Bobbi Brown Jet Long-Wear Eye Pencil ($24), the most rocking black pencil liner to ever line yo’ lids!

Okay, a lot. I panic a lot. And based on the fact that Jet is almost always out of stock when I stop by a Bobbi counter, I’m probably not the only one.

Jet, a deep, true black long-wearing gel liner in pencil form, has a flat matte finish and sells for $24 as part of Bobbi’s permanent line.

That may sound like a lot for a basic black eye liner, but seriously — Jet is anything but basic. I think it’s easily the best black pencil liner available on any counter now.

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

Why do I like it so much?

Because it gets great, great mileage. Like a Prius times 12. We’re talkin’ crazy good wear time on my lash and water lines.

Over the years, I’ve worn (and stockpiled) dozens of black liners, and Jet is the only one that consistently lasts 16 or more hours for me (yes, some days are REALLY long) without getting patchy or breaking up throughout those infernal, eternal days. When it’s on, it’s on like Donkey Kong.

Whenever some cruel twist of fate/scheduling forces me to start my day well before dawn (when even the chickens are still snoring) I grab Jet.

Sometimes I’ll see some very minor smudging around hour 12 (!), but still — hour 12? That’s impressive.

And it’s super easy to apply. Jet’s silky, soft formula coasts along my lash and water lines like a private jet at 30,000 feet, and one swipe delivers a dark, dramatic black line.

For smudgier looks, I’ll buff out the edges before Jet sets, which usually takes around 3-4 minutes.

Where Jet doesn’t rock my boat is in super blended looks with powder eye shadows; for instance, when I use an eye pencil as a base for smokey eyes. In those cases, when I need maybe 10-15 minutes to manipulate my products, Jet simply sets too fast.

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Wearing Bobbi Brown Sparkle Eye Shadow in Gold Star ($28) from the new Brighten, Sparkle & Glow collection

Yes, Sparkle Eye Shadow in Gold Star, you get a gold star.

But not just any gold star…

We’re not talking about one of those little sticker stars you got for turning in that kick-@ss book report on Flowers in the Attic. No, we’re talking about a big, bold, glittery gold star, because this shadow’s all about glitter.

Camera shy glitter.

I couldn’t coax it out of its shell for these pics, but Bobbi Brown’s new limited edition $28 Sparkle Eye Shadow in Gold Star sparkles like a meteor shower in real life.

And it’s brightening, too.

Yup, brightening. It and a gang of other Sparkle Eyeshadows star in Bobbi’s new spring Brighten, Sparkle & Glow collection, which launched earlier this month (the collection with the funky mosaic-like pressed powders).

Gold Star is the only one that isn’t a re-promote in the release.

Part of me fears glittery eyeshadows…and yet given the choice between a glittery shadow and one with a matte finish, I’ll always choose the sparklier one.

I’m afraid of accidentally crossing that line between classy glitter, and walking into a gas station bathroom with bare feet, wearing short cut-offs three sizes too small for me and a trucker hat.

I like glitter, but I do not want to go there…

I want the kind of sparkle I can wear to the Met Ball or to a fancy after-party at the Cannes Film Festival, ya know? Elegant glitter. And I feel like fresh, elegant, refined Gold Star glitter gets me there.

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Novato never hustles and bustles like San Francisco does. It’s a sleepy village compared to the city.

In the city, everything moves so fast! Sometimes when I visit I feel like a fish fighting up stream, or like I’m a raft caught in a current, totally out of control.

And then, suddenly, something — sometimes it’s colorful crocheted animal hats — stops me in my tracks!

Other times, it’s a window display with sparkly butterflies that have glittery wings.

Today at Saks Fifth Avenue in the city, it was Bobbi Brown because — ohmigosh! — they have so many new things out for spring.

The Brighten, Sparkle & Glow Collection

Like the Brighten, Sparkle & Glow collection, with its mix of brand new and previously released products.

I’m particularly interested in these new Brightening Face Powders ($50 each), which come in all sorts of crazy colors! Like, one of them has pastels in it, with blue and yellow and green pans, and another one has purples and pinks and mauves.

My first thought? That these were eyeshadow palettes, but they’re actually products for your face.

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I always stop for vibrant pinks and reds.

I’m at the mall right now. Just finished a late lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and wanted the first day of the year to be filled with fun things, as in malls and makeup.

My mom gave me a Nordstrom gift certificate for Christmas. Not sure what I’m gonna do with it yet, but I’m having fun looking for ideas.

Like maybe Bobbi Brown’s new Pink & Red Collection.

It’s barely even January, and this collection’s already channeling Valentine’s Day!

I guess you can never be too early (hint, hint, El Hub)…

Bobbi’s got some pieces here for cheeks, lips and nails, divided into pink products and red products.

Makes it easy for significant others to give gifts. Just send your partner to the counter with instructions like, “You can get me all the pink (or red) stuff.”

Here — hold my purse while I snap some pics with my phone.

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Because we’re friends, I’m going to tell you the real reason I’m head over heels in love with Bobbi Brown’s $18 Black Pearl Nail Polish without you thinking that I’m cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

Okay, here goes…

It’s the color of Darth Vader’s helmet.

I spent years scouring the universe (and nail polish displays) for a nail polish the color of Vader’s helmet, and finally, after all these years, success! Mwahahahahaaa!

Emperor Palpatine will be pleased…

($18; available now at Bobbi Brown counters and bobbibrowncosmetics.com)

Sure, Vader’s a really bad guy, but you have to admit — that helmet holds a certain allure.

It’s shiny, which I like, and the color’s quite complex (like Vader himself). Sometimes, it looks more gray than black, and when the light hits it right, I see dark, gloomy purple undertones…

If I ever bump into George Lucas again at the movies, I’m telling him about Bobbi’s Black Pearl Polish because I think Darth would totally love it, especially on his toes, where he could probably get away with a single pigmented coat.

I can see it now… Vader, at the end of a long day hunting down rebels on the Death Star, takes off his boots for a few minutes of “me time” while painting his nails.
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