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Bobbi Brown Sequin Shimmer Brick Eye Palette | Holiday 2013

December 1, 2013
This holiday Bobbi Brown has introduced a new version of her Shimmer Brick Eye Palette in Sequin ($48.50 for .14oz/4g, limited-edition). This palette packs in 10 different high shimmers in pale colors. It’s probably the smallest palette I own at a little over 4 inches long. The pigment is excellent for these shades similar to her regular-sized shimmer bricks. I never purchased her prior shimmer brick palettes for eyes since they either sold out instantly or were a bit heavy on the aqua colors (light greens tend to make my olive skin look too yellow). I was happy to find this holiday’s version contained more neutral colors better suited or my skintone.

The colors apply quite shimmery on the lids. I usually don’t like frosts but find Bobbi Brown shimmers, metallics and sparkles are very wearable for everyday (sparkles are ok for me with a very light hand). Shades from left to right include a pale cool pink, a tan gold brown, bright baby pink, soft mauve, golden oyster, mauve pink rose, platinum blue, mauve purple, silver taupe and cool silver beige. Close ups of each side.
Left side:

Right side:

Application tips I’ve received include swiping your fingers or brush over multiple colors and blending over the lid or picking 2-3 individual shades and layer them one by one. Since each bar of shimmer is very tiny (brushes shown below for size comparison) I find it hard to take a regular sized fluffy brush and only get one color on. I’ve been experimenting with this for a few weeks now and love using 1-2 shades individually or mixing any number of colors. Since most of the colors are neutral you really can’t go wrong with any combination.
Sizing:
 On the nails, Tom Ford Black Sugar (reviewed here)

For size reference to brushes you can see that some of my smaller brushes can barely fit into each block of shimmer. MAC #219 is a pencil defining brush which I usually like to use for smudging darker colors. You can use this one to highlight corners as well. MAC #239 is one of my holy grail basic shadow brushes. The width is bigger than the blocks but you can still fit into one color by tipping it to the side or at an angle. Trish McEvoy’s Smudge Brush is another one of my tiny brushes (shown for size reference).

Swatches below. Note the combination of sunlight with flash and shimmer highlights the frost.

This one shows the color a bit better:

Overall a huge thumbs up. It’s such a pretty petite palette. Although pricey I love the combinations of colors in this set. It’s small but once you open the compact you can’t help but gasp at all the gorgeous sparkles. It’s neutral enough for everyday wear or to add a bit of shimmer to your look.
I bought mine in store at a recent trend show – it should be available at all Bobbi Brown locations now (while supplies last since it’s limited-edition). You can also find it online at Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Sephora.

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Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy Comparisons for #100, #103, #105 and #508

September 26, 2013
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As promised, here are comparisons to the new Rouge Ecstasy Lipsticks in Androgino #100, Incognito #103, Ambiguous #105 and Daybreak #508. Here are all the colors that I could fit in swatches on one arm.

Below you can see NARS Buenos Aires, NARS Biscayne Park, Rouge d’Armani #100, Rouge d’Armani #103, Rouge d’Armani #105, MAC Viva Glam V, Tom Ford Spanish Pink, Tom Ford Nude Vanille, Bobbi Brown Bare Pink, Bobbi Brown Uber Beige, Bobbi Brown Uber Pink.

Note: I double checked the swatches on Bobbi Brown Bare Pink and Uber Beige since they looked so dark in the swatches below. They look extra dark and extra pink mainly because they are swatched next to paler peachier nudes.
The Rouge d’Armani shades with the same numbers as the Rouge Ecstasy are in the same color family for the colors I picked out. They aren’t identical though. The original Rouge d’Armani Lipsticks are glossier in finish and slightly more sheer.
  • Androgino #100 Rouge Ecstasy is more opaque and beige
  • Incognito #103 Rouge Ecstasy is warmer and more pigmented
  • Ambiguous #105 Rouge Ecstasy is more brown
For colors I thought would be easily dupeable, turns out I couldn’t find any dupes, but I ended up picking out colors I thought would be similar but turned out to be quite different. Have you tried any of the Rouge Ecstasy lipsticks yet? Did you find any dupes?

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Bobbi Brown Brush Cleanser

July 22, 2013
My usual go-to for brush cleanser is usually Neutrogena Rainbath Shower and Bath Gel in the Original version or occasionally MAC Brush Cleaner. Although baby shampoo is often a popular recommendation from many, I tend to avoid it as I find it sometimes leaves a slight residue on the brushes. At my latest Chanel event, I asked the artist what she thought was the best brush cleanser for foundation and concealer brushes. Although I find soapy warm water can clean these, I usually have to wash in at least 3-4 rounds to get them fully cleaned. She said hands down Bobbi Brown’s Brush Cleanser ($16.50 for 3.4 oz)  and Brush Cleaning Spray ($22 for 3 oz). I decided to try the cleanser and give it a thorough test (the reviews online seemed very favorable).
Bobbi Brown’s Brush Cleanser is a clear liquid that comes in a black squeeze tube. It’s not quite as fluid as toners, but not thick like a gel. The cap flips open.

I tested the Bobbi Brown Brush Cleanser with about a dozen brushes this weekend. I’ll show the before and after results below with three different sets of brushes. Although I’m sure most know how to wash their own brushes, I’ll do a quick tutorial of the steps I used to test the Bobbi Brown. The instructions on the box were fairly simple and easy to follow. Basically wet the brushes, squeeze a small amount into the palm of your hand (I found a dime size worked for 3 brushes at a time), massage the cleaner into brushes, rinse completely, squeeze water out, reshape and lay flat to dry.

I found the brush cleanser to work extremely well with all of my brushes. There was a slight minty scent to the product, but it disappears after washing the brushes. You only need a small amount and it foams up just slightly as you work it into your brushes. I was really impressed at how well the brush cleaner cleaned my foundation brushes. My used foundation brushes usually needed 3-5 rounds of cleaning with strong dish soap before the creams budge. With the Bobbi Brown Brush Cleanser, I only needed 2 rounds to get them completely clean. Huge thumbs up! The only brush that didn’t come completely clean was the MAC Duo Fibre 130 (probably because I had remnants of a darker Armani Fluid Sheer sitting on it for a few days).

Three sets of testing with before and after photos. Below, the dirty brushes, scroll to the bottom to see the after look:
Brushes after cleaning and drying (I let them dry through the afternoon):

Overall extremely impressed. I found Bobbi Brown’s Brush Cleanser to be extremely effective but not too harsh. The brushes dried nicely without any residue left on them. I’m ecstatic my foundation brushes were cleaned very quickly and effectively. The cleanser seemed to be versatile for all different types of bristles and hairs. Most of the white brushes returned to their original white cream color. The only one that did not was the MAC Duo Fibre (which probably needs a few more rounds of cleaning). The price of $16.50 is reasonable since a little goes a long way. Still, given the frequency which I wash my brushes, I would probably want to reserve this for the brushes that need an extra effective cleanser. Neutrogena is a cheaper option (Costco size bottles that is) and just as effective for most of the brushes (except the ones I use for cream products). Bottom line: huge thumbs up. I think I need to try the brush spray next.
I bought my Bobbi Brown Brush Cleaner at Nordstrom. It’s also available at all Bobbi Brown counters and retailers.

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Bobbi Brown Lilac Rose Shimmer Brick

February 25, 2013

Bobbi Brown has released a gorgeous new limited-edition Shimmer Brick called Lilac Rose ($42 for .4 oz/ 10.3 g, made in Italy). I’ve been a long time fan of her shimmer bricks even though the frost/shimmer factor is on the higher side (for me). A light swipe across the cheeks can make any blush glow. Lilac Rose has five shimmering shades of pink, gold and lilac. Blended all together creates a light pale frosted cool-toned pink. On me it goes on paler than what you see in the compact. These are designed to be worn on both eyes and cheeks, but for this one I prefer on the cheeks only. I’ll show each shade swatched individually and blended down below.

Individual swatches (left side is from the top of the shimmer brick to the right for the bottom of the shimmer brick)

All shades blended together, light then heavy:

I found that Lilac Rose applied quite frosty on the arm but not so much on the face. I’m a Chanel B30 right now and am at the skin-tone shade where this color looks very natural. On me I can’t say that it works as a blush, it’s much too light for me. It does add a lovely glow when layered over any pink blush. I love it – but you may find it has a similar effect compared to other frosty pinks. I pulled a few to compare for you:

Swatches, same set twice (in different light):

If you have Wild Rose from Bobbi’s last collection or Dior’s Pop Diamond (I think it was also limited), then I don’t think you need Lilac Rose. However, if you’re anything like me then you know how hard it can be to resist a pretty feminine pink shimmery highlighter. I give Lilac Rose a huge thumbs up, but since it is on the lighter side, I do recommend you try in person before buying.

I purchased mine from Neiman Marcus to take advantage of the beauty week gift with purchase (classic cheek/eye palette with minis). Saks is also having a gift this week as well (lip palette with minis). For the moment both gifts are available online. I suggest you order soon or call your local counters to secure the a gift before they are gone. Also sometimes stores will have step up gifts that aren’t available online.

Did you check out the Lilac Rose collection and bring anything home with you?

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Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadows

May 20, 2012

I’ve been a long-time fan of Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Cream Shadows (her regular version). Staples in my collection include easy-to-wear classics such as Ballet Pink, Sandy Gold, Sand Dollar and Sand Castle (now discontinued). They’re compact and have a soft velvety smooth texture that makes them easy to apply with fingers or her cream shadow brush. Recently, she released a number of new shades in her Long-Wear Eye Collection and Miami Collection. I picked out a few shades recently from both: Nude Beach, Bronze Sugar, Smoky Topaz and Velvet Plum ($24 each). All work well alone or as a base under powder shadows. Occasionally I will layer the darker shimmer shades with a powder shadow to help blend colors or intensify certain shades. They are extremely versatile and I like the quick and easy swipe-and-go application these offer. For me they last all day from morning to afternoon. Near the end of the day they do start to fade like most creams do, but I like that these don’t budge on my eyes.
  • Nude Beach is my new holy grail perfect nude. It has a bit of shimmer and gives a luminous glow. It’s similar to Shore (which I have swatched below) but brighter and slightly less grey. I still adore Shore, but Nude Beach has the perfect amount of shimmer to prevent this from looking flat. It’s a medium-toned nude which matches my Chanel B30 skin exactly.
  • Bronze Sugar is a highly metallic warm bronze. Note that these new shimmery shades are her regular Long-Wear formula, not her Metallic Long-Wear formula (which I did not like at all). There is a silvery sheen to some of the shimmery particles making this sparkle. I found this one dried quickly on my lids so it required fast blending. Times I did not blend fast enough it dried on the lids and did not budge. If you have oily lids you will like these. If your lids are more normal or on the slightly dry side, you might want to apply a good dose of eye cream first.
  • Smoky Topaz is a taupe-lover’s dream come true. It’s a high-sparkle taupe/mauve/grey. Check out Karla Sugar’s swatches to see how it looks on different skintone and applied with a heavier hand. On her it appears more silvery, while on me it’s more taupe.
  • Velvet Plum is a bronzed-plum. It’s very similar to Bronze Sugar but dries with a plum finish. If I had thought about these longer, I would have opted for Velvet Plum and skipped Bronze Sugar.

Note that I applied these with Bobbi Brown’s Cream Eyeshadow Brush with medium intensity. You can definitely layer these easily for more pigment. The shimmery shades from the recent collections do have a bit more kick/sparkle than her other cream shadows, but I find them still very wearable for everyday. Bottom line gorgeous. Also, Best Things in Beauty has me wanting Candlelight.
I found mine at Neiman Marcus but these should be at all Bobbi Brown counters now.
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Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks in Wild Rose and Rose Gold

January 24, 2012

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.

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