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Bobbi Brown

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Bobbi Brown Black Scotch Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

November 20, 2014

For the holiday Bobbi Brown has a new Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner color called Black Scotch ($24 for .1 oz/3 g). It’s a gorgeous deep shimmery blackened bronze. It fits the gap in my eyeliner collection between black and bronze. The color is quite pigmented and applies easily along the upper lash line. It has an emollient texture which makes it glide onto the eyes. I find it sets and dries after a minute. After that short wait period, there is no smudging. I haven’t tried it along the lower lash line, mainly because I haven’t found any gel or pencil liner that will stay put on the bottom. But on the top lid, it lasted all day without budging or smudging. Sometimes I like to use these Gel Liners as a base for a darker shadow. The combination of gel liner + powder shadow on top really intensifies darker colors and makes a smokey lash line easy with the blending and layering.

Up close you can see the tiny bits of gold and bronze shimmer:

Swatched you can see the gold flecks:

Gel liners have been around so long and are so popular sometimes I forget that some women are new to liners that aren’t pencils. In case you are just starting to explore different kinds of liners, two brushes I really like to use are the Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush and wider smudge brushes like Tom Ford Eyeliner/ Eye Definer Brush #15. For gel liners sometimes I don’t want a super precise line because I like to pack on the color a bit more and then smudge with one brush. Smudge brushes help me do this.

Comparisons below show how Black Scotch is quite different from many other bronzy brown eyeliners. There might be dupes from MAC with some of the limited-edition releases but many of my pencils are still buried somewhere in a storage box (note Bobbi Brown Bronze has been discontinued):

One last shot:

Bottom line: a beautiful classic. I really like that it’s a deep color without being brown or black. The bronze and gold shimmer is visible once you apply it without it being too glitzy. It has just the right amount of sparkle.

You can find the Black Scotch Gel Liner at all Bobbi Brown counters now. Online at Bobbi Brown, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Bloomingdales, and Lord and Taylor. Note that it is listed as a limited-edition color, but right now it should still be relatively easy to find.
Did you check out anything from the Bobbi Brown holiday collection? I picked up the gold highlighter, lipstick and nail polish (swatched and featured here). I’m debating whether or not to track down the pink highlighter.
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Holiday Beauty: Champagne and Gold Shimmers

November 3, 2014
The holidays are just around the corner and the next couple of months will be very busy ones. During the holiday season I find myself always gravitating towards warm gold and champagne shimmery shades. They are easy to coordinate with different outfits and makeup looks. I find warm golds and champagne also help brighten and warm up the complexion. Holiday beauty releases are starting to trickle in at Nordstrom and I’ve teamed up with them to share my some recent holiday beauty discoveries – all gold and champagne themed.

I have my picks split into different categories for lips, eyes, highlighters and nails:

For lips, there are a number of stunning shimmery gold and champagne glosses new this season. I like neutral golds for layering. They can bring a nude lipstick to life or when layered over a brighter pink, peach or red, soften the lips and give them a nice glow.
  • Dior Gold Rain is new from the Golden Shock collection which is a sheer but sparkling gold.
  • Burberry Nude Glow Lip Glow isn’t a new shade but I like to use this one year round. It’s a soft gold shimmer.
  • NARS Soleil d’Orient is a shimmering champagne that has a slight hint of pink. It’s pigmented enough to wear alone but also looks good over nude lipsticks.
  • Charlotte Tilbury Ibiza Nights is good for those who want more sparkle, it has the prettiest mix of shimmers but isn’t over the top. 
  • Bobbi Brown Malt Shimmer Lipstick comes in a special-edition gold packaging this holiday which is fun. It’s a warm shimmery coppery shade with gold shimmer.  

Golds are always in for me. They are neutral but easy to dress up. I like neutral gold eyes because they won’t overpower the face if you wear a bolder berry, pink or red lip.
  • Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows are a long-time favorite. I like these applied on the lids with a brush. The pigment is really incredible and easy to layer for more intensity. If you use a damp brush the color transforms into a more intense and more metallic look. Any variation of Armani gold looks good on most skintones, they create some of the prettiest universally flattering shades. My favorite Armani likes to wear Eyes to Kill 6 packed on the lids and combine it with soft peach cheeks and a nude lip, the look is really quite stunning.
  • Dior Versailles 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette is a beautiful palette of pale shimmers and one deeper chocolate shimmer. The middle gold shade has a bit of a chunky sparkle which is nice for subtle layering. 
  • Laura Mercier Rosegold Caviar Stick Eye Color (mini) is another year-round classic. I like this as a base on the lids to help bring out the pigment in shadows. It’s also good as a highlighter. Sometimes on lazy days I’ll wear this on the lids and just finish with mascara for a no-fuss look.

Gold shimmers and highlighters are a must for me, especially during the holiday. The warmth of the gold ones can enhance the skin naturally and make the complexion look more alive.
  • Armani Fluid Sheer 10 is a nice neutral gold. I like this dabbed on top of the cheek bones (after powder, foundation and blush) with a foundation brush to add highlight. It’s also good as a cheek base to use underneath blush.
  • Bobbi Brown Bronze Glow Highlight Powder is a shimmering warm gold. It feels almost like it has a slight gel texture but it’s still a powder. The shimmer on this one is medium-to-high, but not frosty.  
  • Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow is another good gold highlighter. I like this used all over the face as a primer to illuminate the skin or mixed in with foundation to give it a glow.

Gold and red seem to be the hit shades this holiday for nails. There are a number of different gold polishes, some with glittery effects, others more subtle. I’ve been playing with three over the weekend.
  • Dior Mirror is a sheer white gold shimmer in the special holiday packaging. It has a transparent quality with two coats, I prefer three with this one.
  • Guerlain Coque D’Or Night at the Opera is a neutral gold shimmer (this one is my favorite).
  • Bobbi Brown Scotch is an interesting warm copper sparkle. It has smooth even coverage with two coats but the color is primarily sparkle.

Left to right: Guerlain, Dior and Bobbi Brown

What are your favorite colors to wear during the holiday? Do you have any favorite gold or champagne makeup shades or do you prefer the more dramatic plums and reds?

Thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. 

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On My Radar / New in Beauty

October 13, 2014

I’ve been busy with a move, I didn’t plan to take a break from blogging but ended up having to take a few days off. I have quite a few new things I’m excited to share with you and hope to get everything unpacked from boxes in the next few days. In the meantime, here are some new things that have popped up online in the beauty world. Holiday collections and new releases are trickling in each day.

Diptyque has three new scents coming out this holiday in Spice, Winter and Resin (1). Three are available online at Neiman Marcus in the large size. If you are near a Diptyque Boutique, they will have an exclusive in-store one-day preview this Wednesday October 15 before it is released officially in November. (These will also be available in the smaller sizes too.)

Marc Jacobs Beauty The Sky-Liner Set (2) has 7 mini Highliner Gel Pencil set for the holidays. It has in O(vert) (forest green), Brown(out) (bronze with shimmer), Th(ink) (deep navy), (Plum)age (vivid purple), Blacquer (black), Sunset (golden bronze shimmer), Midnight in Paris (inky indigo blue). This is on my wish list.

Chanel Holiday (3) has arrived in stores and online. I bought the Volage Rouge Allure, Phenix Le Vernis, Les 5 Ombres Palette and Envol Illusion D’Ombre. I’m in love with the peachy lipstick and eyeshadow, more thoughts on the other items soon.

Oribe Liquid Gold Set (4) has mini 50 ml sizes of the Gold Lust Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Oil. I tried a couple sample packets of the shampoo and conditioner and fell head over heels. I have some other shampoos I’m currently using now, so I may wait and get this set once those are used up.

Dior has added more shades to their 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette line (5). I have Cuir Cannage and Versaille to share soon. There will be two limited-edition options for holiday as well in Golden Shock and Golden Reflections.

Tom Ford Beauty has new matte lipsticks for the holiday (6). I am normally not a fan of matte lips but saw these last week and splurged on four shades. The colors currently available are Pink Tease, Pussycat, Ruby Rush, Plum Lush, Flame, First Time and Velvet Cherry.

Bobbi Brown has several holiday items and sets this year (7). There are some really pretty items from the Scotch on the Rocks collection. I played with these briefly at the counter a few days ago. I have my eye on the Bronze Glow Highlight Powder, Black Scotch Gel Liner, Scotch Nail Polish, Bellini and Gold Glitter Lipgloss, I will need to play more before deciding whether or not these will be too shimmery or not.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I will resume posting as soon as I can, in the meantime I’d love to hear what’s on your beauty radar 🙂
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Bobbi Brown Limited-Edition Mixed Metals Collection

September 10, 2014

Bobbi Brown has a new limited-edition eye set called the Mixed Metals Collection ($130). It’s currently exclusive to Neiman Marcus, Harrods and Bobbi Brown online. This is a five-piece set which includes:

  • Small black cosmetic zip case with rose-gold colored detailing
  • Mixed Metals Shimmer Brick Eye Palette, .14 oz/ 14g
  • Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink, 0.1 oz/ 3g
  • Smokey Eye Mascara, .17 fl oz/ 5 ml
  • A Mini Dual Ended Eye Shadow/Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush with cap

I’m not typically drawn to such cool-toned eyeshadows but the colors in this palette are really striking. The Shimmer Brick Eye Palette has 10 different colors, all with high shimmer. It is an extremely tiny palette and if you want to apply individual shades you will need an extra small detail brush to pick up individual colors. (See sizing info on the previously released Sequins and Raw Sugar versions.)

I bought mine at Neiman Marcus a few weeks ago in store. I purchased it without asking about the price expecting it to be in the $80ish range (not sure why, but it’s what I anticipated). Bobbi Brown’s website says this set is a $150 value, but if you break down the price of the full-sized items, to total is $100. The gel liner is $24, mascara is $28, palettes have been released around $48ish. I’m not sure that I would value the small brush and bag at $50 to get to the $150 value.
Onto the review. The Mixed Metals palette itself has really striking colors I find beautiful for just about any occasion. It is on the shimmery side but not too frosty (at least for me). They blend very nicely together and layer together for a number of different looks. I rarely use more than 5 shades of shadow all at once. The same applies for this palette, but I like that there are different variations of shades to create different looks depending on your mood.
I really like any of the deeper shades layered over the Black Ink Gel liner (which is a classic goof-proof eyeliner I think everyone needs in their beauty kit, or the brown one if you don’t like black eyeliners).
I’ve never really been a fan of Bobbi Brown’s mascaras but the Smokey Eye Mascara is a really nice clump-free defining and lengthening one. The first use proved to do absolutely nothing but after reading reviews, I gave the wand a few pumps and product finally adhered to the brush wand. It’s a super rich black color that doesn’t smudge, flake or fade on me. Since I have thin straight lashes, I typically need something that adds a lot more volume. But on low-key days, the Smokey Eye Mascara has proved to be very good. I like that it’s a really lush black color.
Swatches below, all the shades are really pigmented:

I really like this set but can’t help but feel it is overpriced for $130. (Although it is completely my own fault for not checking on the price at the store before buying it.) The brush is usable and decent quality so it’s something I will definitely use even if it is tiny. The pouch is small and compact but sleek looking so I know it is something I know I will get regular use out of too. I wish Bobbi Brown released the palette individually and also that the palettes would start coming in larger sizes. Ideally I would love this to be the same size as the Urban Decay Naked Palettes or Naked Basics simply because it would be easier to dip a brush into and pick up individual colors. You can definitely take a brush and swirl together multiple colors like you can for her face Shimmer Bricks, but I find the colors so beautiful on their own I wish I didn’t have to be so careful in trying to pick up one specific shade.
Neiman Marcus does have their Beauty Event going on right now through the 21st (or while gifts last) and Bobbi Brown does have an individual gift with purchase for their line. So if you’re looking to splurge, now might be a good time to get extra samples with your purchase.
The Bobbi Brown Mixed Metals Collection is limited-edition.
Available at Neiman Marcus, Harrods and Bobbi Brown online.

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On My Radar / New In Beauty

September 5, 2014

Happy Friday everyone! September is a big month for beauty lovers, there are a number of new product launches and gift with purchase events. Space NK and Barneys New York have phenomenal beauty gift bags coming up next week, I’ll have more details posted shortly, but I recommend you start making your lists. The price points for the minimum buy is on the higher end, but the gifts they have are best I’ve seen in the industry.

Some items on my beauty radar:
Diptyque has a number of beautiful new items for fall. There is a beautiful La Redoute Candle (1) with a marble ceramic jar. Ambre (2) now comes in larger amber tinted hand-blown glass jar. There is also a new Vanille Candle (3). I smelled it at the South Coast Plaza boutique months ago (they had a preview) and it’s a lovely smokey vanilla, perfect for fall.

Dior has released a new lip item called Rouge Dior Baume (4). Saks has an early exclusive this month. These are supposed to be lip balms with rich pigment. There are 15 shades Dior describes as “easy to wear” ranging from soft nudes, feminine pinks, and luminous fuchsias.

Hourglass Cosmetics fans will be thrilled to know they open their first boutique at the end of this month (5). Also on my radar is their newly repackaged Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint (6). I played briefly with the colors at Sephora last week but was in a rush so I didn’t get to look at the colors in detail.

Tom Ford Fall Beauty collections have been incredibly difficult to locate for some. Items have sold out at a record pace online. If you found that you missed out, don’t fret, items keep restocking online so don’t give up. Both of the Contouring Cheek Color Duos in Softcore and Stroked (7) are now online at Nordstrom and have been restocked at Neiman Marcus (see this post for my swatches).

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty has been on everyone’s beauty radar. I have been really impressed with the Lip Lustre Lip Lacquers (8) and K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipsticks (9). She has some outstanding neutrals.

Bobbi Brown has a new Limited-Edition set called the Mixed Metals Collection (10). It’s exclusive to Neiman Marcus and Bobbibrowncosmetics.com. I hope to have the swatches completed this weekend to post early next week (keeping fingers crossed I’ll have the time).

The 30 shades of Christian Louboutin Nail Polish have launched in The Pops, The Nudes and The Noirs (11) (featured above). I don’t have a store near me that carries them yet, so I’ll be relying on online reviews and swatches. I did order a few of the colors from Nordstrom sight unseen. My fingers are working as fast as they can to swatch the colors I picked out.
What’s on your beauty radar?
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On My Radar / New in Beauty

August 19, 2014

A few new items on my radar this week:

  1. Truffle Privacy Clutches have just launched in 4 colors Dove Grey, Blush, White and Seaglass
  2. Edward Bess has designed a new Ultra Slick Lipstick in Betty named for personal shopper Betty Halbreich, an emblem of style at Bergdorf Goodman since 1976
  3. Urban Decay Naked Basics2 just launched today on Urbandecay.com (it will be available at other retailers later this fall)
  4. Make Up For Ever launched their new Artist Shadows (over 200 shades), I quickly swatched a few in-store a couple days ago but didn’t have time to look in detail, the texture seems super soft and pigmented
  5. Guerlain Les Sables Four Pan Palette is one of three Guerlain eye palettes to launch early fall
  6. Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick is a new formula that comes in over 20 shades, there are a number of stunning soft rose pinks, I have my eye on Fall in Rose, Baby Rose, and Golden Girl
  7. MAC Prep + Prime Finishing Mist is supposed to be the regular Fix+ in upgraded packaging, I’ve been a huge fan of the regular Fix+, I hope the formula didn’t change too much (or at all really), if you’ve seen this, do you think it’s the same?
  8. Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate is Shiseido’s latest for anti-aging and skin smoothing, it claims to give your skin the ultimate glow in just one week, I’ll have to investigate and see if I can find a small sample
  9. Bobbi Brown has a new limited-edition Smoky Nudes Eye Shadow Palette, I’ve found these to be hit or miss in the past with formulas, the colors look stunning from stock photos
  10. Bobbi Brown Sandstone Shimmerbrick is a repromote with the Smoky Nudes collection, it is one of my favorites of all the Shimmerbricks, if you missed out before I highly recommend you check this one out
  11. Bobbi Brown has four new Creamy Matte Lip Colors in Nude, Warm Nude, Soft Nude and Pink Nude, all of these colors look like they are right up my alley, although I’m not a fan of matte lips, I might make an exception if the colors are naturally flattering
What’s on your fall beauty radar?

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On My Radar / New In Beauty

July 5, 2014

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! A few items currently on my radar, from top left clockwise:

What’s on your radar this week? Have you seen any other new fall items in stores yet? I’m eagerly waiting to see Tom Ford and all the Chanel quads.

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