I read so many reviews online and on Sephora because I do like to do a lot of research before I buy beauty products. If you know me you may be incredulous considering the volume of product I own, but I have cut my inventory by almost half and have become much more judicious in my spending (gasp!). So now research is a thing for me. One of the products I choose to invest in is eyeliner. I use this product every single day and having a good-quality liner makes a huge difference in the look you achieve (and maintain) when you go about your day. And on that note, there are many cosmetic products these days that come in pencil form, and this is where this article comes about.
In my research, I consistently find that many people are switching to retractable pencils, whether it's a lip pencil, eye liner pencil, eyeshadow pencil or so on because they can't find a good sharpener. Personally, I am a huge believer in traditional pencils. My look would not be complete without either my Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero or my MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Engraved. I'm pretty sure at least 80% of the eye and lip liners I own are traditional pencil style, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I too struggled with finding a good sharpener at a decent price. I tried the cheap sharpeners from the drugstore, the high end sharpeners I could use in my place of business and I've tried sharpeners at Sephora and I've finally found one I'm extremely happy with. I present to you: Urban Decay's Grind House.
Photo via sephora.com
Of course a brand that's famous for it's liners would make the best sharpener that (not a lot) of money can buy! I've found over and over again that the Grind House sharpens my pencils to a point with no rough edges or unevenness. It gives me a uniform sharpen all the way around even when I've broken a pencil and start from the bottom. There is little to no chipping in the actual pencil and removing it from the sharpener is easy and doesn't leave rough edges.
This sharpener is also great for its features. It's a double-barreled sharpener with a small hole for standard-sized eye and lip liners and a larger hole for standard-sized jumbo lip and eye pencils. There is a relatively standard size amongst brands now, and a variety of pencils fit into the Grind House. The Grind House also comes with a built-in scraper, which you should utilize after every use to make sure there's no left-over pencil, which can cause problems with future sharpenings. It comes apart for easy cleaning, but when you put it back together it stays together until you take it apart again. Be aware though, I've found that the scraper tends to fall out, so you may want to just take it out and keep it somewhere separate from the sharpener itself. The Grind House recently underwent a design change but I can safely say that the new sharpener is just as good as the old one. At $10.00, this is truly a rather small investment that will pay off big time for your makeup bag, and you can buy it at Sephora or Ulta.
For best results, I've found this technique to be the best.
1. Insert pencil into appropriate side of the sharpener.
2. Sharpen to desired point.
3. Apply light pressure as you gradually pull the pencil out while continuing to slowly rotate. This will assure you don't end up with any sharp edges or dents in your pencil.
4. Once the pencil has been removed, empty contents and clean sharpener with attached scraper. If you feel the need, wet a Q-tip in makeup remover and fully remove remaining pencil from sharpener blades.
I really cannot say enough good things about this sharpener. Don't ever give up a pencil you love because you can't find a sharpener that does it justice. The Grind House will not let you down, and at its reasonable price point I highly recommend picking one up. If you've had sharpener issues in the past or you just really love liners, give this sharpener a try - it won't disappoint!
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