Bobbi Brown - Café Makeup

Bobbi Brown’s New Brow Shaper and Light Brow Kit

Mar 092012

Recently, Bobbi Brown introduced two new brow products based on her natural look philosophy. First, powder brow Brow Kit compacts in two colors– The Bobbi Brown Light Brow Kit (pictured above) and Bobbi Brown Dark Brow Kit ($45 each). She’s also just released the Natural Brow Shaper & Hair Touch Up ($20) in five colors (above, pictured in Blonde).

Until now, I’ve been using mostly either a Shu Uemura Brow Pencil in Seal Brown, or a Chanel Sculpting Brow Pencil in Blond Clair, or the former Chanel 3-color Perfect Brows powder compact (discontinued, formerly $70). My brows are full but light, and the color is quite uneven.

For the Bobbi Brown Light Brow Kit, the compact resembles the Chanel compact (although at a much lower price point). The compact has two light brown shades, which can be mixed to customize the shade. Also included is a magnifying mirror, a tiny pair of tweezers and a brow brush with a very, very tiny handle. As you would expect, the powder is extremely finely milled, looks natural when applied and is incredibly convenient. Personally, I use the lightest shade alone.

The bigger surprise for me was the Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper & Hair Touch Up, a mascara-styled liquid product that can be quickly brushed through the brows to polish and add a touch of color. Although these products are intended to be used together, for the last few days I’ve been using the Natural Brow Shaper alone and been pleased with the results. I find that it deposits just enough color, and the wand deposits just enough liquid, to give me a polished, tamed and very natural brow. Based on convenience alone, I love the Natural Brow Shaper for a quick touch-and-go before heading out the door. This one’s worth checking out. It comes in five shades–Auburn, Blonde, Clear, Mahogany, and Rich Brown.

Bobbi Brown Holiday 2011 Collection

Bobbi Brown 5 Responses »

Oct 032011

These items are now up for sale on Bobbi Brown’s website. I’ve given a more than a few Bobbi Brown holiday palettes to friends and co-workers in the past–they are always very welcome gifts. I understand that the bottom left sparkle quad will not be released, so we can disregard that portion of this image:

New, Limited Edition

Ultimate Party Collection

This NEW double-decker compact features 8 sultry eye shadows and 4 flirty lip shades

plus a mini lip and mini eye shadow brush. It’s the perfect palette for any makeup maven.

Available October 2011 from Bobbi Brown counters and www.bobbibrown.com
Price: $65

_______________________________________________

New, Limited Edition

Cool Party Eye Palette & Party Eye Palette

For the busiest woman on your list who wants to go from natural to a night out in five minutes flat.

These two palettes offer the perfect combination of shimmer for any party.

Available October 2011 from Bobbi Brown counters and www.bobbibrown.com
Price: $45 each

_______________________________________________

New, Limited Edition

Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Shadow Palette

She’s the first to hit the dance floor and has the uncanny ability to pull together an evening look in the back of a cab.

From pink to deep onyx, these glittering shades are made for New Year’s Eve.

Available October 2011 from Bobbi Brown counters and www.bobbibrown.com
Price: $45

_______________________________________________

New, Limited Edition

Party To Go Palette & Classic To Go Palette

These mini palettes house three Eye Shadows and two Lip Colors plus a mini Lip Gloss, making them the perfect stocking stuffer and purse companion.

For a day and night look on the go it will fit just about anywhere…including your budget.

Available October 2011 from Bobbi Brown counters and www.bobbibrown.com
Price: $25 each

_______________________________________________

Limited Edition

Lip Gloss Trio

Three is definitely a charm with this trio of Bobbi’s favorite glosses, designed to look gorgeous on all complexions.

The Lip Gloss Trio is available in 3 shades:

Aubergine, Bare Sparkle High Shimmer, Pastel Pink High Shimmer

Available October 2011 from Bobbi Brown counters and www.bobbibrown.com
Price: $38

Fall Nude Rose Lipsticks

Bobbi Brown, Burberry, Dior, Lipstick 4 Responses »

Sep 272011

This recent story about Chanel’s Peter Philips’ work backstage at Jil Sander emphasizes that a modern look incorporates nudes. Above, Philips used foundation on the lips to simulate a nude lip. Unlike Fall seasons past, I’m definitely feeling nudes during 2011. This includes nails, including Rococo Nail Apparel’s Nude Wardrobe over at The Beauty Look Book and RGB’s nail collection seen here at Planete Beaute.

Some Fall lipsticks also have a nude vibe. Like many women, I cannot wear a completely nude lip without looking a bit lifeless. Instead, this Fall I’ve been rotating some nude roses that give some color to lips (but not much). One was previously reviewed here, Burberry Lip Mist in Nude Rose.

This is in Burberry’s Lip Mist formula, which is both sheer and moisturizing. On Liz:

Another one that I’m enjoying is Dior Rouge Dior in Pisanelle Pink ($32/#428), released with this Fall’s Blue Tie Collection:

When this was released, I went back to look at it several times trying to decide whether I needed this one. I decided that I did, and I’v been wearing it very frequently. It’s one of those lipsticks that you can keep in your purse constantly to refresh during the day. It looks good with a wide range of other looks, and adds a glowing look that is very polished. On Liz:

Dior’s formula is very moisturizing–this feels like a balm to me. Keep in mind, the formula is a bit soft. Several of the testers that I saw were broken. I’ve carried mine around in my purse, and been careful during application, which seems to have worked to preserve the bullet of this very soft formula.

Bobbi Brown’s Rich Lip Color in Soft Nude ($22/ #18) is a rosy brown nude:

On Liz:

Bobbi Brown’s Soft Nude is the deepest and most opaque of this group, easily covering my pigmented lips. Bobbi Brown’s tended to look creamier than the others, which have a more luminous finish. I’m having trouble locating this color for sale online–this may have been limited edition or is simply sold out.

Here is a comparison of the three:

I have to admit, it is nice to have a Fall season where deep reds are not required. I’m enjoying the ease and wearability of these colors. You can always smoke out the eyes, if you’d like emphasis. I’m declaring Fall 2011 the season of nude makeup.

Bobbi Brown Rich Color Lipstick in Soft Nude was sent to Cafe Makeup without charge for consideration and review.

Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss-Pink Tulle

Bobbi Brown, Lipgloss 5 Responses »

Sep 022011

Over the past several weeks, Bobbi Brown introduced a new line of High Shimmer Lip Gloss ($23/each). I was so delighted over the shift to a doe foot applicator that I nearly forgot to check out the line. Here, I’m looking at Pink Tulle.

Like several in the High Shimmer Lip Gloss line, Pink Tulle is formulated with a high-shine microglitters that catch the light but do not feel gritty. The gloss is a high-gloss, and (consistent with Bobbi Brown’s other glosses) is on the higher end of the sticky scale. As you know, sticky glosses tend to last longer. Although I did not try all of the glosses in this line, please note that Pink Tulle has a very strong, pleasant mint scent.

Pink Tulle is somewhat sheer. Here, I swatched it next to the comparatively opaque Nars Angelika, the very sheer Chanel Glossimer in Blossom (reviewed here), Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Imaginaire (reviewed here), and Chanel Glossimer in Pink Pulsion (reviewed here).

Pink Tulle is quite sheer on the lips as well. Here, you can see most of the color in this picture is Liz’s natural lip color. The microshimmer effect is noticeable but subtle:

Overall, I applaud Bobbi Brown for moving to the doe foot applicator. Pink Tulle is an easy, highly wearable gloss that adds just a touch of sparkle, shine and glam. It’s a perfect “purse color,” meaning you can keep it in your bag for touchups because it’s going with virtually anything you are going to wear. Here’s a look at the rest of the colors in the High Shimmer Lip Gloss line (click to enlarge):

Disclosure: This product was sent by Bobbi Brown to Cafe Makeup for review without charge.

Bobbi Brown Rich Color Eye Shadow in Sand Dune Review

Bobbi Brown, Eyeshadow 7 Responses »

Aug 282011

Bobbi Brown Rich Color Eye Shadow in Sand Dune ($24 /#1) from her Marrakesh Chic collection is a sheer shimmery warm oyster-toned highlighter.

Sand Dune is one of the few shimmery shades in Bobbi Brown’s limited edition Rich Color Eye Shadow series (there is a light pink and a deep violet that are also shimmery). Sand Dune seems a welcome edition to this otherwise deep, largely suede-textured line, for that all-important inner-color highlight or browbone touch to add dimension.

Here are some swatch comparisons with some other light-toned shimmery shades in my collection: MAC Femme Fi (limited edition, but subject to frequent re-release), Nars Abyssinia, and Chanel Lotus. Just for fun, I added some opaque shimmers so that you could compare the sheerness factor–here, Bobbi Brown Chrome Eyeshadow in Pewter and Guerlain Sable Blonde (limited edition, no longer available).

Another, same shades:

One last, same shades:

Like the other colors in Bobbi Brown’s Rich Color series, Sand Dune is a great basic, believable highlighter shade. Once you tell the waxy pigment that you are serious about picking up the pigment (use a stiff-bristled brush), it gives plenty of pigment. As appropriate for a highlighter, there is a sheerness and lightness to the texture that prevents the force-field, metallic foil that can look dated (or perhaps, just a bit Jersey-licious).

I really like Bobbi Brown’s Rich Color series, and Sand Dune is a good addition to any collection. As with the other shadows, I’ll express a bit of confusion about the limited-edition status of the shadows–all are good basics that seem like staples that can be used for years.

Older Entries