Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner

I like using gel eyeliners because they look as good as liquid eyeliners, but they're a lot easier to apply.  There are a number of gel eyeliners in the market today.  My friend Ann swears by Maybelline's Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner.  She says it glides on smoothly and it stays.  There are also a lot of good reviews on MAC's Fluidline.  Personally, I've been using Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliners for the last five years or so, and I never tried other brands simply because I'm very happy with my current gel eyeliners.  Let me tell you why:

• The creamy consistency makes Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliners easy to apply, with an eyeliner brush of course. 
• It dries after a few minutes and when it does, it stays.  Long after your day is over.
• It doesn't smudge nor crease.
• There are a lot of colors to choose from.

Right now I have three colors which I use depending on my mood.

My staple is the Sepia Ink.

I'm not really a fan of black eyeliners because I feel they're too harsh for everyday makeup.  I apply it thickly on made-up eyes, or thinly for that soft, minimal makeup look.

Espresso Ink is the closest I'll get to black.  It's actually black-brown so I feel it's still not as bold or harsh as black.

My Denim Ink is for parties or a really casual look.

It's from Bobbi's Denim & Rose Collection.

Let me share with you a few tips on gel eyeliners:

• Apply close to the lids.  Be sure to fill in gaps.
• Use a flat eyeliner brush.  Believe me, this brush is unbelievable!!!  No gaps. I'll blog about it next time.
• For extra staying power apply eyeshadow powder in the same color over the gel eyeliner.  
• Close the lid tightly after every use.  Gel eyeliners dry up quite fast.
• When using the product, try to scoop from the side first rather than from the center.  If you scoop from the center going out the left-over product on the side hardens up pretty fast.

Hope you learned something new.   

Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer

Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer is my HG concealer.

Before Cle de Peau I've been using Bobbi Brown corrector and concealer for the longest time.  Although the coverage is good, it makes my undereye crease.

Cle de Peau Beaute is the high-end skin care and makeup line of the Japanese brand Shiseido.   I've been reading very good reviews about their concealers.  In fact it's been in the In Style Best Beauty Buy List of Undereye Concealers from 2005 to 2006, and from 2008 to 2010 (I wonder what happened in 2007?).  Unfortunately it's not available here. So last year I asked my friend Minnie to buy it for me in Japan.  The price is pretty steep at $70, but I never regretted it.

I'm using Beige, which is best if your skin is medium to fair.  For reference I'm a MAC NC35.

The texture is very creamy, and it does not travel once applied.  Consistency is thinner than other concealers I've tried, like Bobbi Brown and MAC.  But the coverage is really good.  And it doesn't crease at all.

I layer my Cle de Peau thinly a few times in my undereye area and I use Bobbi Brown face powder in pale yellow to set it.  This is important because powder locks the concealer in place.

I highly recommend this powder for setting concealers.

It's so silky and the color is just right to brighten your undereye area.

One stick of Cle de Peau lasts almost a year, even if used everyday.  The product is so concentrated a little goes a long way.

It can be purchased online or from big department stores in major cities around the world.

Will I purchase again?

I just did  =D

Thanks to my friend Elize who asked her hubby to buy for me during his Nagoya stopover  =D

And thanks to MY hubby for funding it  =d