The Kat Von D x Billie Joe Armstrong makeup collab is here and it slays all day and all night — literally. Kat Von D Beauty's Basket Case is an anti-precision, creamy crayon smoky eyeliner, which can be swiped on the lids and smudged and smeared so you end up with "It looks like I slept in my makeup but I actually didn't" eyes.
Sooty, smoky eyes will never be the same, since the formula stays put and doesn't budge until you whip out the micellar water to intentionally remove it.
When I first saw the Basket Case eyeliner, it looked like everything I ever needed and wanted in eyeliner — a self-contained tool to create smoky eyes, instead of five or six different powder shadows that need to be buffed, blended, and transitioned with at least three separate brushes. The idea of smudging the creamy formula with my finger or one brush was a low-maintenance, travel-friendly dream.
Upon release, I ordered two tubes, since it's limited edition and I am always on a quest to procure the blackest eyeliners in existence, no matter the brand or formula. While some of my friends cannot leave the house without a coat or six of mascara, I legit feel naked if I go sans black eyeliner, especially on my inner lower waterline.
When it arrived, I instantly fell in love with the creamy texture, thick point, and shade, which is "Insomniac Black."
It's definitely smudgy and super messy. But that's the point. Once you apply it to your lid — after a shadow primer, of course— you should immediately smudge it or it will set. It's meant to look lived in, so you really can't get it wrong.
Overall, Basket Case will definitely lead to rock 'n' roll eyes, which are perfect for late nights at a concert, a club, or a show at a seedy bar aka my social life.
But there is one way to use Basket Case that you may not have immediately thought of. It's excellent for lining and defining your lower waterline and lower lashline. An added benefit is that the thick point will pigmentify your lower lashes, making this liner a mascara hack, too.
Yes, I was working with a small amount of real estate and a thick point, but Basket Case deposits the color and gets the job done.
I'm glad I didn't have to maneuver a mascara wand to grab and darken lower lashes since Basket Case already did that. Applying mascara to lower lashes always leaves a smudge or flake of product on the skin underneath and when I attempt to remove it, it usually wipes the product off lashes and ultimately nullifies the effect.
Inner waterline liner wears away during the day, simply because the area is, well, wet, and even the longest-wearing product can only outlast the elements for so long. But this baby stays put and keeps eyes darkly rimmed and sultry.
Here's a swatched look at Basket Case. I smudged the top line with my finger, to show how it performs when smoked out and how it reacts. It smudges beautifully and you can layer and smudge on repeat, depending on the level of intensity, darkness, and smokiness you desire.
When you use Basket Case on your upper lid, it creates a smoky halo that is best reserved for after-hours fun. But you can get additional, during-the-day use out of it by lining the lower waterline.
Bottom line: Basket Case is a "must own" for edgy makeup lovers.
