This suits anyone who owns cosmetic pencils in more than one barrel diameter — for example, a standard eyeliner or lip liner alongside a chunkier jumbo brow or eye pencil — and wants one tool instead of two single-size sharpeners. It works for everyday makeup users sharpening their own pencils at home as well as makeup artists who want a compact, reusable sharpener for a kit.

It isn't suited to pencils that fall outside its two fixed hole diameters, such as slim mechanical-style cosmetic pencils or oversized novelty pencils.

The reason to pick a dual-size sharpener over a single-hole one is simply not needing a second sharpener for a second pencil diameter — most kits mix standard pencils with at least one jumbo or oversized pencil, and this covers both in one all-metal tool rather than a throwaway plastic one.

Choose the barrel opening that matches the pencil's diameter — the smaller hole for standard eyeliner/lip pencils, the larger hole for jumbo pencils. Insert the pencil and twist it in short turns until the point is sharpened; twisting too fast or too long on a soft pencil can cause it to crumble or break. Periodically open the chamber to empty out the shavings, and chilling very soft pencils briefly before sharpening can help reduce breakage.

• Match the pencil to the correct hole: smaller opening for standard pencils, larger opening for jumbo pencils.
• Insert the pencil and twist in short, controlled turns until the point is sharp.
• Remove the pencil and check the point before continuing if more sharpening is needed.
• Open the chamber and empty the shavings after use.

Pros

• All-metal blade holds a sharper edge over repeated use than the thin plastic blades found in many disposable cosmetic sharpeners
• Two hole sizes in one unit cover both standard and jumbo-diameter pencils, replacing two single-size sharpeners
• Compact enough to carry in a makeup bag or artist kit without adding bulk
• Reusable rather than disposable, since it's a durable metal body rather than a one-use plastic sharpener

Cons

• Metal blades can be more aggressive on very soft, creamy pencil formulas, increasing the risk of crumbling or breaking the tip if twisted too quickly
• The two fixed hole sizes won't fit pencils outside those two diameters, so it isn't a universal fit for every pencil in a kit
• No built-in cleaning brush or cap could be confirmed for this style of sharpener, so shavings need to be emptied and wiped out by hand