Bobbi Brown’s Two Pretty Powerful Palettes Pack Plenty of Pink to Spare

Does going au natural always mean you have to go naked?

Not according to Bobbi Brown.

Next month, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of her Pretty Powerful campaign, which turned the tables on makeup modeling by turning real women into makeup models, the queen o’ neutrals is launching two new multipurpose palettes with products for eyes, lips and cheeks.

This season, I was inspired to ask my friends — not models — to be the faces for my new campaign. They’re pretty to begin with, but with just a few simple tweaks, they look their absolute, most confident best. That’s pretty powerful.
— Bobbi Brown

The purpose of the two palettes, the first called Pretty and the other one Powerful, was to put a pink twist on Bobbi’s signature natural nudes. She packed both of them with universally flattering shades, and all I have to say is HALLELUJAH! You know I love ya, Bobs, but there’s only so much brown, beige and gray a girl can take. 🙂

I’ve always loved a natural look, but that doesn’t have to mean nude color, and it certainly doesn’t mean washed-out color. The Pretty Powerful Palettes are filled with pink tones that range from soft to warm and even a shot of bright to create a healthy look, because nothing is more beautiful to me than a healthy complexion.
— Bobbi Brown

The top of the Powerful palette shown here is black with pink typography; the Pretty one is pink on top with black typography

Both palettes are limited edition, which is a bummer. I don’t ever want to say bye to this packaging. I adore the casual handwritten font on the outside. I think it really sets the right tone considering the products inside. They’re a combination of new and repromoted colors — four neutral powder eye shadows, one powder blush and three lip colors.

The Pretty palette has a selection of lighter and cooler pinks, while the Powerful one broadcasts bolder and warmer shades. I’ve been wearing the products in the slightly more dramatic (well, dramatic for Bobbi) Powerful palette for a couple of days now, and I think I know what kind of girl might like them a lot; she falls for sheer eye makeup and likes to pair it with bold cheeks and lips.

More to consider…

The Eye Products

• Eye Shadow in Navajo — This repromoted sheer beige matte from the permanent line barely shows up at all on my tan skin.
• Eye Shadow in Burnished Rose — A new shimmery and warm peachy pink with a subtle metallic finish and medium pigmentation. I like the way it brightens my eyes and makes them sparkle, especially when I wear it as a single wash of color over my lids.
• Eye Shadow in Baby Pink — Like Navajo, Baby Pink is a repromoted shade. It’s a warm and matte rosy pink that applies quite sheer, showing up only if I really, REALLY pack it on.
• Eye Shadow in Caviar Eye Shadow — What a flexible shadow! This new color to the line blends like a dream. It’s a matte neutral brown matte that I like to pat in the outer corners of my eyes to give them more depth. I think it also excels as a liner, too, staying on both the lash and waterlines for hours.

For Cheeks and Lips

• Blush in Plum — Now this was a pleasant surprise. A repromote from Bobbi’s permanent line, this matte dark pinkish plum blush is rich, lush and vibrant. Its bright pop of color contrasts well with sheer eyeshadows.
• Shimmer Lip Gloss in Pink Pudding and Glitter Lip Gloss in Pink Bouquet– These are sticky, as well as unscented and unflavored. Although I liked the way Pink Pudding (a new sheer warm pink) and Pink Bouquet (a repromoted sheer, shimmery pink), shine, both of them look almost identical on my pigmented lips.
• Lip Color in Powerful Pink — This new dark plummy pink lipstick is unscented and unflavored. It applies with plenty of pigment to spare.

Eyeshadow swatches from left: Navajo, Burnished Rose, Rose Gold and Chocolate Caviar

Blush in Blush, Shimmer Lip Gloss in PInk Pudding, Glitter Lip Gloss in Pink Bouquet and Lip Color in Powerful Pink

With these, I think Bobbi succeeded in putting together palettes perfect for creating fresh, natural looks, but ladies on the extremes of the skin color spectrum might not fall under their umbrella. While absolutely pretty, I wouldn’t call these universal shades. The eyeshadows might be too sheer for darker divas, and the blush may be too dark for very light-skinned lasses.

A girl could always get around these issues by tweaking her application, perhaps by using a wet brush to apply the shadows and ramp up their intensity, and by applying the blush with a light touch using a fan brush. Ultimately, it just really depends on how much you’re willing to work.

These are pricey palettes at $60 each, but if you like sheer eye colors with bold cheeks and lips, consider it a spring splurge.

The Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Palette collection includes…

The Bobbi Brown Pretty Palette, $60

• Eye Shadow in Ivory — a repromoted matte ivory
• Eye Shadow in Pink — a new matte pink
• Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Pink Chiffon — a new shimmery pink
• Eye Shadow in Chocolate Caviar — a new matte neutral brown
• Blush in Pretty Pink — a new matte pink
• Lip Color in Pink — a repromoted rosy pink
• Lip Gloss in Bubble Bath — a new bright pink
• Glitter Lip Gloss in Soiree — a repromoted rosy pink

The Bobbi Brown Powerful Palette, $60

• Eye Shadow in Navajo — a repromoted matte beige
• Eye Shadow in Burnished Rose — a new shimmery warm peachy pink
• Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Baby Pink — a repromoted matte rosy pink
• Eye Shadow in Chocolate Caviar — a new matte neutral brown
• Blush in Plum — a repromoted matte pinkish plum
• Lip Color in Powerful Pink — a new matte pinkish plum
• Glitter Lip Gloss in Pink Bouquet — a repromoted shimmery pink
• Shimmer Lip Gloss in Pink Pudding — a new sheer rosy pink

PRICE: $60 each
AVAILABILITY: Limited edition. At Bobbi Brown counters and bobbibrowncosmetics.com beginning in January
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen