Bobbi Brown

What Do You Think About Bobbi Brown Leaving Bobbi Brown?

December 27th, 2016 by Karen 27 Comments

It’s so weird to utter that sentence.

I was shocked when I heard the news. I don’t know a ton about why she left or what she’s doing next, but I’m sure that whatever it is, it’s going to be amazing, because Bobbi does amazing things.

I interviewed her over the phone a few years ago, and I’ll never forget what she said about the importance of diet to good skin.

I’m hoping that the brand maintains her aesthetic for the line because I’ve always liked Bobbi Brown, and I like that kind of makeup style, that idea of accentuating your features, rather than drawing attention to the makeup. That’s always appealed to me on some level and, as I get older, it appeals to me even more.

I hope the brand stays true to her vision.

OMG! — and I hope that nothing happens to her Art Sticks — the ones that look like vibrant, chubby crayons. They last a long time and never make my lips feel dry.

Or her long-wearing potted cream shadows. Those are AMAZING. You pat a bit on your lids, smudge it out, and you’re freaking done. That’s it. They also work well as bases for other eyeshadows.

What are your favorites from Bobbi Brown? And what do you think about her stepping down? Did it shock you as much as it shocked me?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Bobbi Brown Holiday 2015 Sterling Nights Collection and Holiday Gift Giving Highlights

November 11th, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

Wearing The Rich Caramel Eye Palette, the Blushes from the Deluxe Cheek & Eye Palette, Pink Shimmerbrick and Art Stick in Electric Pink from Bobbi Brown holiday 2015 — Wearing The Rich Caramel Eye Palette, the Blushes from the Deluxe Cheek & Eye Palette, Pink Shimmer Brick and Art Stick in Electric Pink from Bobbi Brown Holiday 2015

I prepared a video for this review of the new Bobbi Brown Holiday 2015 collection, including some of my favorite highlights from the launch, but then a gremlin attacked my ankles and forced me to unwittingly erase the memory card. In other words, technical difficulties struck, so now we’re ad libbing video-free, whee!

Yup, just as a friendly reminder from me to you — don’t forget to back up your work early and often.

I’m just sayin’.

With that out of the way, check it out…

The new Bobbi Brown Holiday 2015 collection is divided into two parts — one comprised of gift sets, palettes and brush kits, and and the other a limited edition color collection called Sterling Nights.

We’ll be taking a look at some of the pieces that struck my fancy from both parts of the launch.

First up, Sterling Nights, the color collection. It’s been on counters now for about a month, and Bobbi says that she was inspired to create the collection after a recent trip she took to South Africa.

The look is all about shimmery, jewel-toned smoky eyes, luminous skin and your choice of bright or nude lips.

bobbi brown sterling nights sequin eye shadow — Three of four Bobbi Brown Sterling Nights Holiday 2015 Sequin Eye Shadows, clockwise from the brown pan: Constellation, Moon Rock and Comet ($36 each)

[Continue reading…]

5 Magnificent Magenta Lipsticks That’ll Make You Yearn for Fall

August 24th, 2015 by Karen 34 Comments

Maybe it’s all this talk about El Niño, or maybe it’s just my burning desire to bust out the scarves, and boots, but I’m ready to say “peace out!” to bright, summery pinks and “ciao” to corals for the season. Yup, I’m starting to enter fall mode.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been reaching for darker nail polishes (I’ve got Essie’s In the Lobby on my paws today!) and transitioning to deeper lip shades, but I’m not quite ready yet for full-on fall lip colors like dark browns, wines and purples. After all, it’s still only August. 🙂

But I have been into what I like to call my summer-to-fall transition shade, the always lovely magenta.

MAGENTA! I love wearing colors in the magenta family around this time of year because they seem just as comfortable with scarves and boots as they are with daisy dukes and flip-flops.

So here are five of my current magenta lipstick faves that have been in heavy rotation lately…

1. NARS Audacious Lipstick in Janet ($32)

2. Tom Ford Lip Color in Violet Fatale ($52)

tom ford beauty violet fatale — Tom Ford Beauty Violet Fatale

tom ford beauty violet fatale swatch — Tom Ford Beauty Violet Fatale

3. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Venom ($22)

Urban Decay Venom Revolution Lipstick 2 — Urban Decay Venom

[Continue reading…]

The Bobbi Brown Telluride Collection: If You Like Your Makeup Elegant and Easy to Wear, Check Out Telluride

June 23rd, 2015 by Karen 33 Comments

Do you know the way to [SAN JOSE] Telluride?

Getting there is actually quite easy from what I understand. No matter where you are, you can literally get there in minutes.

No, really! Would I ever pull your leg?

Nawww, of course I wouldn’t, because there’s never any joking here. Not on MBB. Not ever. Everything on MBB is completely serious all of time. 🙂

No, really though. You will not have to endure a five-hour plane ride seated next to an extra chatty dude who won’t stop talking about Colorado mining rights. All you’ll have to do is roll on over to your favorite Bobbi Brown counter when the new Telluride collection arrives this July.

[Continue reading…]

Turn Up Your Temperature With the 11-Piece Bobbi Brown Hot Collection

February 26th, 2015 by Karen 46 Comments

Bobbi’s new collection is hot! Hot in name, because it’s called the “Hot Collection,” and hot in person.

I mean really, when I opened that eyeshadow palette and saw that hot pink bezel bumping up against those gorgeous nudes (um, why did that sound so naughty?), I was like, “smokin’!” Throw in a few high-voltage lip colors (BAM!) and some chic cheek palettes (POW!), and I start getting hot like that time I thought I accidentally locked myself alone in the sauna at a spa and started to panic.

“Sszzzt!” Or is it “zzhht”?

Why is it so hard to make a sizzling sound in print?

I don’t know…but I do know that if we rolled up to a Bobbi Brown counter and saw these beauties posting up on a display, I’d lick my finger, point at the collection and make that “sszzzt!” sizzling sound like a skillet with hot fajitas. Then I’d say something cheese-ball like “Muy caliente, mami!” in the worst Spanish accent ever (“Accent could use some improvement” is what my Español teacher usually wrote in the notes after oral exams).

So, the collection comes out next month, which still qualifies it for official spring collection status, but I’m getting summer vibes. The hot pink packaging for the nude eyeshadow palette and the bold orange, berry and pink lips seem beachside chic to me, which kinda makes sense since it’s a collaboration with model Kate Upon and was inspired by her Florida hometown.

If you like lined nude eyes, bright lips and softly defined cheeks, that’s what the 11-piece Hot Collection’s all about.

Kate and Bobbi dreamed up the effortless summery pieces to help women (and men!) strut more confidently. Shoulders back, head up, smile on, WERK!

Now, for the Hot Nudes Eye Palette…seriously, if every makeup company could just pop their nude shadows into hot pink palettes for the rest of my life, I would be totally OK with that.

Bobbi Brown Hot Nudes Eye Palette — The Hot Nudes Eye Palette

This all-purpose eye palette does anything and everything — smokey, subtle, sultry, you name it. It features four re-promoted shades from the permanent line (Eye Shadow in Ivory, Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Smoke, Eye Sparkle Eye Shadow in Cement and Metallic Eye Shadow in Nude Glow), as well as four new colors (Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Peach Sugar, Eye Shadow in Petal, Metallic Eye Shadow in Bronzed Beige and Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Blackest Brown), and all eight of them wearable.

Bobbi Brown Hot Nudes Eye Palette Swatches — The Hot Nudes Eye Palette

If you’ve been following Bobbi for a while, you may be experiencing déjà vu, but what I like about this particular palette is how the mid-toned shades are close to each other on the color spectrum (not too contrasty), which makes blending them about 1,000 times easier.

I keep grabbing this palette for everyday looks, especially with black winged liner, because 1) I don’t have to think too hard (always a plus) and 2) because there are quite a few different finishes represented, including glitter, shimmer, metallic and matte.

By the way, there’s also a re-promoted black liquid liner in the collection called Ink Liner in Blackest Black ($28).

Bobbi Brown Art Sticks from the left: Hot Pink, Hot Berry and Hot Orange — The Art Sticks from the left in Hot Pink, Hot Berry and Hot Orange

As for the lips…THE LIPS! Agh! I don’t even know where to start.

OK, you know what they say — when in doubt, go with hot pink, and for me, I’m all about the Art Stick in Hot Pink ($26).

I wore it the other day, and two (yup, two) makeup artists that I ran into said (in so many words), “Homegirl, I need to know what’s on your lips!”

It’s not just about the amount of pigment, either, or the vibrant hot pink color. It’s something else… The finish. It’s matte, but not a flat matte. All of the Art Sticks have that finish.

Oh, did a mention that the Art Sticks are huge? Because they are. Good thing each one comes with a pencil sharpener that fits.

They’re also pretty darned moisturizing as far as matte lipsticks go, and they last five to six hours on my lips.

Bobbi Brown Art Stick Swatches in Hot Pink, Hot Berry and Hot Orange — The Art Sticks in Hot Pink, Hot Berry and Hot Orange

[Continue reading…]

Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm: Like 10 Hours of Sleep Followed by a Trip to a Day Spa (You Know, Sort Of)

February 17th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

Well, this new product by Bobbi Brown is aptly named, ’cause what you see is what you get: an illuminating (yup!), moisturizing (check!) balm.

Technically, this should not be exciting…

But it may be if your skin is dry like mine.

Yeah, I know. Another moisturizer sounds about as interesting as clearing out the leftover pieces of popcorn from your bra after getting home from the movies, but before you step away from the computer to go hug your plus-size tabby cat, you should know that this moisturizer is significantly more interesting than it appears.

Picture this: 10 hours of sleep followed by a trip to a day spa. 🙂

Yeah, that’s right. Rested, radiant skin. Like MAC Strobe Cream, Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm ($63) has a rich formula with opalescent particles to make skin look more alive, perkier and basically less dull.

It’s a new addition to Bobbi Brown’s Extra line for extremely thirsty skin, and it’s available right meow.

You’ll probably want to sniff it first before slathering it all over your face, because it’s also scented. I think it smells kind of, I dunno, herbal? — like I spent the morning squeezing lemons and chopping basil with Giada or something. But I like it. It’s refreshing, but it’s probably worth noting because the fragrance is rather strong, although it does seem to fade quickly.

Massage it on bare skin for a little extra lift and glow, or wear it under foundation or BB cream for upgraded opalescence, and if you want a slightly more intense effect, pat it on top of your foundation with your fingers or a flat foundation brush.

You could probably also mix it with your foundation, too, if you were feeling creative, although I haven’t tried that yet.

It doesn’t make a big Broadway-caliber dramatic difference, really. You may not even be able to tell at first, because it’s very chill, but you’ll see it up close — more luminous, energized skin.
[Continue reading…]

Warm Up Your Skin and Add Color to Your Cheeks With the New Bobbi Brown Brightening Bricks

February 13th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

I wish my house was made out of Bobbi Brown Brightening Bricks.

Never mind that they aren’t adequate building materials (Lego would probably be sturdier), but at least when the homies rolled up I’d have a great conversation starter.

“Um…what kind of walls you got there?”

“Bricks.”

“Those don’t look like bricks…”

“They are bricks. They’re Bobbi Brown Brightening Bricks.”

“OK. So, basically, your house is made out of makeup?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then.”

The housing situation would be precarious at best. Cold nights would force me to snuggle closer to Ryan Gosling (darn), but I’d always have access to a good-looking blush.

Sweet! 🙂

Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick in Coral — Brightening Brick in Coral

Recently released with Bobbi’s spring collection, the Brightening Bricks are like toned down Shimmer Bricks, but instead of containing strips of highlighting powder, they’re part blush, part warm bronzer. And they’re $46 each (which seems a little steep for Bobbi Brown, or is that just me?).

Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick in Cranberry — Brightening Brick in Cranberry

[Continue reading…]

For the Undercover Makeup Lovers: The New $38 Bobbi Brown Mini Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio

November 12th, 2014 by Karen 21 Comments

For the record, I do not recommend living a secret sneaky makeup double life.

Bolting out the door to school without so much as a stitch of lipgloss on your lips, only to covertly cosmeticize yourself from start to finish before the first bell rings, is initially a thrill, but it gets old fast…

Trust me on this. Half the time I’d be in algebra class with one sloppy purple-rimmed eye and little else. I did this for three years until, at age 14, I was given the official “OK” by my mom to wear makeup to school.

I did learn a few things, though, during those secret squirrel makeup days, like how to appreciate makeup that’s easy to sneak in and out of the house. It’s one of the reasons I was interested in the eyeshadow sticks from Bobbi Brown’s new $38 Mini Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio.

Bobbi Brown Mini Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio from the left: Smookey Topaz, Pink Sparkle and Espresso Bean — From the left: Smokey Topaz, Pink Sparkle and Espresso Bean

Each of the little minis fits nicely in the palm of my paw.

Perfect for covert makeup application. 🙂

There’s a shimmery pastel rose called Pink Sparkle, a shimmery heather mauve called Smokey Topaz and a shimmery blackened charcoal that goes by the name, Espresso Bean.

Bobbi Brown Mini Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick Trio — Wearing Smokey Topaz on my lids

[Continue reading…]