Freelancing is fun, but there is a huge BUT. It requires me work, more hours, more frustration. Then, come payment time, it's extra drama for everyone involved in processing the money. I used to be timid when demanding what is owed to me, but I'm all done with that nonsense. I have no time to play nice when someone, say, haven't paid me for eleven months.

When will I ever learn.

But on to more positive things! One of the most-recommended eyeliners out there is the Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink (P1,000+). I've been hearing about this for years now, back when I had just started getting into makeup and was looking to invest in a gel eyeliner. I ended up with the MAC Fluidline (a product that's been my HG for a long time), but I'm glad to get the chance to try this Bobbi Brown one!

Black Ink is a matte, opaque black eyeliner that glides on smoothly without being overly wet. That's what some people actually don't like about the MAC Fluidline - it's so creamy that it ends up skidding all over the lids if not applied carefully. The BB liner has a slightly harder, waxier texture that allows for more control, no matter what brush you use.

I hereby declare the next five days as Bobbi Brown Week at Project Vanity. Seriously, I have quite a few Bobbi products piling up (they're all fantastic) so I want to release the reviews in one themed week. I'll be featuring one Bobbi product everyday for the next five days, so stay tuned for those posts. ;)

To start off the series, here's an FOTD-slash-review of the Bobbi Brown Twilight Night Shimmer Ink. This is unfortunately limited edition from the Desert Twilight collection last year. However, I think that the brand has something similar in the cream eyeshadow line. I'm sure you can also find dupes in other brands if you're on a budget. ;)

Now Twilight Night is actually a gel eyeliner, but the twinkly dusky color is so pretty that it deserves to be used as a cream eyeshadow.

A dark cream base can make eyeshadows really pop up, plus the uber fine shimmer in this particular product adds more dimension and light to the eyes. I dabbed a layer of it on my lids using just my fingers.

We all started with pencil eyeliners. But the more we learn about makeup and application techniques, the more we crave for precision and different effects for our eyes. If you're a bit advanced in makeup then I'm sure you're starting to explore (or have already explored) cream/ gel eyeliners. This post is all about the basic brushes you can use for those wonderful pots of cosmetics!

For your reference, the gel liner I used below is the Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner (it's amazing and affordable too!). Please also check my tutorial on applying eyeliner, with a short stub on how to do a cat's eye. ;)

The flat angled eyeliner brush can be difficult to master at first, but it's probably the best brush for that perfect winged or cat's eye line. It draws the outer line thicker so if you have round eyes (like I do) then this brush can elongate them and make them look narrower.

This brush can also be used for shading the eyebrows with a wet product (such as wax or eyebrow gel).

Feeling under fire today! Work has been non-stop since I woke up but I'm taking a break to write about an awesome eyeliner I got acquainted with recently. Now I've seen a lot of raves about the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner (P449), but I didn't jump into the bandwagon because I already have the MAC Fluidline. That's the best gel eyeliner for me! Can the Maybelline one compare?

It's a nice, more affordable alternative, but it's not quite like the Fluidline in terms of pigmentation and texture. As for the lasting power - whoa! The Maybelline one will not smudge, smear, or fade even if you wear it all day. You can rely on it to look fantastic from the time you leave your house up to the second you wash it off.

You might be wondering why the packaging is different. Well, it's because this is the reformulated version that was just recently released. :) Here's a quick rundown!

What I love the product 

• It's incredibly long-lasting. I will not attempt to wear it for 36 hours but I've worn it 10 ten hours at most and it stayed fresh. It didn't smudge, smear, fade, or slip on my upper lids.
• Decent pigmentation. It's solid in one line as long as the brush is properly loaded with a generous amount of product.

You know that feeling of going back to an old love, then finding out (with the utmost delight) that it's even better than you remember it? That's what I felt when I dipped into the MAC Fluidline in Dipdown (P1,100). The Fluidline was my first ever high-end eyeliner and I loved it so much that I used it for almost two years. I kept it for three years just for the nostalgia, and believe it or not, it was still creamy and usable until the day I threw it away. 

I received a fluidline in a MAC event that I attended a couple of months ago. I didn't want to use it since I have got quite a few brown eyeliners on rotation already, but I was curious to see if this gel eyeliner is as good as I thought it was. It is!

This is the best gel eyeliner I've tried, hands down. If you thought your drugstore gel eyeliner was creamy, the Fluidline is waaaaay creamier than you'd think possible.

The Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner (P660) has a sort of quiet yet esteemed rep among makeup enthusiasts here in Asia. You see, I've been hearing about this product for years as a great cheap substitute to the famous (and expensive) MAC Fluidline. So is it true? 

Well, yes.  

What I love about the product

• Extremely creamy to the point of being liquid. This makes the product easy to maneuver as it glides effortlessly on the lids without tugging.
• Applies as a true matte black in one swipe. No need to layer.
• Waterproof and stays put all day. There is a teeny bit of smudging, but it's not bothersome.