Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

This was my first gel liner, and I really did enjoy it. I actually went to the mall to buy the shimmer brick, and ended up being drawn to the gel liners. The saleswoman recommended the ivy shimmer ink (I'd also like to say it looked nothing like the swatch on here, even at the end of the day), and at first I was a bit turned off by the idea of wearing green liner. (I would normally only want a pronounced dark black.) To my surprise, I loved how it looked. It was nearly black upon application. It is very precise and has great lasting power as well. The only downfall is that throughout the course of the day, it would fade into a more sheer, more green-gray color and it would not look the same at ALL. I also borrowed graphite from my mom and felt the same way. I loved it because it was such a dark and pronounced gray at first, but it slowly faded into a sheer silver. Just be warned if you don't get black-- it will not look the same as you applied it later, even after maybe thirty minutes. I wish I had tried black, and I wonder how the regular ones compare to the shimmer inks. I probably won't be purchasing it again though, for lately I've seen great reviews for much cheaper gel liners.

Bobbi Brown's long wearing gel liners have become a cult favorite in the industry! Their texture is rich and smooth and, on my oily eyelids, last all day with minimal (if any!) smudging.

Ivy is one of those unique colors that makes my honey brown eyes POP! It enhances the green bits in them and overall gives me a sultry alternative to the typical black. I love wearing it winged on the upper lashline AND on the lower waterline with matte warm browns and peaches. The combination of the shimmery liner texture and matte shadows creates a balanced and not over-the-top eye look.

Since this is a pot product, you need to use an eyeliner brush with it. The Bobbi Brown gel liner brush is a good match with it (I personally prefer the ability to make a thinner line). Instead, I recommend the MAC 263 Angle Liner brush for a precise and thinly marked line (this enables you to do a great winged liner as well).

Since this product is long-lasting, it needs to be washed off with a powerful cleanser, cleansing oil, or makeup remover (I use either a cleansing oil or makeup remover and it comes off easily). Also make sure to wash your brush quickly after application to avoid the product caking up on it. This doesn't have to be a full washing; rub the brush with some makeup remover or baby shampoo and rinse....you're good to go!

Because this is a pot product, make sure you screw the cap on tightly so the product doesn't dry out (it's cream based!) I'd say the gel liners have a max shelf life of one year before you have to buy a new one, but if you spend $21 on one eyeliner for the year, that's pretty good investment for a high quality product.