Palettes -Bobbi Brown - Nude Eye Palette
coolbabe377 9/22/2009 10:26:00 PM
I know what you’re thinking. This palette came out months ago, and here’s this person just getting around to reviewing it. It’s so 15 minutes ago! I have reviewed this eye palette twice on different sites, but when it comes to MUA, I want my reviews to be especially helpful. I’m sometimes slow and painfully thorough, but I’ve noticed that a lot of the reviews I wrote right after purchasing no longer applied once I had really test driven the product. This palette is very important, because it is the first to use the exchangeable palette system with smaller shadows, the colors are really unique for a nude palette, and let’s face it…$60 is a lot in this economy. I wanted to see what I used and what I didn’t really care for. Happily, I had some negative misconceptions when I first purchased it. I’m proud to say that nearly every well has a sizable dent in it. This is a first for me with powder anything (except my BB bronzer and light yellow powder) The shade I found to be the most “Bobbi”, and the most boring, Chino, has the largest dent because it’s such a neutral and yet such a flattering shadow. I also use it for brow powder. I take this palette out almost every day even when I’m doing a completely different look. I use the Caviar eye shadow for eyeliner more days than not. I thought Caviar would be boring too. It is so NOT. It defines my eyes and yet looks natural. I apply a very fine line and then smoke it out or use it lightly (very lightly) in the crease. Finally…a black I can wear. I love Navajo as a base, and use it as a highlighter even when I’m wearing Cream Eye Shadow. Linen shimmer goes with EVERYTHING and keeps my eye shadow from being boring. I dip my brush into one of the metallics (Pebble or Maple Sugar) when I want to give a cool/frosty or a warm/sugary accent to my makeup. Every eye shadow in this palette is a winner. There’s not a dud in the bunch. I really think I’m finally going to hit the bottom of the well on most of these shadows. That’s how much they’re used, and that’s money well spent:)
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Long Wear Cream Eye Shadow in Heather
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 10:04:00 PM
Heather is great if you’re going for a cooler look. It's a matte medium lavender, and yet it's very neutral. It looks pretty by itself, but I like to jazz it up just a little. If I want just a "one-shadow" look with the Cream shadows, Stone or Malted would be better choices. Heather works great with Sandy Gold underneath (it warms it up and gives it dimension. It also looks beautiful with a dusting of the Rose shimmer brick or Platinum Pink shimmerbrick. For an evening out...Heather is gorgeous with Rose Gold in the crease and really dark liner. I love the Long Wear Cream Eye Shadows. You just can't go wrong with most of them. They're so versatile and wearable:)
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Long Wear Cream Eye Shadow in Malted
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 9:46:00 PM
Malted is great all by itself. When I put Malted on…it completely disappears, and I’m left with perfect eyelids with NO imperfections. It's great for those Saturdays when I'm doing errands and want a totally natural look. I also love using Malted as my base when I want a warm look. One of my favorite combinations is Malted with Mink in the crease and as liner and Bone (powder) as a highlighter.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bobbi Brown - Lip Gloss
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 9:35:00 PM
Can’t Get Past The Brush I bought Mauve and Petal, and they looked really pretty. I like gloss over my lip color. There is a slight scent, but it’s pleasant, and though they’re a little thick…that means they stay on longer. I would purchase other colors (certainly Pink Blossom) but I can’t get past the brush. Please fix the applicator! The brush splays, making even application difficult. I had to use my own lip brush to apply before I tossed these. What a shame. I’ll stick to my CHANEL glosses and BB’s Crystal lip gloss.
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Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Face Touch Up Stick
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 9:25:00 PM
We All Have Them Let’s face it…We all have them…blemishes and spots that we would really rather not have At first I thought…Why should I get this when I have the Foundation Stick for concealing, and then I saw it presented, and understood how it worked. It actually sticks to those things we all want to get rid of because it’s thicker and less emollient than the Foundation Stick. It goes on easily straight from the tube. I just take it out and zap those little devils. I use it on my two brown spots, around my nose, and on that awful looking redness on my chin that I’ve had since I was 12 years old. When I’ve been out in the sun, the entire center of my face gets an ugly red cast to it. I take this out, do a sheer wash on the area, and it’s gone. It’s so tiny that I can take it with me, and so concentrated that it lasts a really long time. And…I hate to admit this (even most of you MUAers will probably disapprove), but one day, I couldn’t find my eye base or my Long Wear in Navajo, and I thought…”Why not?! I picked this up and used it as my eye base, and have been using it ever since. It wasn’t made for this, but it covers every single ugly blue vein on my eyelids that I’ve had since I was a kid, and shadows apply just beautifully over it...at least for me. Who would have thought?
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Bobbi Brown - Eye Shader
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 9:17:00 PM
You’re Covered Every time a makeup artist applied eye makeup at a BB counter, they always used this brush to apply the base eye shadow (Bone, Ivory Navajo, White), and they did it in a couple of swipes. I’ve always wanted this brush, but I would’ve still been saving my pennies if a brush set hadn’t been offered at a great price for Nordstrom’s Anniversary. To my delight…this brush was in the set. Now I use this every day. Even when I wear the Long Wear Cream Eye Shadow using a powder shadow somehow helps with the application. If I’m wearing only powder eye shadow, I apply a light shade from lash line to brow before adding darker shades. I’ve always used an eye base (a cream to powder type), but with this brush…I can sometimes get away with using just the powder eye shadow. The brush is soft and beautifully balanced. It holds and deposits a lot of color, saves me time in the morning and makes me look a lot better. To be honest…the same effect can be done with just a regular eye shadow brush. This just makes it so much easier.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Bobbi Brown - Eye Definer
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 9:12:00 PM
The Name Says It All I purchased this brush after a BB makeup artist used it to soften my gel liner with powder eyeshadow. My eyes looked soft, and yet still…defined. Now I use it with all my dark powder shadows when I line my eyes…wet or dry. It’s so quick and easy and the brush shape naturally lifts the line on the outer edge. It took me a while to really warm up to The Definer, but now it’s my favorite eyeliner brush. It’s just so slick. And although I have several really old cheapy eyebrow brushes (cheap only because they came with Smashbox sets) that I’m very attached to, I know that I’ll be able to turn to this brush when the others have seen their day:)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bobbi Brown - Crystal Lip Gloss
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 9:06:00 PM
Crystal Clear I first purchased this item because it got such good reviews, and because it was part of the Bronzed Pink collection in the summer of 2008. I couldn’t figure out why everyone liked it so much. When I purchased it at a department store, I REALLY couldn’t understand because it looked like clear goo in a tube. I brought it home and put it over my Bronzed Pink lip balm and within minutes…the lip balm looked more colorful. The texture of Crystal Lip Gloss is that of a gelatto…you don’t need very much of it. It’s shiny, but not a phony kind of shiny unless you really pack it on. Every lipstick I own looks better with this over it. Even the ones that don’t deposit enough color (like Nude Pink) look livelier when I use the Crystal Lip Gloss. And used alone, Crystal Lip Gloss brings up the color in my lips. At first I though that it was just my imagination, but I’ve worn it many times all by itself, and people think that I’m wearing rose colored lip-gloss. And, it really looks good if I use lip liner. Now I know why so many people love Crystal Lip Gloss.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Concealer Kit
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 9:00:00 PM
Bright Eyes at Last! After using the corrector under my eyes, I use the concealer, and suddenly not only are the dark shadows gone, but my eyes are bright. The powder sets the whole thing, morphing it together. After I had used the little kit for a while, I went to a department store and purchased the Corrector and Creamy Concealer kit. I really love the loose sheer finish powder in the set, but when I run out…I simply use it in the pressed version and most of the time to be quite frank…I buy just the concealer by itself. The kit is a luxury for me. I feel that BB’s corrector/concealer system has brought out the bright-eyed woman who was hiding under those awful dark shadows all those years. Bobbi Brown is right “Concealer is the secret of the universe.” If I don’t get this step right, I may as well not put on makeup. It’s that important.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Corrector
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 8:53:00 PM
They’re gone! I’ve spent a fortune trying conceal the dark circles under my eyes. They’re pretty bad…not the worst, but bad enough. I’ve tried nearly every type of corrector and concealer on the market (some with reasonable success). I had settled on one particular brand, and then Bobbi Brown came on QVC. Their beauty boards had always raved about her corrector/concealer, but having never tried it…I though it was just another product with a lot of hype. They offered a face palette (which contains small sizes of the corrector, concealor, foundation stick and sheer finish pressed powder), and the minute I used the corrector in Light Bisque…my shadows disappeared. When I'm in a hurry...I use this all by itself, but if I really want to punch it up...I use BB's concealor (Ivory in the winter...Cool Sand in the summer)(Continued under Creamy Concealer Kit…”Bright Eyes at Last!”)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Bobbi Brown - Cream Shadow brush
coolbabe377 9/21/2009 6:03:00 PM
A Necessity For Me This was my first Bobbi Brown brush purchase. I ordered a limited collection that included the Cream Eye Shadow in Galaxy, and was told that I needed this brush. And that person was correct. I really do need this brush. In the morning…I take out one of my cream shadows (sometimes just to prime my eyes), and dip my brush into the little pot, apply it to my eyes, and then blend with my ring finger. Get the perfect look every time. I’ve tried other brushes that look like this one (two concealer brushes from other brands that picked up too much product and another brush used for shadow/liner from another line (What a mess!). I’ve used my finger (when I couldn’t find my brush), and it smeared. I also put way more on one eye. Not a good look;) If you can use something else or you’re better than I am with your fingers (I know BB can do it…I’ve seen her)…then this brush is optional. For me it’s a necessity, and if it ever wears out (unlikely)...I will gladly repurchase.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Shimmer Wash Shadow in Stone
coolbabe377 9/9/2009 3:49:00 PM
Stone Shimmer Wash eye shadow is very special to me. I tried it on many times, but somehow always needed other things. Went to a free Bobbi Brown makeup class end of 0709, and the makeup artist helping suggested that I use it as my lower lid shadow. It made my eyes look instantly beautiful and turned them almost an Emerald Green (no kiddin’), and my eyes aren’t nearly that vivid naturally.. It's a shimmery grey taupe with lavender undertones. It works all on its own, in the crease, or as a subtle liner. One reviewer on MUA wrote that “You just can’t mess up Stone”, and she was right. I love wearing dark eyeliner with this shadow (really gorgeous), but I don’t have to. I can do a quick eye. Stone and a little mascara and I look polished. It’s Lovely!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Bobbi Brown - Buffing Grains For Face Adzuki Bean Powder
coolbabe377 9/9/2009 3:18:00 PM
So Important The two most important things in taking care of my skin are thorough cleansing and exfoliating. I have been exfoliating in one way or another since my early twenties, and even though I have great skin genes...it has helped. Couldn't go a day without exfoliating. I kept getting samples of these and finally I had to purchase. Am glad I made the investment. It’s so inexpensive, really. They last a long time and gently buff my face. I can also use my cleanser without them when I'm using a more aggresive scrub or peel that day.. My face needs different levels of exfoliation. There are "exfoliating cleansers" out there, but I can’t adjust them for my needs or put them near my eyes. At night, I take my eye makeup off with my cleanser (which is Purity Made Simple), then squirt a little more Purity in my hand and mix in the cleansing grains. Simple. I still have half my bottle left, and I purchased months ago. The rest of my skin care and makeup is nothing without a good buffing:)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Bobbi Brown - Shimmer Blush in Washed Rose
coolbabe377 9/9/2009 1:14:00 PM
Bobbi Brown came out with her Shimmer Blushes over a year ago and they looked stunning (on everybody else), however it took me a long time before and I found a shade that worked for me. At a BB event a year ago, they used the Pink Sugar Shimmer blush. It just didn’t show up on me. The makeup artist actually had to put matte blush in Rose over it to give me any color. I did an online chat with a BB mua and asked if the Coral would work, and she said it might be too light and too orange on me, and that I should stick to my Nectar blush…sigh! Then I read some MUA reviews, and some lighter skinned ladies liked Bahama Brown. They said it looked like a light shimmery bronzer for their skin…a kiss of the sun. That sounded perfect, so I went to a Bobbi Brown counter to try it. It looked really pretty in the store, but when I walked outside and saw myself in the daylight, my cheeks looked dirty…Awwww:( Certain shades of brown do that to my face. At this point, I gave up on Shimmer Blush. I felt that the product just wasn’t for me. At the end of July ‘09…I went for a group makeup lesson at a Nordstrom where each of us did our own makeup. When it came to the blush part of the 10-Step Makeup routine, the makeup artist suggested that I use the Washed Rose Shimmer Blush on my cheeks. I had never tried this one since I had been told it worked for women with medium skin…like Beige or Natural. I applied it, looked in the mirror, and, it was just right…ahhhh! The perfect color, and what a lovely subtle shimmer! It is unlike any other cheek color I own. I may now try some of the newer Shimmer Blushes when I get the chance. When it comes to choosing colors…guidelines are helpful, but it’s all about what works and this DOES. Lovely
13 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Bobbi Brown - Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Antigua
coolbabe377 9/8/2009 9:39:00 PM
I heard that Bobbi Brown was coming out with a bronzer with shimmer in it over a year ago, and that it was going to be beautiful. I was told to watch for “Antigua”. I purchased Antigua the first week it premiered without even trying it on. I hurried home and put it right over the blush I was wearing, and I just glowed! I’ve tried it with my regular bronzer, with pot rouge, with everyone of my six powder blushes (I’m a BB blush addict), and all by itself. It always looks wonderful no matter what, and never looks like I’ve tried to do anything at all. To make sure it lasts (powder blushes have a tendency to fade on me)…my favorite combination is Bronzer, Pale Pink Pot Rouge, and then Antigua. I look a little ruddy with any of the deeper shades of Pot Rouge underneath. It’s reminiscent of Soft Lights by Smashbox (lighter than Tint…deeper than Shimmer), but so much nicer. It doesn’t have that nasty white look if I put on a little too much. It’s so finely milled and silky to the touch that it never looks bad if I get a little heavy-handed. And it’s not shiny at all.. The Anigua is VERY subtle. Just lovely illumination:) It gives me that sunny, healthy, pretty “I’ve been on a vacation” look. Now…who could ask for more?
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No