Bobbi Brown has released two new limited-edition Shimmer Bricks in Wild Rose and Rose Gold ($39 each for .4 oz/10.3 g, hand made in Italy). I first saw the preview on Rouge Deluxe and having a weakness for all things shimmery, immediately ordered these once they arrived on Nordstrom.com. Wild Rose is a soft pinkish rose with high shimmer (on the left) and Rose Gold is a shimmery beige warm pink gold (on the right). Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Bricks can be extremely shimmery and are easy to overdo because they are rich in pigment. I apply with a very light hand and a super fluffy brush in soft layers to avoid that overly-frosted finish. Below are a few shots in direct sunlight where you can see the complex shimmery glow.
Wild Rose is a stunner. It’s a romantic palette of shimmery roses and pinks. I tried swatching each color individually but with the high frost and flash, they all looked the same swatched on my arm. It pulls a bit warmer and darker than Bobbi Brown’s Rose Shimmer Brick (which has pale white strips). After swiping on my fingers and arms I was really worried it would be way too frosty. Today I applied this over NARS G-Spot Multiple and MAC Golden Bronzer as a pink highlight. I was pleasantly surprised how the shimmer softened after the skin warmed up.
Rose Gold is a soft pale rose gold with strips of soft iridescent peach, sandy beige, rose and seashell pinks. Sometimes I feel like designers and artists create rose golds to be extremely rich and almost coppery-like. This Rose Gold Shimmer Brick is a pleasant surprise to be softer and more flesh toned with a hint of rose and gold mixed together. This is lovely as a highlighter. Do not let the swatches below deter you. I would caution you do use with a lighter hand though. I like Bobbi Brown’s blender brushes or MAC’s skunk brushes to apply.
A BIG DISCLAIMER: these were swatched with a very heavy hand. I’m not sure they will be helpful at all because nobody really applies face products with this much intensity. At least not for everyday wear. Do check out reviews on other blogs to get a better idea if you can’t get to a counter to play in person.
A few comparisons for you:
Are these must-haves? As usual, I think it depends. Do you like shimmery pink highlighters? Then yes! If you’re one who doesn’t like any hint of frost then these might be too over the top for you. I do find Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Bricks versatile though. To get that soft glow make sure you use a loose fluffy brush. Try to apply softly in layers by swiping the face in a large sweeping motion rather than packing on the color.
How do they compare to other shades? Swirled all together, I would say Wild Rose is close to Rose and Rose Gold is close to Pink Quartz. The difference is subtle, I’m not sure that it’s all that noticeable on the face, perhaps it depends on skintone. I personally am very pleased.
