precision and control than I’ve experienced with others before (another advantage of it’s quick drying…it doesn’t deposit too much product in the same area/ ‘blob’ on to your eye) and you can go for a super thin line/ detail or a more statement liner look with ease. As I mentioned earlier if you’re covering a larger area you’ll just need to dip back in to get more product out and if you are working in smaller sections try not to overlap as much as possible…you definitely don’t need to go over the same are twice and feel like it might compromise the amazing staying power/ non cracking nature if you do!
I’m not sure how long the Ink Well Liner lasts yet, but I’ve had it/ being using it for about a month now and it’s still going strong. I guess I’ll report back when I know! I LOVE this liner! Like I said, a few packaging/ applicator tweaks and this would be perfection for me! It stays on all day, doesn’t smudge, is waterproof and I just really like how the matte finish looks on!
Have you tried the Kat Von D Ink Well Liner (UK*/ IE*) yet? What did you think??
Lyd x
PLEASE NOTE:
I’m now based in Cork, Ireland. Although I do take select bookings for North Wales/ Cheshire and Dublin (get in touch for more info) and am available to travel country wide…I’m mainly taking makeup bookings for Cork City and surrounding areas.
As a bridal makeup specialist, I do get booked up well in advance so if you’re looking for wedding makeup in Cork contact me asap to check availability, secure your date and avoid disappointment! I’m freelance and travel to your home/ venue of choice. Also available for makeup for any occasion/ event, lessons and master class…find more information and a full list of services here.
Contact us for enquiries/ bookings and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
EDIT: note from Nic (Editor/IT helper): As you’ll probably have seen through the blog posts, Beauty Bay* is a favourite of ours! Recently, they’ve changed where their affiliate program is run through, and so I’ve had to go back through all of the blog posts (since May 2016…I didn’t think it’d been that long!) updating the links to Beauty Bay so that they’ll still work. I’ve tried my best to make sure they’re all working again now, but I may have missed 1 or 2 here and there – if you do spot any, let us know in the comments and I can get them updated 🙂
It was also very helpful of Beauty Bay to let us know that they’re updating the affiliate program and offer help to get set up in the new system, we are already registered there, as its the same group that runs the Boots* affiliate program, but the offer of help was nice to receive :).