Hi Allie! I've heard great things about the Bobbi Brown gel liner—and I know Jill D. is a big fan. (I know I have it somewhere in my stash, but it's anyone's guess where that is right now!)

Personally, I've always found liquid liners a bit easier to manipulate versus applying a gel or cream liner with a (long) angled brush, but both would work for this look. No matter what you use to draw the line, I think the key to getting some staying power is going over it with a powder shadow on top.

And yes—brown, gray, navy or even a deep purple would definitely be better choices for a softer look! :-)