I have been collecting Etude House Play 101 Pencils ever since I found out about them. Etude House had released the Play 101 Pencils last year. With 50 pencils in the line, there is a wide variety of colors to choose from. They are so versatile because you can use them in so many different ways: lip liner, lip gloss, lip color, blush, concealer, bronzer, highlighter, eye base, eye liner, eye shadow or brow liner. The Etude House Play 101 Pencils come in 5 different textures and finishes: creamy, glitter, shimmering, matte and glossy.

Etude House Play 101 Pencils 22, 42 and 46
Etude House Play 101 Pencils

What Etude House says:

☆ No smudging, clean make up waterproof type
☆ Clear color with vivid application
☆ Creamy: Silky fit clear color
☆ Matte: Soft application but powdery finish, For eye base, contour shadow, concealer and eyebrows
☆ Glossy: Moisture texture with gloss, for lips, blusher and wide areas
☆ Shimmering: Small pearl particles giving soft shine
☆ Glitter: Particles with big glitter pearl providing bling bling colorful make up look

I first bought Etude House Play 101 Pencil shades 12 and 16 (reviewed here), then went back for shades 3, 15 and 25 (reviewed here). Next were 27 and 41 (reviewed here), 4, 8, 13 and 50 (reviewed here), and the black shades 1 and 2 (reviewed here). These pencils are so addicting that I want to collect them all. I bought 8 more Play 101 Pencils during the Etude House Hello New Year Sale, so I was able to buy them at 20% off. 🙂

Etude House Play 101 Pencil #22
Etude House Play 101 Pencil 22

Etude House Play 101 Pencil #22 has a glossy finish. It is recommended for use on the lips, as a blush or as an eye shadow. I don’t feel like using it as an eyeshadow because it’s too much of a “red eye” for me. I have tried it as a blush and it looks alright, but I still prefer using it on my lips. Etude House Play 101 Pencil #22 is a true red with a slight warm undertone.

Etude House Play 101 Pencil 22

When lightly applied on the cheeks and then blended, Etude House Play 101 Pencil #22 imparts a rosy red tint. However, I still prefer pink and coral blushes, so even though it was very easy to apply and blend, it’s just not for me. Or, at least, not for my cheeks. 😉 I like the coral shade Etude House Play 101 Pencil #15 better as a blush. But in terms of finish and longevity, #15 is just the same as #22. Since they both have a glossy finish, there is a bit of shine on the cheeks which makes me appear a little bit more oily. They also tend to fade faster on the cheeks. In the arm swatch below, I blended it just a little bit so the color will still be very much evident. But, you get the idea of how it will look on the cheeks.

Etude House Play 101 Pencil 22 Swatch

Etude House Play 101 Pencil #22 feels really creamy and smooth. It glides easily without tugging on the lips. It doesn’t feel like a regular gloss once applied, but there is still a bit of shine. It’s more like a satin sheen than a glossy finish. Etude House Play 101 Pencil #22 feels light on the lips and does not accentuate dry flakes and patches. However, I would still recommend exfoliating the lips and applying a good, moisturizing lip balm beforehand. It’s not drying, but is also not hydrating.

As you can see in the swatches above and below, Etude House Play 101 Pencil #22 is quite pigmented. Even those with pigmented lips can get away with not using a concealer or lip base underneath. It stays on my lips for 4 to 5 hours. After eating and drinking, it leaves a little bit of stain, but not really enough not to feel the need to reapply it.

Etude House Play 101 Pencil 22 Swatch

Color and texture comparison swatches from L to R:
A – Etude House Play 101 Pencil #22
B – NARS Annabella Lipstick (reviewed here)
C – Chanel Pirate Lipstick (reviewed here)

Etude House Play 101 Pencil #42
Etude House Play 101 Pencil 42

Etude House Play 101 Pencil #42 has a matte finish. It is recommended for use as an eye shadow, eye liner or for the eye brows. It is a cool-toned, grayish brown that is lighter and less brown when compared to Etude House Play 101 Pencil #41. It has a smooth and creamy texture and it glides easily along the eyebrows. Because of its texture, it can also be used much like a colored brow mascara.

Etude House Play 101 Pencil 42

I believe that Etude House Play 101 Pencil #42 had been really intended for use as an eyebrow pencil because of it’s color. In the Etude House Play 101 Pencil color chart, only #41 and #42 are shades that can be used for the eyebrows. It can also be used for a little bit of shadowing/contouring if your skintone is lighter than its shade.

Etude House Play 101 Pencil 42 Swatch

In the arm swatch above, I only smudged it a little bit. But you’ll notice how light the color is when used as an eyeshadow. It could be used as an eyeshadow base or for a natural makeup look, but I much prefer using it on my brows. Etude House Play 101 Pencil #42 is long-lasting and I get around 7 to 8 hours of wear time. It is also fairly easy to remove using a good makeup remover.

Etude House Play 101 Pencil #46
Etude House Play 101 Pencil 46

Etude House Play 101 Pencil #46 has a glittery finish and is recommended for use as an eye shadow or eye liner as well. It is a warm copper with gold micro glitters. It has a smooth texture and applies easily, but there is a bit of dragging on the lids. So I have to be careful and need to keep my eyelids taut while applying so I won’t experience any tugging with it. Etude House Play 101 Pencil #46 sets quickly and I didn’t experience any fallouts.

Etude House Play 101 Pencil 46

The color of Etude House Play 101 Pencil #46 on the eyelids looks very natural. I thought it would be more bronze or golden, but it is not as overly dramatic. It can be used as a light wash of color on the entire lids, and can also be applied along the lower lash line. I also use it as a base for my other eye shadows.

My eye area is a bit dark, probably due to my constant rubbing of them. So, I do apply a little bit of foundation on my eye lids to make it blend with the rest of my face. But after a few hours, the foundation on my eye lids tend to crease. Even with loose powder and eye shadows applied on top of it. I found that applying a good eye base color after applying the foundation on the lids prevents my foundation from creasing. Etude House Play 101 Pencil #46 is one such product that does this perfectly.

Etude House Play 101 Pencil 46 Swatch

In the arm swatch above, you’ll notice how light and natural-looking it is. Etude House Play 101 Pencil #46 dries fast and sets pretty quickly. It also lasts a long time, around 6 to 8 hours on me and it was also very easy to remove with a good eye makeup remover.

The Etude House Play 101 Pencils come with a built-in sharpener at the other end of the pencil. To get more product out, all you have to do is twist the colored part at the end of the pencil where the sharpener is housed. Then use the hidden sharpener if you need to sharpen the tip.

Etude House Play 101 Pencils

I bought these Play 101 Pencils from Etude House in Robinsons Manila where they normally sell for Php348 each. These are really great products that are so versatile and super easy to use. I highly recommend for you to check them out if you haven’t yet. You may also want to join my Etude House Korean Makeup International Giveaway this month posted here where I’m giving away 3 Play 101 Pencils among other great Etude House products.

Etude House Play 101 Pencils are so wonderfully versatile. Who’s going to need a traincase when they’ve got these multi-use pencils? Are you also collecting them? What are your favorites among the Etude House Play 101 Pencils? 🙂