The Line Up Project: MAC Fluidlines
Review by MUA's Cavewoman

"Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in!"..... Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, Godfather Part III

My on-again-off-again relationship with MAC Cosmetics is on again in a big way. After years of loving all things MAC, and then having most of it sit, neglected and unused, in my cosmetics organizer, I thought I had learned my lesson. Look at the things at the counter, walk away, contemplate, read reviews, resist the buzz on the MakeUpAlley, go look again, buy cautiously, etc., etc., etc.! I've learned that I don't like MAC foundations, powders, skincare, and most of the lipsticks and shadows. I rarely like the holiday offerings, I try not to get seduced by the beautiful, shimmery pigments (so pretty, but I'm not skilled enough to use them properly,) and to test everything on my face before I buy. I still use and love most of the MAC brushes that I have, they are excellent, last forever, and perform perfectly. I like the glosses, love the dazzleglasses, and their original Amplified lipstick formula is still my favorite of all lipsticks. But I had never tried any of the Fluidline liners. Until now. A big thanks to Nicole, who raved about them, and did a custom purchase for me (she buys, I pay her) of a shade called Non-Conformist at her local Cosmetics Company Store. I can't thank her enough. Everything she said about Fluidlines is true, and the Non-Conformist is my favorite liner shade ever! I dedicate this review to Nicole!

Ask the MakeUpAlley members what the best liner is, and you'll get lots of suggestions, but over and over again you'll see Fluidlines listed, and lots of raves. I don't know why it took me so long to try one. When I received the little jar that Nicole sent to me, I was totally captivated by the shade. Non-Conformist is a discontinued shade of Fluidline that is a dark dark blue-based purple which has no shimmer or glitter particles. I was in love at first glimpse. You know how it is with MAC, but if you don't, I'll tell you. When you fall in love with something that's a Limited Edition, grab all you can. Chances are you won't see them again, unless you start scouring ebay. Sometimes that's the only way to obtain something from MAC that's long gone.

I tested Non-Conformist the day it arrived. I used the Kashuk bent-angle brush on one eye and the Shu Uemura 5F on the other. I knew right away this formula was something special. None of the other gel or cream liners applied so smoothly, so easily, and the saturation of color was amazing. Lasting power was beyond any liner I have tried so far. I couldn't wait to get my hands on more colors, so Miss Blogdorf and I set out for the nearest Lauder Outlet store.

There were not too many Fluidlines to choose from at the outlet, but I found an interesting blackish shade called Nightfish. I can't explain the name. It's not a blue-black, but sort of a warmish black, with no shimmer. The following week, on a trip to New York, we stopped in at the MAC Pro store where I bought the beautiful dark cold blue Waveline, a navy with a hint of purple, and two liner brushes, #209 and #210. See what MAC has done to me?

It was time to put my new Fluidlines to the test. I had an all-day event with my parish, a retreat for my students at our local park. I was going to be gone for most of the day, it was snowing and part of our day would be spent outside, and part inside in a lovely old pavillion. I decided to wear Nightfish, and I applied it on one eye with the #209 brush and on the other eye with the #210. As you can see from the photos, the #209 is a little thicker than the #210, but both performed with the Fluidline with ease. The #210 gives the absolute thinnest line possible, but it was easy to control the line with both of them. Off I went, at 8am, to our retreat.

When I got home, I crashed. I took a nap with The Godfather Part II on the tv and I don't think I heard a word of the dialogue. I woke up a few hours later, fixed myself a bite to eat, and came to the computer to check my mail. I didn't even think of the liner. Around 8pm, after reading someone's post on the MakeUpAlley regarding fluidlines, I remembered! I hadn't checked my Nightfish! So I grabbed the mirror.

What a shock, in a really good way! The Nightfish had remained exactly as it looked after I had applied it, now twelve hours later! No cracks, no wear, no fading, no missing chunks, no flaking, no gaps, no budging at all! I couldn't have been more surprised, and pleased. This is it. I've found The One.

It's interesting to note that many of the liners I have tested come from Lauder companies. MAC, Prescriptives, Clinique, and Jane are all under the Lauder umbrella, and yet they all perform differently. I'm happy to have been able to test them all, and I have one more to go. That's Bobbi Brown and I'll report on that next. But for now, I can't imagine anything better than Fluidlines. MAC has done it to me again. I'm happy to be back. Fluidlines gets the Perfect 10 rating.

I'd like to talk a little about the brushes. I think it would be more of a matter of skill level and personal preference, but I want to show the brushes I like the best with the gel and cream liners. I've talked about some of them in previous reviews. From the top, the Shu Uemura 5F, a synthetic brush with a flat-across-the-top edge and a thin profile, which I have no idea if it's actually for eye lining or maybe lip products, but it works well to get these liners as close to the lashes as possible. Below the Shu are the two MAC liner brushes, the #209 and the #210. Then, the silver-handle brush is from Dior, it's different from all the rest with its super-short bristles and rounded edges, a flat-style head, perfect for the most thin line in a flash, stiff enough to hold product and place it exactly where it is supposed to go, close to the lash line. I like it because of the stiffness of the bristles, even more than the Shu brush. Then you will see three bent-angle brushes, the Sephora Pro Platinum which is the most angled of the three, then the Benefit offering which is a short-handle brush perfect for travel cases, and the Sonia Kashuk at the bottom, used in many of these reviews and a solid performer, especially for the price. In terms of ratings, they all perform differently, so it would depend on the look you want to achieve, and your level of skill in application, but I highly recommend any of these for both novices and those more skilled at makeup application. The Dior and the MAC's get perfect 10 ratings, the rest get 9's. The brushes I disliked from the beginning have been banned to the brush storage case. They aren't even worth mentioning.

I can't believe that as I am writing this review, I'm hearing music from The Godfather coming from the television. I swear it's true.

Credit: Cavewoman and The Godfather
Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this review were purchased by the reviewer.