Thursday, August 20, 2009

Heidi's Beauty Bag - Best. Eyeliner. Ever.

I finally found my HG (that's Holy Grail, as well as my initials) of eyeliners. I have always been a fan of Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliner. I have used Black Plum (so pretty) and more recently tried Caviar Ink (very nice dark brown). And I love her eye shadows. One of my favorites is the Forest Metallic Eye Shadow. So when I was at the BB counter back in July and the SA mentioned that the gel eyeliner would be coming out in Forest Shimmer in August, I practically swooned. And since the kiddies are home and I haven't really been shopping, my fab friend Sherry picked up a pot for me (same trip where she got the fabbie Dior polish for me - a true friend she is).

What does the color look like? Well, I'll let the marketing geniuses at the BB website tell you:

A fresh, new spin on Fall’s strong eye: Forest Shimmer Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner. For a look that’s equally of-the-moment and an Ivy League classic, Bobbi’s blended deepest green with golden pearls to create a liner that really makes eyes pop.

What else can I say? Perfection. Gorgeous. Love love love. I actually think the color is more like a khaki-ish, olive-ish color than just a straight green. But it's sooooo preeeeeeetttttttttttyyyyyyy.

And the formula - this eyeliner wears like iron. Fab friend Sherry actually has freakishly oily eyelids and therefore is my absolute true tester for any eye shadow and eye liner - and this stuff stays put in a miraculous way (fyi, the Chanel waterproof pencil failed her test). I find that it takes a teeny bit of practice, but not much...and I'm so not patient about getting ready in the morning, so anything difficult gets tossed out the window.

I use both their ultra fine eyeliner brush and a lip brush for application, depending on the effect I want. Yes, I said a lip brush. The eyeliner brush deposits more gel for a deeper color and you can vary the line from very fine to a little thicker. I use the lip brush when I want a smudgier effect - it works quite well. It doesn't deposit quite as much formula and the line is thicker, so it needs a little less precision - and on some mornings, that's a good thing. (I also use a foundation brush for my BB pot rouge, but that's another conversation).

I give it my highest recommendation possible. Just don't ask me to choose between this and the Dior polish.

14 comments:

Kathy said...

Thanks Heidi! I will look for this when we are at the Mall tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Interesting. I have to try it next time I go to Blue Mercury. Thanks for the tip.

Kathryn said...

Looking forward to trying it! My eyeliner always seems to run and smear. Thanks!

Only The Good Stuff said...

Thank you for the tip, I have never tried gel eyeliner before and have been wonderding about it!

ashley said...

hmm gel eyeliner! never knew it existed! way cool, i must try it out! :)

iheartgreen said...

Thanks for the review--I love BB's eyeliners. What pot rouge color do you like? I'm having a hard time resisting them.

Anonymous said...

The black plum sounds interesting for me! GREAT REVIEW!

HeidiG said...

First, a note - I usually purchase new BB products from Nordstrom so I can return it easier if I don't love it. But if you are interested in ordering online, BB has Free Shipping with any order, plus a mini crystal lip gloss - code is ENJOY25...so enjoy!

Kathy - have fun at the Mall - hope you have better luck at JC than last trip!

Rosa - I have heard about Blue Mercury, but not much detail and I would love to hear more.

Kathryn - If it works for fab friend Sherry, it should work for you - good luck!!

Only The Good Stuff - you are welcome!

ashley - it does exist, and it's fab!

iheartgreen - I used Powder Pink pot rouge - and it's fantastic. It blends in so well and makes your cheeks glow (but not in a glittery way). I don't use it much in summer, but love it the other 3 seasons.

luvallthingsjcrew - black plum would be gorgeous on you - def check it out!

Joyce said...

Don't forget to put the top back on it. Seems like a crazy thing to say, but my daughter got a hold of it for a weekend and by the time it came back to me it was just a glob. I want to try the Caviar Ink... is that a new shade?

dinagideon said...

Okay, so I rarely wear eye makeup, but I have noticed that my eyes look more open when I wear it on my top lids only.

Any advice on really rocking mascara that isn't black? I can't do black mascara with my coloring...it looks like I am getting ready for the streets, way too harsh...

Thank you...AND CANNOT wait till Sunday! Have you seen my polyvore of what I am looking for?

Julia said...

Thanks so much for the very detailed review! Just like your friend, I have very oily skin including eyelids!! The only eyeliner solution I've found is to use Paula Dorf's Transformer, and dip an angled brush into a dark shadow to make a waterproof liner. I love the sounds of Black Plum though!! I'll have to check these out :)

Anonymous said...

OMG thank you for this review! I need a new liner and I have the same problem as your friend-- NOTHING lasts past a few hours! Curious what color eyes you have? Do you think this is a universal shade? I am putting this on my list for my next trip to the BB counter!!

HeidiG said...

Joyce - Caviar Ink came out mid- July, so yes, it's new. (that's what I was buying when the SA told me about the upcoming Forest). And I know all about the caps - although I've had more trouble with their cream eyeshadow drying out than the gel eyeliner. The cream shadows only last about 6 months - but I guess I'm supposed to toss them then anyway.

Dina - saw your polyvore - I need to do my wishlist, polyvore, etc. Planning that for this afternoon, I think. We must get dressing rooms next to each other so you can yell at me when I'm trying on something too big. :) RE: mascara - go with brown or brown-black - that's what my mom uses. You should really try the Clinique Lash Power if you haven't already - formula is fantastic and it's not too full/volumizing/etc.

Julia - hope it works for you, too! Black Plum is a gorgeous color - it's my 2nd fave.

Stephanie - I have brown/green eyes (they are med brown with dark olive green, so they just look dark brown). I think this color would work on most people, but if you are headed to the BB counter, ask them - I have had great experiences with most of their SAs. The bronze shimmer one is also very pretty and not too dark. It depends on how deep of a color you want.

Christina said...

i love this eyeliner too!