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A strong, smoky eye

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Those of us who wear eye makeup every day know how labor-intensive and time-consuming applying it can be. I think I’ve found something that may help us shave some time off our daily routine.

Sormeh powder is a sooty black powder that has been used by women in Middle Eastern countries for centuries. L.A.-based makeup artist Mosha Katani has started selling the powder, packaging it in ruby glass bottles that come with a vial of powder and a brush. The powder, which is made from castor oil and zinc oxide, is $48 and is sold here.

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Somewhat like henna, sormeh stays on the skin even after being washed. I lined my eyes last Thursday and even after washing and scrubbing my face, there was still a black line around my eyes for almost 3 days. It was smudgy, but just required a touch-up in the morning, so I didn’t walk out of the house looking like Courtney Love after a really bad night.

The application can get messy if you don’t have a super-stealth hand, but luckily a very little bit goes a very long way, creating a strong, intense black line on the eyelid.

If your holiday makeup plans include a super-smoky eye that doesn’t run or smudge, sormeh powder is just the thing to take you from a New Year’s Eve party to the next morning without the dreaded “day after” look.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

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