Alexandra Anele has reviewed more than 80 eye makeup products, and she approved the vast majority of them. She landed on a mixed take for only a few and skipped fewer still. The Nays are rare enough to be worth paying close attention to, because when she does pass on something, she says exactly why.
What does Alexandra Anele recommend in eye makeup?
The thread running through Alexandra's approving takes is formula feel and wearability. She praises mascaras that stay light and flexible, singling out the Sweed Pro Lash Lift Mascara in Brown for feeling 'incredibly lightweight' and coming off easily with a double cleanse. Rich, buildable eyeshadow formulas win her over too: she called out the Lisa Eldridge Liquid Silk Eyeshadow for blending 'beautifully' without thickening up, and raved about the Patrick Ta Major Dimension Eye Illusion Eyeshadow Duo in In Your Dreams for its 'absolutely incredible' finish. She also picks up on things other reviewers miss, like the small lavender pearl in that Lisa Eldridge shade that makes it feel a little different from anything else. Her outright category winner is the Lisa Eldridge Liquid Silk Eyeshadow.
Alexandra Anele's eye makeup picks, in her words
"This is the Patrick Ta Major Dimension Eye Illusion Eyeshadow Duo in In Your Dreams, which has these really beautiful champagne colors. [...] The finish of this product is just absolutely incredible and it really creates that glittery finish to the eyes."
"First of all, beautiful color. [...] Have you ever seen anything blend out so beautifully? Like a cream eyeshadow blend out into like the most beautiful like sheer wash of even stunning gunmetal. [...] You can also build on top of it. It's not like those [...] cream eyeshadows or eye paints that just thicken up and then you can't build on top of it. This [...] color really spoke to me when I first tried it because it's just like not your typical shade."
"It's much more gentle on your lashes. It feels incredibly lightweight. It kind of has like a little bit of a latex sort of feel to it, so it's a little bit more like flexible, like with your lashes. It doesn't feel crunchy like a waterproof mascara might feel. I'm just over the moon about the way that my lashes look. I can't get over it. I'm probably going to be talking about it for years to come."
"I would highly recommend it, I don't know if Blend Bunny still has this palette available, but it is perfection. You're surprised at how much you need it because it has neutrals in here, it's got a lot of really beautiful warm tones, but those pops of color are perfect. [...] I don't ever need to create a palette because this is the one I feel like I would want, [...] this has everything that I need, I love it so much."
"The Swede Lash serum has my lashes so long that they actually get in the way. Now I know the struggle of all the people I envied for many, many years."
"Iris and Romeo Lash Up mascara has a thick wand, but it is the most lifting and holding mascara. I love how long it wears."
How many eye makeup products has Alexandra Anele reviewed?
Alexandra Anele has reviewed 81 eye makeup products, for an approval rate of 88%. 71 approved, 6 mixed, and 4 skipped.
What has Alexandra Anele skipped in eye makeup?
Her skips are specific and practical. She gave the Huda Beauty One Coat Wow Mascara a Nay because the formula was too heavy and wet, weighing her lashes flat and losing any curl. She was honest, though, that it could suit someone with straight, fine lashes who just wants volume. She also skipped the Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner in Brown because it kept drying out and needed constant shaking to keep it going. On the palette side, she passed on the Hung Vanngo Passionate Purple Eyeshadow Palette, explaining that the cooler, grayish purples in it are simply not flattering on her warmer, paler skin tone. That kind of personal, skin-tone-specific context is what makes her skips genuinely useful.
"I currently use Benefit Precisely My Brow, Benefit Gimme Brow, Benefit Brow Setter, and Anastasia Brow Freeze. Nothing keeps them in place, girl."
"It is very thickening but it's extremely heavy and wet so if you are like me and you have a problem with your lashes falling flat um not holding a curl or just like you know being weighed down you're not going to like this at all"
"The passionate purple palette is one I haven't really given any love to, because typically these sorts of purples -- with the exception of these two, which are really, really beautiful -- these cooler-toned, sort of grayish purples just don't speak to me. They're not particularly flattering on my warmer, paler skin tone."
"I personally over the spoolies of like Brands like Tower 28 and also the give Beauty mascara um I prefer the wand for this mascara"
What should you take from Alexandra Anele's picks?
Alexandra's record here is one of the most approving in this category, so a Nay from her carries real weight. If she skipped something, she explains the exact reason, and it is usually something a shopper can check against their own lash type, skin tone, or routine. Her 88% approval rate means she is generous with praise, but specific enough that her passes still mean something.
Watch Alexandra Anele say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Lisa Eldridge Liquid Silk EyeshadowNamed a winnerWatch at 9:06
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow FreezeSkipped itWatch at 16:29
- Huda Beauty MascaraSkipped itWatch at 2:00
- Hung Vanngo Passionate Purple Eyeshadow PaletteSkipped itWatch at 5:19
- Tower 28 Make Waves Lengthening and Volumizing MascaraSkipped itWatch at 10:40
- Patrick Ta Major Dimension Eye Illusion Eyeshadow Duo in In Your DreamsRated itWatch at 45:07
- Sweed Pro Lash Lift Mascara in BrownRated itWatch at 12:56
- Blend Bunny Rotten PaletteRated itWatch at 23:05
- Swede Peptide Lash SerumRated itWatch at 39:31
- Iris and Romeo Lash Up Peptide Thickening MascaraRated itWatch at 61:53
- Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High MascaraRated itWatch at 18:04
- L'Oreal Shadow Stick Twinkling RoseRated itWatch at 26:09
- e.l.f. Lash 'N Roll MascaraRated itWatch at 15:57
- L'Oreal Paradise Big Deal Waterproof MascaraRated itWatch at 30:52
- Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow PaletteRated itWatch at 9:53
- Huda Beauty Creamy Coal Longwear Eye Pencil in Very BrownRated itWatch at 9:54
- e.l.f. No Budge Eyeshadow SticksRated itWatch at 4:39
- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Iced MochaRated itWatch at 13:05
- Dior Eyeshadow PaletteRated itWatch at 12:29
- NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette Warm NeutralsRated itWatch at 10:29
- Clio Kill Waterproof Brown Curling MascaraRated itWatch at 21:36
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Micro Stroke Detailing Brow PenRated itWatch at 5:38
- L'Oreal Telescopic Waterproof MascaraRated itWatch at 11:22
- L'Oreal 24-Hour Brow Lamination GelRated itWatch at 20:41
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Alexandra Anele said across her videos about 81 products in eye makeup, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.