Love Song for Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown has long been known for her ability to create natural looking, pretty makeup products in a world where "natural" is not always a goal that people strive for. Almost every product she creates becomes a staple of makeup bags everywhere.

I have been a fan of her products for a while after a makeover in college showed me that blush is a good thing on someone as pale as I am and I always love Bobbi's work when she is a guest on The Today Show.

In the middle of the bar exam preparation induced hysteria this past summer, I stopped at the Bobbi Brown counter of Neiman's and subjected myself to the handiwork of the makeup artist there. Don't ask what I was doing shopping instead of studying. I was convinced that anything that made me NOT miserable must be purchased at any cost and would surely guarantee that I passed the exam. She introduced me to the Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Granite Ink which I have grown to love ever since.

But first! A caveat. I am HORRIBLE at applying eyeliner. The smudgy, smoky eye was the greatest thing to ever become a trend, because I always look like that when I put on eyeliner. Q-Tips are my best friends and the mention of liquid eyeliner makes me break out into a cold sweat. The fact that I wear contacts and have the annoying habit of rubbing my eyes does nothing to alleviate the problem.

However, the Gel Eyeliner has become my friend. I totally bought the little brush that goes with the liner and have become somewhat adept at putting it on properly. First, I dip the brush into the little pot of liner. Then I carefully dot the liner into the upper lash line and try to trace them together. I still often blend out the edges with a Q-Tip, but the greatest thing about the eyeliner is that it DOES NOT MOVE. Seriously.

It was apparently voted "Best Long-Wearing Eyeshadow or Liner" by InStyle Magazine too, and they are right on target. It stays on forever, as evidenced by the results of my Extreme Makeup Testing and the fact that I wore it every day during a DC summer and did not hurl it out onto the street in frustration.

The only downside is that it is a little hard to remove with just soap and water, but a little swipe of a towel or a little makeup remover takes care of that. I also bought the Violet Ink, which is fun, but not as great as the Granite. The new shimmer shades look intriguing though.

P.S. I passed the bar, so maybe my theory was right...