Bobbi Brown Aquamarine Palette

 Bobbi Brown  6 Responses »
Mar 172010
 

Bobbi Brown’s Aquamarine Palette ($60) is a limited edition eye, lip and cheek palette that is part of the line’s Color Strips collection.  It includes five eyeshadows and three Pot Rouges, a cream product that can be used on either lips or cheeks– some of the nicest cream blushes currently on the market.

In this palette, Bobbi Brown does something that many women do not particularly like–that is, she frequently mixes cream and powder products in the same container.  I typically do not buy such palettes, because it seems inevitable that the powder product will get mixed into the emollient products and you’ll have a real mess.  One does not want to go around all day with a bit of blue eyeshadow stuck to one’s cheek or lip, because they mix up.

Bobbi’s Aquamarine Palette appears to address this concern by an intriguingly engineered system of folding and clear plastic covers.  I like the design very much–this is the first eye/cheek/lip palette that I’ve felt would comfortably work.  I’m happy to report that I was able to fold and unfold it several times–it intuitively works.  Even better, I could do it without gouging a nail into the product.

There’s a small brush included for emergencies:

Here are a few more pictures that show how the palette folds and unfolds.  The most easily accessible pan holds Pot Rouges, which can be used on the cheek or lip.  This makes sense, because this pan is readily available if one needs to re-apply the pot rouge as a lip product during the day:

One flips open the black upper lid to reveal the eyeshadows, which are also covered with a clear plastic protector.  This flip-top lid includs a mirror:

The case seems quite sturdy.  I own several of Bobbi’s other palettes, and I can confirm they hold up well for years of travel and at-home use.

The Pot Rouge colors are beautiful, with three colors that seem to go with everything.  There is enough variation between them to keep it interesting.  Personally, I love the clear pink of the center shade–Pale Pink.  This is available as a single Pot Rouge in Bobbi’s regular line.

Here are swatches in the same order:

The eyeshadows include five shades:

  • Ivory:  A grey-cream highlighter, which applies sheerly
  • Lightening Sparkle:  A grey-taupe in the pan, this appears as a taupe-sheer-fairy-sparkle with little color payoff
  • Aquamarine Metallic:  A pigmented light shimmery blue
  • Grey Sky: A pigmented matte taupe brown
  • Storm:  Although designated as a “deep navy black” on Bobbi’s website, I found this applied as a dark matte nearly-black color

Here are swatches in the same order (click to enlarge):

The shades in this palette are very understated and subtle.  After working with these eyeshadow colors for several days, I’m not fully able to make these colors really coordinate with my coloring.  (I’m pale–my foundation shade is Chanel Cameo, MAC NC15, with blue-green eyes).  The colors seemed to look muddy but not in a good way.  The tones aren’t deep enough to be smoky or dramatic.  I believe the main base color for me is Grey Sky, which is too matte and too cool to really bring out my coloring well.  I think if Grey Sky had a little more drama, it would be easier to wear with the Aquamarine in the palette.

Lightening Sparkle looks like a pretty taupe in the pan, but the sparkle formulation means that its really a “sheer taupe sparkle.”  As you can see from the swatch, Lightening Sparkle leaves a a light fairy-dust effect but practically no color density.  It’s a color to layer over other colors and so can’t be used as a basic all-over lid color.

I have more hope for Bobbi Brown’s Bonfire palette, which is also in the Color Strips line with the same palette design.

Bobbi Brown Spring 2010: Integrating the Collection with Your Own

 Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Guerlain  Comments Off
Feb 122010
 

Bobbi Brown’s Spring 2010 collection includes a variety of lip glosses and lipsticks, and a Neiman Marcus exclusive lip & eye palette.  I did not pause to consider them, because I knew that I could easily integrate my favorite pieces with things that I already own.  That’s the reason that I’m so comfortable using these products right away.

For example, I already own several pink, peach and coral lip colors that will work well with these cheek and highlighter products.

As some examples, these Chanel Glossimers can easily be worn with any of the coral products:

Here are some easy neutrals that can work, here the Beiges de Chanel eyeshadow quad, Guerlain Terracotta Fard Indien Mineral Eyeshadow in Paradise Sand and Chanel’s Soft Touch eyeshadow in Island.

Bobbi Brown Spring 2010: Pink Quartz Shimmer Brick Compact

 Blush, Bobbi Brown, Highlighter  1 Response »
Feb 112010
 

Bobbi Brown’s Cabana Corals Collection contains the Pink Quartz Shimmer Brick Compact ($38), a nice pink-tan addition to the group.  This product was previously released for the Holiday 2007 collection.  Because I missed the product last time, I was pleased to see it again.

Those who may find coral too much should give Pink Quartz a try.  I’ve read several very positive reviews from makeup lovers who insist it is their favorite or most-used one of shimmer brick family.  I can see why.

Pink Quartz is an easy product to wear, because the subtlety meshes with all colors of  clothing.  Likewise, if you are wearing a strong eye or lip, Pink Quartz should work easily as a little splash of pinky-tan highlight on the upper cheek.  Alternatively, you can choose to sweep a bit of this as an eyeshadow (or a touch on the brow bone):

Below is a very heavy swatch.  Nudes are notoriously difficult to swatch, and Pink Quartz is no exception.  Applied lightly on the cheek, this can give a subtle glow.  This swatch is applied far more heavily than I would ever use this product, but sufficient to show you the color on a computer screen:

You do not need to layer it this heavily to get a pretty sheen. It catches the light nicely with a lighter application.  Overall, Pink Quartz is a nice down-to-earth highlighter that can be worn anywhere, regardless of whatever else you might choose to wear.

Bobbi Brown Spring 2010: Calypso Coral Nectar Shimmer Brick Compact

 Blush, Bobbi Brown, Highlighter  Comments Off
Feb 102010
 

Bobbi Brown’s Calypso Coral collection includes the Nectar Shimmer Brick Compact ($38), a multi-color highlighter that is pigmented enough to work as a blush.  Briefly last December, Bobbi released a mini-version of this in luxe chrome packaging.  Now, the product is bigger, less expensive and my Bobbi Brown sales associate swears that this is now a permanent part of her collection.

If you closely examine the product, you’ll notice that most of the color bands are leaning more toward pink, rather than orange.

When applied, this color mix gives an overall healthy pink glow effect with a touch of coral.  Although I own several of Bobbi’s Shimmer Brick Compacts, this one is by far my favorite.  I can’t remember ever being this excited about one.

Here are the colors separately swatched:

Because pink is such a difficult color to wear on the eye, I don’t hold out any hope of using this as an eyeshadow.  Nonetheless, the quality as a highlighter/blush is so good that it more than makes up for that.

Below is a swatch of all of the shimmerbrick swirled together, very heavily.  Here’s the thing, light highlighter swatches simply doesn’t show up well on a computer screen.  So this is far more layering than I would dream of using on an actual cheek.  Rest assured that if you use a normal amount (I use Bobbi’s blending brush, a few swipes), you still get an incredible glowy effect without any metallic look:

If you add a pop of one of the Calypso Coral or Cabo Coral Pot Rouges, the effect is heavenly.  Highly recommended.

Bobbi Brown Spring 2010: Cabana Coral Pot Rouges

 Blush, Bobbi Brown  1 Response »
Feb 092010
 

Spring! Although I realize that many makeup lovers are digging out of snow, Bobbi Brown’s Cabana Corals collection fills me with thoughts of warm sunshine.

I usually avoid Corals, in favor of nudes, pinks or berries.  Here is the genius of Bobbi’s collection~~ she makes corals wearable.  Also, she makes them in a way that fit with the makeup that I already own.

This time around, Bobbi brings us a variety of cheek and lip products.  There’s a limited edition palette eye and lip palette, sold only at Neiman Marcus for $60 (I’m skipping this one personally).  Here, I’m focusing on the Pot Rouges in Calypso Coral and Cabo Coral ($22 each).

I assumed that both would be too orangey on me.  I was wrong.

Calypso Coral, which was formerly part of Bobbi’s line, has returned with this collection and has a wonderful coral-pink tone that gives me a very fresh and summery look.  For some reason, Bobbi’s colors always look appropriate.  This can be worn sheerly, or layered for more color.  It can be worn on both cheeks and lips.  It’s a gorgeous blush.

Cabo Coral has the faintest touch of brown that brings the color to a beautiful, wearable level.  Coral can go so wrong, but this Coral is so right.

These are heavy swatches so you can see the color difference between the two. Click to enlarge:

I love the fact that these are only $22 each.  It’s nice to get two choices from Bobbi in this same collection.  My high recommendations for both Calypso Coral and Cabo Coal.

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