Best.Gel.Liner.Everrrrrrrrr

Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner. 

I love this badboy.

I've had it for two years and I have used it pretty consistently since.  Consistently in my world is a few times a week, I wear it to work as often as I can (4 days a week I'd say).
As you can see, it's a proper black black.  My lids are dark but this comes up a proper black so I'm more than happy with it.

It goes on with ease, is nice and smooth, very pigmented and lasts all day without the need for a primer.  You need the tiniest bit and it smudges out very nicely too.

In short..buy it!

Bobbi Brown stole my idea!

Remember my old layering eyeshadow post I did using the Bobbi Brown palette?

Well, I was checking my emails today and I'm subscribed to the Bobbi Brown newsletter and look at what I found..

*ahem*

The Swatch Files: Bobbi Brown Basic Eye Palette

I love this palette and have used it a fair bit despite it looking like it's just been swatched.  The shimmery shade has been used by me in a FOTD before (click here to see) and the photograph doesn't show up the shimmer but the swatch does. 

Flash off:

L-R: Navajo, Cement, Heather Mauve, Mahogany

Flash on:

L-R: Navajo, Cement, Heather Mauve, Mahogany

Swatch with flash off (no base):

L-R: Navajo, Cement, Heather Mauve, Mahogany

Swatch with flash on (no base):

L-R: Navajo, Cement, Heather Mauve, Mahogany

I personally use Navajo as a highlighter, Cement as a base or all over the lid shade, Heather Mauve as an all over lid shade and Mahogany either in the crease or as a liner when used with a wet brush.  It will not budge if used in this way, much like the Bobbi Brown gel liners don't.

Review update

I was putting my face on today and realised that my current mascara (which is now no longer HG) wasn't really doing anything for me.  I remembered how thick my lashes were when I used my L'oreal mascara..I also remember that I said I wouldn't buy it because it made my lashes feel hard and that it smelt..so why was I reaching for it this morning?

So, with this in mind I decided to do a review of my reviews.  It' worked out pretty well because I have been using these items and my mind has changed about some as time went on..I think this kind of thing is useful for those of you, who, like me, take ages deciding whether or not to buy something and also equally useful for those who don't want to trawl through all my posts to find out about certain items.

By the way, if you click on the link it will take you to my original review.

Sleek palettes

• Still in love with these, falling more and more in love with them as the days pass.  I don't think theres an occasion where you CAN'T use them.

Benefit Badgal mascara

• Still not loving this, have tried it a few more times since the review but it has done nothing at all for me.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara

• Have been teaming this up with the Maybelline Colossal and also using it alone.  I'd still buy it again as it makes my lashes longer.  No patent shine though.

Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara

• Used this time and time again when I needed knockout lashes and it still works.  I have to remind myself that 2 coats is the magic key.  I'd still buy it again.

 Clearasil Pore Cleansing Pads and Boots Time Delay Balm

• I finished one tub of the cleansing pads and am half way through another.  I won't be buying these again, not because they don't work but because I've found something much better and also that the smell of these is VERY strong.  They're excellent if you have really oily skin and are prone to spots.
• I haven't finished a tub of the Boots balm as I have been using other cleansers but I have three backups which I will get through in time.  If I didn't have them, I'd buy it again.

Urban Decay eye shadows

• I loved these then and I still love them now.  The Illegal shade has been getting some serious love from me recently.  It's nice and matte and is my "my eyes but better" go to shade.  I'm going to incease my collection of these.

Biore Warming Blackhead Fighting Cream Wash

•  This was my lover back then and it still is now.  It's the only face scrub/wash that I've used consistently for more than a week.  I have half left and will buy it again.  The only issue I had with it was the fact that it gave me tiny whiteheads all around my nose..maybe because I used it despite having no blackheads? Anyway, if you do like me and do this, do not fear because I've found a cure..the things I do for you guys!

 MAC paint pot in Indianwood

• I wasn't too happy with how this looked in pics before but assured you guys it looked good IRL..which it did.  I tried it on many times since with varying amounts of UDPP and it just won't stick to my lids.  The colour is gorgeous but I just wish it would stay put! I won't be buying another one of these when the tub is finished.

Boots 17 Bronzed and Gorgeous palette

• Probably my all time fave freebie.  My current HG shadow has well and truly hit pan and I've been using my 17 palette for a while now and I'm loving the goldeny shade in it.  If they brought this out as perm, I'd buy it...or I'd buy £5 worth of products to get it free.

Boots No7 Eyeshadow Colour and Contour brush

• My thoughts on this brush are still exactly the same.  It's the shizz.  It's fluffy (but not too fluffy), it helps you blend like a pro and because the hairs are white, you can tell how much product you've picked up.  I'm buying it again when this one fails me.
  

Anatomicals Help the Paw hand cream and Badger Balm

• Nearly finished one "packet" of handcream and the Balm has well and truly finished.  Glad I bought backups of the hand cream, the sweet smell hasn't put me off yet!  I'd buy the Balm again too.

L'oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara

• I said I wouldn't buy it and honestly, I don't think I would.  It smells funny (this coming from a girl who has both the Colossal and Stiletto) and it made my lashes really really hard.  I wouldn't call it HG as I have Prestige for that so my opinion stays the same.
  

Review: MAC paint pot in Indianwood

I bought this from a seller on Specktra for the grand sum of £6 and I fell in love with it the day it came through the post. I was itching to try it on that very day but when your brows are growing out the last thing you want to do is bring attention to them.

I applied some UDPP and then the paintpot on top of it and I must say that the jury is still out. On one hand the colour is gorgeous and it looks really nice IRL but in the photographs I took it looks like it has settled into my eye creases. My current HG neutral shade is Heather Mauve Shimmer Wash by Bobbi Brown but with that you can still see my natural lid colour peaking through but I've only tried it without UDPP so it might be different with it.

Application is a bit tricky if you're a noob like me. Firstly, it's a solidy wet eyeshadow and so a normal eyeshadow brush won't do much. I was advised to use a stiff MAC brush but the only stiff brush I have is a Bobbi Brown eyeliner brush so I used that and it worked out pretty ok. The brush became really soft with the product on it so I may retry with the new brush and see if that holds up. I've been out and bought a stiff brush from Boots with my money off voucher and it works pretty well, it's a dupe for a Bobbi Brown brush so look out for a post on that soon.

The only issue I had was that it applied a bit unevenly but that's easy to fix, just swipe the colour more one way with the first bit of colour you put on and the other way with the second bit of colour.

Here's the picturey part:

Both eyes:
This is how my eyes look IRL if you were to see me.

Individuals:
As you can see I should have dragged out the application on both lids but I didn't' but at least they look uniform in that respect. The paint pot creased with UDPP under it but I think that can be solved by applying a bit more UDPP. As I said, IRL you can't tell the difference and the colour is a really nice subtle shimmer improvement on my lids.

Repurchase?
I would rebuy this but I think this pot will take ages to use up as it's not a powder and non powders take me longer to use, I've used to crap out of my Bobbi Brown gel liner and there's still tonnes left in it. The problem of creasing can be solved by using more UDPP and application will improve with the new brush I have.

On another note, there won't be as many blog updates coming from me in the future as I'm back at work now and I have two major cases to work on, both have been in the news recently and my line of work doesn't let me say the name of the companies but those of you who know what I do will soon be able to figure it out.

My next review will be on anatomicals, a range I've wanted to try for ages :)