Shades of Brown (Eyeliner)

Before I began wearing "real makeup", I wore lip gloss and eyeliner almost every day and on special occasions, I'd add some eyeshadow from the only Cover Girl trio that I owned - Golden Sunset. I didn't put much thought into it at all. But, at 19, 20 years old, do you really have too? Lip gloss colors were fairly easy for me to find. Almost any gloss can be mixed or toned down to make it work for you. And I had many glosses to choose from. Still do!

Eyeliner has always been a little bit trickier. I have been searching for a good eyeliner for years. I line my waterline with a dark brown or black liner and hope that it doesn't move. Invariably, it does. It's just a matter of how long it takes, how far it moves and how raccoonish my eyes will look.

I am still playing with black liners. I've found a few that I like to use but nothing that stands out. And, it's ok that I haven't found a good one yet. I tend to turn to dark brown liners anyway.

I like dark browns because they are softer. You know that I like my nude and brown shadows. Black liner looks really harsh on me, almost like I'm trying to play off the need for sleep. Black liner also adds about 5 years to me eyes. I can already get into bars, thank you. I don't need the extra years.

I have 5 liners that I reach for often (and about 20 that I've tried and keep hidden away), each for a different reason. Avon Ultra Luxury Eye Liner (Dark Brown), Sonia Kashuk Eye Definer (Iced Coffee), Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl (Brown), Avon Glimmersticks Eye Liner (Cosmic Brown) and NYX Retractable Waterproof Eye Liner (Brown).

The smoothest application is a tossup between my Rimmel London and NYX. They both go on baby smooth with absolutely no tugging. Like butter! The hardest application? Avon Ultra Luxury. It doesn't tug per se but it doesn't glide. It's not hard, just the least smooth of the 5.

Best color? Rimmel London. This brown is a rich cocoa brown that has the slightest hint of sparkle. It really makes my eyes pop. The worst of the 5? Sonia Kashuk...as far as being brown. The color itself, is fine. It's brown that someone mixed with gray and sparkles. If I want to complement my splash of gray or blue shadow, then this is the one.

Darkest brown? Avon Ultra Luxury. If I'm looking for a night time look, this one wins every time. Softest brown? Avon Glimmersticks Eye Liner. Yeah, I know. Crazy!

My fave? Rimmel London. That color gets me every time. They all last well enough I suppose but Rimmel and NYX last the longest.

I do plan on checking out some more colors this year. And, I don't own a high end eyeliner so I'll definitely try some of those. What do you suggest? What should I stay away from? You can bet whatever I try, I'll let you know how I feel about it!