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Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown Lips

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Review

November 18, 2023

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Review

Bobbi Brown launched a new lipstick formula called the Luxe Matte Lipstick ($41 each). This formula replaced the original Luxe Matte Lipstick which I don’t think I tried before so I’m not sure how they compare, but the new one is as flawless as it gets for a matte lip.

To this day I’m still a glossy lip lover but the matte lip formulas keep getting better every year. My top favorite formulas are from Pat McGrath and Charlotte Tilbury and the new Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte formula is better (although I still really love the Pat McGrath ones).

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Review

Formula is ultra smooth and non-drying. The best part is they don’t look super dry either. I’d say they’re more of a velvety soft matte. Pigment is opaque and full coverage with a single swipe. The colors are all on point for the holiday season and they have a pretty good range of tones from neutrals, brown tones, bolds and reds.

As a neutral lip lover I would have loved if they made some of their best sellers like Bare, Blondie Pink and Buff in this formula, but I do see how that would be redundant and I can appreciate that they have new shades in this formula. (I think Pat McGrath has the best matte neutrals.)

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Review

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick swatches

Sunset Rose is a neutral-cool toned nude pink
Neutral Rose is a dusty rose
Boss Pink is a healthy warm pink
Parkside is a cool-toned brown
Afternoon Tea is a peachy almost orange shade
Big City Pink is a hot pink
Claret is a muted soft red
Ruby is a deep red
Power Play is an electric orange
Traffic Stopper is a bright warm red
Red Carpet is a true red
After Hours is a wine red

They’re not scented and lasting power is pretty good. They’re not transfer proof but I like the wear time and they feel very comfortable on the lips.

Swatches of some of the shades on the lips, also wearing:

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Sunset Rose

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Neutral Rose

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Boss Pink

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Parkside

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Big City Pink

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Claret

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick Afternoon Tea

Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lipstick After Hours

Bobbi Brown sent over a selection of their holiday sets and palettes. I am absolutely in love with the Luxe Eyeshadow Duo ($48) in Last Dance. I love the luxe eyeshadow shimmers and especially love the tones in this one! There are a few other shades but it looks like they may have already sold out as I cannot find them anywhere online.

Bobbi Brown Holiday 2023 Sets

This holiday they have a lot of their best-sellers packaged in bundles at a value price. They make for some great stocking stuffers like the Extra Lip Tint Duo ($35, $70 value), Confetti Crush Lip Trios ($30 for minis, $59 value) and All Eyes Aglow Long-Wear Cream Shadow Set with Moonstone, Taupe, Cinnamon, Mulberry and Soft Bronze + Mascara ($99, $197 value).

There are a few cheek palettes out this season. I tried the Luxe Cheek and Highlight Palette in Rose Glow ($62). At first glance I thought it would be too light for my medium skin tone but much to my surprise it shows up beautifully for a natural glow.

Bobbi Brown Holiday 2023 Sets swatches

Overall love. I think there are some really beautiful pieces to wear for a fresh look this holiday but classic enough to be able to wear come spring.

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Available at Bobbi Brown, Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and all Bobbi Brown retailers.

Holiday launches gifted by Bobbi Brown.

Base Makeup Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint + Powder

August 8, 2023

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint review

Bobbi Brown just added new items to their Vitamin Enriched line with a new Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint ($46) and Pressed Finishing Powder ($48). I’ve been testing both for a few days now and I think they are definitely worth checking out!

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Bace, Tint, Powder and Full Cover Concealer

The Vitamin Enriched Face Base has been one of my favorites for a long time. It’s one of the best multi-tasking primer-moisturizers in one. It works well with a wide range of foundation formulas and by now I’ve lost track of how many I’ve used up. I like that it hydrates and really sinks into the skin (while most primers seem to sit on top). It is scented with geranium and grapefruit but I haven’t had any issues with the fragrance on my skin.

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint Medium 2 review

The Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint is a tinted face base with SPF 15. It is very hydrating and semi-thick but blends out easily with a sponge. I did a demo applying with a brush on Instagram Reels and it blends out nicely, but the best way is to blend and dab with a sponge.

I applied it on top of the Face Base Moisturizer. Swatches below of Medium 1 and Medium 2.

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint Medium 1 and Medium 2

A little goes a long way and it gives very natural sheer coverage. If you need more coverage your best option it layer concealer on top, the formula of the base itself will be too thick if you try to layer it for more coverage.

I was sent Medium 2 which was too dark when I tried it last week. I ordered Medium 1 which was a better match, but we spent the weekend outdoors including a day on the boat so my skin tanned and now Medium 2 works. I feel like I’m forever having to purchase multiple shades since I tan so easily.

So far I really like the way it feels and makes my skin look. Since I have combination skin I 100% recommend setting with a powder.

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Pressed Finishing Powder Neutral

I also tried the new tint with the new Vitamin Enriched Pressed Finishing Powder in Neutral. It has a soft blur/pressed formula similar to the Sisley Blur Expert and Chantecaille Perfect Blur Powder.

Formula of the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Pressed Finishing Powder is pretty good when you first apply but it does not last long enough for me. It’s lightweight, blurs, sets and is sheer enough that your skin shows through. I was sent the Neutral color which is a good match. It’s sheer enough that it’s forgiving so you don’t need an exact match, but the formula looks a little too powdery on my skin.

If I apply with a lighter hand for sheerer application I can’t get enough product onto my skin. I think this isn’t the powder for my skin type but I can definitely see it working better for normal/dry skin types. For me the base is best when set with other powders like the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder or Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Powder.

Bare Skin vs the Tint

Just the Tint

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint Medium 1 and 2 Before and After

Full look wearing:

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint review

Overall I love the new tint. I think it will be even better for me when the weather cools down (which won’t be for a while). If you have dry skin I think you will love it. For me it performs better than the Hourglass Veil Tint. If you have normal, combo or oily skin I think you may find it too thick or hydrating for your skin type in which case I’d recommend the YSL Nu Bare Look Tint or Too Faced Born This Way Healthy Glow Skin Tint.

I think the powder is nice, just not for my skin type. But if you’re looking for a hydrating blurring formula I highly recommend checking it out.

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Available now at Bobbi Brown and Sephora.

Vitamin Enriched collection gifted by Bobbi Brown for review consideration.

Bobbi Brown

New Bobbi Brown Launches

May 31, 2022

New Bobbi Brown Makeup Launches

Bobbi Brown has some new launches for summer and I have a look at them today! I hauled the Real Nudes collection along with a few of the new Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks. The Bobbi Brown PR team also sent over all the new cream shadow sticks which I’m thrilled about. The two that I bought were so good I was going to buy more colors anyways.

Glow All Nude: Real Nudes

Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss Shimmers

above top to bottom: Bellini, Bare Sparkle, Kir Sugar

There are three new Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss Shimmers ($29 each) in shimmer shades and four new Highlighting Powders ($50 each). I hauled all three glosses and three of the highlighting powders.

The Crushed Oil-Infused Glosses have been a long time favorite in the original colors and I was excited to see these in a NEW Shimmer Formula. These shimmers aren’t quite as sticky/tacky feeling as her original lip gloss but they’re not as smooth as the other Crushed Oil-Infused gloss shades. I’d say they’re somewhere in between. Colors are smooth without any texture even though they’re sparkly and I absolutely love them. They adhere well to the lips and have really good lasting power on me. They’re hydrating but not super emollient like a balm/oil. They’re definitely more like a gloss than a lip oil to me.

  • Bare Sparkle is a clear pink base with gold and pink flecks to sparkle (sheer/clear on me)
  • Bellini is a pink pearl with gold and pink pearl flecks
  • Kir Sugar is a really pretty plum

Bobbi Brown Real Nudes Swatches

Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powders NEW

It’s been a while since I’ve seen new shades of her Highlighting Powders and this round has really pretty colors! I could not resist trying them and my favorite is Peach Glow. Shimmer is smooth and has that really pretty metallic sheen that’s not too frosty.

  • Quartz Glow is a pale light gold champagne
  • Peach Glow is the perfect mix of tan peach and white peach
  • Chestnut Glow is pretty mix of champagne and soft bronze

I skipped Copper Glow as it looked really warm and I thought it would be too warm for my skin tone. Three looks below wearing different combinations of the lip glosses + highlighters. Base is the Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Tint in 6.5. Eye colors are a mix of Sunrise Pink, Golden Amber and Espresso. I’m using her Precise Blending Blush to apply the highlighter which is a nice soft dense brush.

Bobbi Brown makeup looks

Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks

There are new shades of the Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks (new shades, $30 each) and I’m beyond thrilled! I love a good shimmer for the lid and these are indeed long-wearing once they set. They layer nicely together and I’ll also mix with other powder shadows for a complete look. I think all the new ones are stunning. There are 10 total. My favorite is Golden Amber which is similar to Laura Mercier Copper.

  • Moonstone is a pale light champagne gold
  • Mica is a champagne beige
  • Peach Mimosa is a pale shimmery light peach
  • Golden Amber is a perfect copper shimmer
  • Incandescent duo chrome pink gold
  • Sunrise Pink is a pale pink with gold shimmer
  • Smokey Topaz is a perfect taupe shimmer
  • Mulberry is a stunning wine shimmer
  • Forest is a deep khaki green shimmer
  • Espresso is a deep brown with a tiny hint of shimmer

Also added Golden Pink and Golden Bronze to the swatch mix for reference.

Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks

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Available at Bobbi Brown, Nordstrom, Sephora and all other Bobbi Brown retailers. I purchased my items from Nordstrom.

Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks provided for review.

Hauls Nordstrom

New Beauty Launches to Put On Your Radar

January 16, 2020

New Spring Beauty Launches at Nordstrom

I’m excited to share my first beauty haul of the year! I’ve been testing out some new products that recently launched at Nordstrom and I’ve partnered with them today to share my thoughts plus a new year beauty look. Nordstrom is truly one of my favorite places to shop for beauty – I’m constantly checking their New Arrivals page alongside their Gift With Purchase section. I hope you find today’s haul post helpful! Everything featured in this post are items I purchased myself.

Charlotte Tilbury Queen of Glow

Charlotte Tilbury Queen of Glow Eyeshadow Palette

Charlotte Tilbury Queen of Glow Eyeshadow Palette

One of the newest launches from Charlotte Tilbury is her Queen of Glow Eyeshadow Palette. There were several limited-edition quads over the holiday but I found them too warm for my complexion. Queen of Glow has a better mix of golds and champagnes for my complexion without the red tones. There are 3 shimmers and 1 matte. All the colors are ultra pigmented, smooth and long-lasting. I think it’s gorgeous!

Closer look wearing: NARS Tinted Glow Booster in Simos + Tangsi mixed, Charlotte Tilbury Color Corrector Medium, Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder Medium, NARS Blush in Tempted + Orgasm X Mixed, Anastasia Brow Wiz in Soft Brown, Cle de Peau Liquid Eyeliner, Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Palette in Queen of Glow, Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss in In the Buff

Charlotte Tilbury Queen of Glow Eyeshadow Palette

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish! Color Corrector

Charlotte Tilbury Color Corrector Medium

I also ordered her Magic Vanish! Color Corrector in Medium which isn’t new, but new to me. It has a brightening peachy look to it and it’s super opaque. I found it a good color for my medium olive tone skin – a tiny little dab on the fingers patted under the eyes conceals any darkness and it blends without caking. Do note that a little goes a very long way so you don’t need a lot. I use this instead of concealer on days I need extra coverage or brightening. It’s very peach in color – it doesn’t match the skin. The colors are designed to counter darkness and pigment in the skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish! Color Corrector in Medium

New NARS Blushes

New Nars Blush Orgasm X and Tempted

above left: Orgasm X, right: Tempted

There are some new blushes from NARS this season. I wanted to order all of them but limited myself to 2 colors in Orgasm X and Tempted. Orgasm X is a deeper brighter version of Orgasm and has that peachy gold shimmer to it. It’s quite opaque but easy to blend. Tempted is a pretty soft nude shimmer, on my medium olive skin it looks like a neutral highlighter with a bit of depth. It makes my skin glow! If you’re fair and are looking for a good nude blush to wear, I highly recommend looking into this one!

NARS Orgasm X, Orgasm and Tempted Blush swatches

Wearing Tempted + Orgasm X mixed together

NARS Blush Orgasm X + Tempted

New from Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss

For the lips I picked up some of the new Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Glosses in In the Buff (soft nude pink, one I’m wearing in this post), New Romantic (soft mauve) and Wild Card (bright coral peach). They’re sheer so the color is subtle. They feel wonderfully smooth with a cushiony feel and glide on the lips nicely. I find them hydrating but not heavy.

YSL lip love

YSL Rouge Volupte Rock n Shine

YSL also launched a new formula called Rouge Volupte Rock N Shine and as a huge fan of the original Rouge Volutpe Shines I knew I had to try some of the new ones. These have a silvery shimmer in the center in the shape of a star. The shimmer is visible and noticeable making the overall color look a bit lighter and more shimmery than what you see in the tube. 1 Nude Solo is a pale nude pink, 3 Pink Flow is a soft baby pink, 10 Pink Bass is a deeper rose pink. They’re glossy with a high shine finish. Pigment is sheer-medium.

NARS Tinted Glow Boosters

NARS Tinted Glow Booster vs Ginger Concealer and Vanuatu Foundation

Last but not least is my first look at the NARS Tinted Glow Boosters. There are four shades total and I picked up the two middle shades in Simos (medium) and Tangsi (medium-dark). My foundation match in their Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation is usually Vanuatu, but I’ve lost my tan this season and wear Punjab. My best concealer match is still the Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger. The Tinted Glow Boosters sheer glowy skin-toned bases with a very slight shimmer to them. The shimmer is very subtle and almost disappears on the skin.

I’m the closest match to Simos right now, but I tan very easily and to add a bit more color I’ll mix in a few pumps of Tangsi to blend all over.

Below left, one pump of Simos (top) and one pump of Tangsi (bottom)
Below right on the face, Simos

NARS Tinted Glow Booster in Simos + Tangsi

You can use these a number of ways but I like it best mixing Simos and Tangsi together then applying with a beautyblender all over like you would a sheer foundation. It offers minimal coverage and glow, almost like a tinted moisturizer without the moisturizer aspect.

I have mixed in equal pumps of the Tinted Glow Booster with foundation like the Armani Luminous Silk (I wear 6.5) or NARS Natural Radiant Foundation to give it a more translucent look. I have some swatches below to a few other shades. It’s thicker in texture than the Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow, it’s not nearly as luminous or opaque as the Hollywood Flawless Filter.

NARS Tinted Glow Booster swatches Simos and Tangsi

Nordstrom Beauty Haul Picks via The Beauty Look Book

I hope you enjoyed this haul post with some of thoughts and swatches! Have you tried any of these new launches yet? What did you think?

You can find all my haul picks now online at Nordstrom.

 

Many thanks to Nordstrom for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions are my own.

Bobbi Brown Lips

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Review

February 4, 2019

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Balm Review and Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Bobbi Brown launched a new lip formula called the Crushed Liquid Lip Balm ($26 each for 6 ml/.2 fl oz). These are saturated balm-like colors with a liquid lipstick kind of vibe. There are 14 color options with neutrals, bolds and brights. They’re very comfortable on the lips with a moisturizing but lightweight feel. The Crushed Liquid Lips are scented just like her regular lipsticks – it’s a little fruity with a lipstick scent mixed together. Finish has a soft shine cream with medium to full coverage. Everything applies smoothly and all the colors are very wearable for any kind of occasion or mood. There were only two shades I felt was a little streaky because of the contrast to my lip but it smooths out with a little extra blending. Lychee Baby and Cool Beets needed a little more blending but they weren’t too high maintenance.

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Balm Review and Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Balm Review and Lychee Baby and Juicy Date | The Beauty Look Book

I love everything about these. I love the packaging where you can see the actual color from the tube. The applicators are really cute too with a beveled tip sponge – it’s not your typical sponge tip, I think the design is really well made.

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Balm Review and Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Colors and swatches below. I feel like the reds look really similar on me:

  • Lychee Baby is a soft peachy nude, this one requires a little blending but you’ll see in the lip swatches it smooths out, I thought it would be too pale for me but it’s not!
  • Hippy Shake is a pale cool mauve pink
  • Juicy Date is the perfect pinky brown cream
  • Give A Fig is a pinkish fig pink
  • Peach and Quiet is a medium bright pink peach
  • Mango Mood is a bright coral red
  • Main Squeeze is a bright pinkish red
  • Cherry Crush is a bold deep red cherry
  • Big Apple is a bright red
  • Bitter Sweet is a mauve plum with blue tones
  • In A Jam is a berry mauve plum with neutral tones
  • Smoothie Move is a brown pink
  • Haute Cocoa is a cocoa brown
  • Cool Beets is a dark purple in the tube, it applies more like a berry stain, this one also requires a little blending, I think it would be flawless over a matching lip liner pencil

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Balm Review Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Balm Review Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

All swatched on bare lips, the colors cover the lip entirely. They don’t bleed or migrate.

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Balm Review Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

I tried hard to find one downside and was hard pressed to find any. Lasting power isn’t like a liquid lipstick since it has a balmy feel. You will have to reapply but I found they stayed put well for a few hours. They adhere better to the lips compared to a stick balm like the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines or YSL Volupte Shines. I think these have a solid A+. I mixed Lychee Baby and Juicy Date together for a perfect neutral. I’m not sure that I could pick a favorite, but when I tested these I started from light to deep. I was impressed with every single color.

Below wearing Lychee Baby with new hair highlights! It’s been three months since my first appointment and I went in for something different and a little bit lighter. Makeup worn:

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Lychee Baby Makeup Look

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Balm Review Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

You can find the Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Color Balms out now. There are 14 colors available and they retail for $26 each. Available at Bobbi Brown, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Sephora, Neiman Marcus and all other Bobbi Brown counters.

 

 

Crushed Liquid Lip provided by Bobbi Brown for review.

Bobbi Brown Eye Makeup

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eyeshadow Palettes

September 19, 2018

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eyeshadow Palette Review Rosy and Bronzed

Bobbi Brown has two new limited-edition Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eyeshadow Palettes ($59 each, made in USA) and they’re exclusive to Nordstrom. I’ve been eyeing these for months as they launched first in Asia and I was almost convinced we would not receive them in the US but we did! There is a pink version called Rosy Nudes and a medium bronzey version called Bronzed Nudes. Both are beautiful for a neutral with a twist eye look. If you’re one who doesn’t wear a lot of eyeshadow, are just getting into makeup, or want something easy to wear every day both are great options. I particularly appreciate neutrals these days because the warm red copper orange trend for eyes is still going very strong. As pretty as they are on many complexions, I often find them difficult to pull off.

Pigment is good on these palettes. It’s soft and sheer to medium. Color is truly natural but buildable. If you want intense pigment these palettes are going to be too natural looking for you. I find using an emollient cream shadow as a base helps the color show up better. I really love the Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes as my base. I don’t have oily lids so I can use a creamy base as my shadow base all over the lids without it getting greasy looking by afternoon.

How cute are the compacts?

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eyeshadow Palette Review

A look at both in direct sunlight so you can see the shimmers better:

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eyeshadow Palette Review Rosy and Bronzed

Beauty Look Book Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow Palette Bronzed Nudes

Rosy Nudes has pink nude options. There are mattes, shimmers and sparkles in the palette. There are variations of soft pink nudes and shimmers mixed in with a set of deeper tones for crease and definition. Each palette has a small pamphlet inside with combination ideas with step by step application instructions – so if you’re confused on how to apply shadow, it’s a good starting point. I don’t have a go-to technique, sometimes I start light to dark, other times I start with a medium color and then build and blend from there.

Bobbi Brown Rosy Nudes Eyeshadow Palette Review

Bobbi Brown Rosy Nudes Eyeshadow Palette Review

Colors include:

  • White Smoke – pale matte powder pink
  • Watercolor Pink – shimmery soft peachy pink
  • Nudest – light matte pink
  • Sunrise Glow – shimmery champagne pink peach
  • Nude – nude pink matte
  • Dusk – shimmery rosy shimmer
  • Milk Chocolate – sheer matte cool brown
  • Tan – matte tan
  • Chocolate Smoke – sparkling light brown
  • Rich Caviar – deep plum brown

Bronzed Nudes is my favorite of the two. It has the perfect neutral bronze tan shades to create a natural everyday eye. I’ve been reaching for this one more frequently. It’s one I can see myself wearing year round.

Bobbi Brown Bronzed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette Review

Bobbi Brown Bronzed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette Swatches

Colors include:

  • Bone – matte sheer beige
  • Golden Glow – soft shimmering gold beige
  • Frappe – matte tan
  • Pink Copper – sparkling light copper
  • Burnt Amber – shimmering tan
  • Buff – warm beige matte
  • Copper Chocolate – shimmering warm bronze brown taupe
  • Chocolate Truffle – shimmering taupe
  • Milk Chocolate – sheer cool matte brown
  • Black Chocolate – matte blackened brown

Pigment is good on these palettes but it’s soft with natural-medium coverage. Color is truly natural but buildable. If you want intense pigment these palettes are going to be too natural looking for you. I find using an emollient cream shadow as a base helps the color show up better. They layer well together but if you have dry lids I recommend using something to moisten the skin a tiny bit.

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eyeshadow

Below wearing Bronzed Nudes along with the following:

Bobbi Brown Bronzed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette Review

Closer look:

Bobbi Brown Bronzed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette swatches beauty look

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Eyeshadow Palette Review

Overall nice easy to wear colors. I still think the Urban Decay Naked2 Palette is probably one of the best everyday neutral palettes I’ve found, but using it everyday can get boring real fast for me. These Bobbi Brown ones offer a nice variety and I think they’re a great way to start if you’re just getting into shadows.

Given that there are so many options out there a few thoughts on some other palettes I’ve tried recently:

Bottom line I really love the Bronzed Nudes. All the shades are colors I gravitate towards. I have a soft spot for Pink Copper which I wish was made in full size. Both palettes are nice basic staples that you can wear without having to think about how to wear them. All this said she has launched quite a few nude palettes in the past. I haven’t kept track of them in quite some time so you might want to shop your stash if you own any of her eyeshadows. I keep swatching the Nude Drama Palette every time I go into Sephora but haven’t caved on it yet.

You can find the Nude on Nude Eyeshadow Palettes in Bronzed Nudes and Rosy Nudes Palettes available now at Nordstrom. They just started Triple Points today for card members and refreshed their Gift With Purchase page. I have a whole cart full of things I’ve been wanting to try and have to narrow down/edit my picks.

Bobbi Brown Nude Palettes provided for review. Other Press Samples featured indicated with a *.

Eye Makeup

Mascara Hits and Misses

August 4, 2017

Mascara Testing Hits and Misses

I have a new updated mascara roundup. I’ve been trying a few new formulas and have some hits and some misses. The humidity in Florida is pretty high and the sun feels a million times stronger here than it did in San Diego. Finding one that holds up to the humidity has been a process.

  • Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara is a formula I had purchased from a duo over last holiday. I had it sitting in the box waiting for my other tubes to get used up. I was pleasantly surprised because the reviews with this were mixed. It had zero clumping, defined lashes, volumized, coated evenly, held the curl and had no smudging. For me this is a hit.
  • Sisley-Paris So Intense Mascara is one I tried from the Nordstrom Color Twist Set (review here). Huge hit with this one even though the comb is so tiny it looks like it won’t grab lashes. It allows you to get right at the base without touching the skin. This usually isn’t a big deal for me if the mascara is good because a quick clean up with a Q-tip fixes it after application. However this one makes application easier. It volumizes, holds curl and doesn’t smudge.
  • L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof is the first drugstore mascara I’ve actually liked. I’ve tried dozens and end up throwing them all away after 2 uses because they either dry to a grey looking black, smudge or don’t hold the curl. This literally was WOW with the first try. It’s everything I want in a mascara – volume, definition and holds the curl. I absolutely love the waterproof version because there is zero smudging. Blackest Black is the color I tried and it’s a true rich black. It does take more work to remove at the end of the day but is completely worth it. Huge hit.
  • Tom Ford Waterproof Extreme Mascara has to be mentioned again even though it’s not new to me because it’s my favorite waterproof mascara. No smudging, holds the curl, volumizes – huge thumbs up. I’ve repurchased this one the most in the past year.
  • Chanel Le Volume Waterproof is another classic. The regular Le Volume is good, but I prefer the Waterproof version because it holds up better in the humidity. This is one of the few rubberized applicators I like – most other brands just don’t do it for me. A classic one for me.
  • Dior Pump N Volume Mascara was a big miss. The first application was decent for volume, holding the curl and having a true rich black color. Every application after that was a clumping disaster – even when I removed excess from the tube by cleaning it. When there’s buildup, every once in a while I’ll take the wand and run it in between a folded piece of paper. It’s just like you would do with a tissue or paper towel but using paper makes it so those cotton fibers from tissue won’t get caught in the bristles. The volume on this one is really good and there are quite a few rave reviews on this one, if it didn’t clump all the time it would be perfect.
  • Serge Lutens Comb Mascara is another miss for me. I had such high hopes for this one as it came highly recommended and the online reviews on the formula were stellar. It has a similar applicator to the Sisley-Paris one. For some reason this Serge Lutens one made my lashes look spidery. It took a while to dry and smudged with a few blinks. After it dried down it had decent staying power but didn’t hold the curl and didn’t have as rich of a black finish as other ones. It wasn’t the worst but there are much better formulas for me out there.

A few notes on other mascaras I’ve loved but didn’t feature in this roundup. Other long-time favs have included the By Terry Mascara Terrybly, Chantecaille Faux Cils, Stila Huge Lash and Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara. Most of these still work for me in the humid hot weather, I’ve just been rotating through different options recently. If you’ve had your eye on the Chantecaille one I highly recommend you check out the Touch-Up Essentials Set while it’s still available for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale because it’s a great deal. The only one that doesn’t work so well for me in humid weather is the By Terry option, but they do have a waterproof version which I want to investigate.

Best Makeup Remover Lancome | The Beauty Look Book

For makeup removal longer lasting formulas and waterproof ones are going to be more difficult to remove in the evenings. Most of these I have to use a multi-step process to take them off in the evenings. Regardless of whether I double cleanse with a cleansing oil or cleansing water, I always use a cotton pad and soak it with eyemakeup remover first. My favorite formula used to be the Chanel Gentle Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover but these days I’ve found it’s just ok. Some of the longer lasting formulas don’t come off anymore with this one and I don’t know if the formula of the makeup remover has changed or if I’m simply finding formulas with better lasting power. Some thing goes for the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. It used to be a long-time go to but my last bottle didn’t perform as well as I remember it did in past years. My current go-to is the Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover (available in this value set from Nordstrom here and here). For cotton I’ve tried a number of brands but my favorites are from Chanel and Sephora.

If I had to pick one mascara to use for the rest of the summer that would be a hard choice. I would be able to narrow it down to three: Sisley-Paris, L’Oreal and Tom Ford.

What are your favorite mascaras for the summertime?