If it’s a really soft formula, putting the pencil in the freezer or refrigerator for a short while helps to firm up the product more so it is not as messy to sharpen. For the most part, I don’t have too many issues sharpening them, though – I use Urban Decay’s Grindhouse quite loyally!
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Insert in pencil sharpener and turn lol. I don’t do anything special. I have various sharpeners… MAC, NARS, etc
LOL…same here. I use a little purple sharpener I’ve had many years (UD maybe?). It looks beat up, but still works fine.
These days, though, I rarely use products that require sharpening. Just a MUFE pencil that I use for tight lining my upper lid, which I don’t do for my everyday look. And now I’m trying out a gel liner, so the sharpener might be obsolete soon.
I store my soft smushy eye pencils in a Ziploc bag in my fridge partly for easier sharpening. Also, so they don’t get too soft to draw a good line with! Have one L’oreal pencil sharpener that has one regular size opening, one for jumbo pencils. I’ve also got one basic pencil sharpener for for my hoard of lip liner pencils, too.
That L’Oreal sharpener is amazing! I’ve had mine for 5+ years, but I hadn’t seen it around for a while, until recently, and I’m kicking myself for not grabbing another, LOL!
Right, Amy?!? That one STAYS sharp! Mine has got to be 5-6 years old too. Still works perfectly. Sad that certain really wonderful L’oreal products just seem to have vanished.
To be honest I just use a cheap sharpener from The Body Shop. Works well enough. But I prefer self sharpening or twist up pencils.
You and me both, regarding the twist up pencils (I do have one self sharpening one but wish it had the option not to sharpen every single time I re-open it; I’ve taken to not twisting the lid on all the way so it doesn’t sharpen every time). Regarding sharpeners themselves, I learned a few years ago that many of sharpeners of varying prices have the exact same blades….it’s a blade made in Germany and has what looks like a trident engraved on the blade. I’ve sharpeners from QUO (Shoppers Drug Mart house brand bought years back), NYX and Grindhouse and they all have the exact same blades although the first 2 cost about half what Grindhouse costs. Now I always look at the blades (I think the one from Quo no longer has this “hallmark” and they’ve gone to a cheaper blade/crummier sharpener).
Oh, that is interesting. I will have a look and see if I can find the trident on my sharpeners.
Linda, I looked a bit closer and it’s not exactly a trident – it’s sort of like a crown (or a trident). If you go to the Sephora site and click on the UD Grindhouse pencil and then look at the pic that shows the blade in close-up, you will see exactly what I mean. And that exact same blade used to be on the NYX and QUO sharpeners too (not sure if the newer ones are the same, though).
Mariella, I went checking my sharpeners right away: one’s got the logo and made in Germany you are talking about (a Bobbi Brown one I got with a brow pencil) and the other one doesn’t (a Sisley one that I got with my single super high end matte navy blue eye pencil). Good to know that I have an approved blade! 🙂
Grabbed a L’Oreal on Amazon with Made in Germany blade. Thank for tip!
I put them into the freezer and then use either a MAC single or the UD Grindhouse double-barrel sharpener. The results are never like when the pencils are brand new – those beautiful, pointed tips, however, and I’m afraid to keep sharpening in an attempt to get that sort of point because I think the tips would just break right off.
Ditto Christine’s comments. The only thing I will add is if a product is one I use a lot, I’ll buy that brand’s sharpener. They’re very inexpensive given the price of the product that needs sharpening. I’ve butchered my fair share of pencils in the past by stubbornly refusing to fork over the money for that particular product’s sharpener. I try to ask the sales person about whether I’ll really need it when I buy a new pencil product.
I don’t really have many issues in sharpening any of my pencils, I only have a couple of overly soft pencil formulas in which I do the freezer trick before sharpening. I kind of avoid those formula most of the time due to having to remember to put them in the freezer before sharpening.
I don’t have issues with my sharpener – the NARS one, I love it ever since I purchased it. I had mainly purchased it anyways since I had those NARS pencils and I didn’t know what sharpener to buy haha.
Looking for tip.. specifically for the pencils that have heavy plastic housing: colourpop, zoeva. I can never get a good point and I mangle the supporting tube. I have UD grindhouse amonst other perfectly good sharpeners that work very well with every other pencil in my stash.
This probably won’t help you, but I have sharpeners from Tony and Tina, every eyeliner came with one. They sharpen the heavy plastic eyeliners beautifully, I don’t know if it is the shape of it or what it is but I was having the same issue as you, so I dug through my stash and found one and tried it and it worked like a charm. That is all I use now on any of the eyeliners that I have that need to be sharpened.
Thanks Brenda: I did a cursory search on evilBay and Amazon for T&T, but no luck. Picking up a L’Oreal sharpener from Amazon with blade made in Germany as per a few other comments here. Fingers crossed!
Thank you, Christine!!!! I am reading each response carefully so I can successfully sharpen makeup pencils without “chewing up” all the product. I’ll try the Urban Decay one you use. Again, thanks so much for putting this question out there!
I was expecting and hoping tonsee a comment about “z point”. I saw it years ago on QVC (dont judge) and it sharpens at the same factory angle as a new pencil. I see it is still on Amazon and around $25. I was young and cash-poor which is the only reason i did not order it then. I watched an entire presentation where they used many brands and it was perfect every time.
Agree with Christine-I use Grindhouse also, sharpens everything I own and lasts forever.
I use UD Grindhouse, too. I turn the pencil slowly and evenly to avoid breakage or shredding.
About 15 years ago, I bought a dual pencil sharpener from Laura Geller. I don’t think it is available any longer, though perhaps on ebay. It is the most well-fitting sharpener ever! I think that’s is the key to keeping pencils sharp and crumble-free. This sharpener fits and holds any slim or chunky pencil I’ve ever used. Once, while visiting my parents, I accidentally dropped it on the floor when I “thought” I was dropping it into my utensils bag. I got home and began the search for a replacement, I only found ONE which held the pencils as securely as my Laura Geller and had blades as sharp. I had to buy one for slim pencils and one for the chunky pencils. I was overjoyed when my Mother called a week later and told me she had found a makeup pencil sharpener under the bed in the room I slept in!! She put it in OVERNIGHT mail that same day, and I’ve used it ever since. If you have a good fitting, sharp pencil sharpener, It doesn’t matter the softness or hardness of the product, it will sharpen nicely.
I use a sharpener I picked up from Target years ago, I don’t remember the brand. It has the two different sizes and works great. Didn’t know there’s a technique. Lol
I have an Estee Lauder sharpener that I got in a GWP decades ago and it is still good for my eyebrow pencils or any other pencil that I own (which is not many). The fridge idea is a good one Christine, especially for soft lip pencils.
Since I live in The Hot & Humid Tropics I avoid soft formula pencils because they melt at room temperature here. Or the wax leaches out of them & they become a crumbly mess (I’m talking about YOU Tarte Smoldereyes. & Stila Smudge sticks).
I just use the sharpeners from Catrice which have the different size barrels & the doohickey that catches the shavings. They cost less than a dollar & last for about a year then they get so gunked up with my kohl kajal pencils I have to toss them anyway. I do keep separate sharpeners for my lip pencils and kohl kajals for obvious reasons.
Most of the problems I’ve seen people having with sharpeners is caused by using a sharpener that gotten too dull. If the sharpener is breaking or catching on the pencil it’s not sharp anymore & you need a new sharpener.
I always used to have so many problems with sharpening pencils, but then I heard so many great reviews about the Urban Decay Grindhouse sharpener so I picked it up. Needless to say, I now have two – one for eye pencils and one for lip pencils! It’s the perfect sharpener! Who knew that all sharpeners were different (and most of them don’t work half as well!)?
It’s all about the sharpener. I too use the UD grindhouse and it’s never let me down. I’ve had mine for a few years now and it works just like new. The ONLY complaint I have is I wish the lid to the shavings compartment latched somehow.. I’ve had a few “oops” when I’ve let it get too full and it just popped off. I lost it once on a trip (it fell out of my bag and I didn’t find it under my car set until I got home).. had to get a replacement from the drugstore and realized just how good I had it before lol. One of those things (like tweezers and lash curlers) that is worth the investment.. although if I remember right it’s only like ten bucks so it hardly breaks the bank.