Gel of Wonder

Considering I used to be mortally afraid of liquid eyeliner, my newest love and devotion to Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner is somewhat surprising. Until you actually try it, that is. The gel has a wonderful, consistent texture that is hard to mess up even for a klutz like me. It's very easy to control and keep it close to the lash line, making it as thin or as thick as you desire. I use the recommended Bobbi Brown brush, but have also successfully experimented with other ones(you do need to wash it very often, preferably after every use, or the brush would cake up and stiffen).

The staying power is as good as promised, with or without using a primer. I've had no problems with bleeding, fading or racooning and the colors stay true and vibrant even after spending several hours outside in hot and humid conditions (remember those? It was just last week).

The colors I've been using, Black Plum Ink (hardly as purple as you'd think. It looks more like a rich and creamy chocolate pudding, both in the pan and on skin, with just a hint of warmth) and Mahogany Ink (the swatch is quite accurate in this case) are both pretty and wearable. They define the eye very nicely without looking harsh or overdone. That's why when playing with a mod-like, cat eye look I prefer to use them and not the traditional black. It's much more sophisticated and much less Amy Winehouse.