ProductWhores

Fall For Mauve

Before seeing Bobbi Brown's new Mauve Look for fall, I mostly associated the color mauve with old people and Sue, my freshman year college roommate, who wore clothes in that shade EVERY.  SINGLE.  DAY.  (Seriously, it was astonishing.  I didn't even know they made that many mauve sweaters!)  So when I first heard that Bobbi was featuring mauve for fall, I wasn't all that excited.  I should've known Bobbi wouldn't let me down.  The new limited edition Mauve Face Palette is so much cuter and more versatile than I ever would've imagined.  The shades are subtle and sophisticated and I absolutely love the Mauve blush.  It's a color I never would've bought on my own, but it really lights up my cheeks and goes perfectly with the eye shadows, which somehow manage to be both neutral and colorful at the same time.  (In other words, they're not overpowering,  but they're not boring either).  I've been pairing the shadows with the Black Mauve Shimmer Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner to make the look more dramatic, but the eyeliner actually looks great on its own, too.  (I think it helps that I'm finally mastering the art of using gel eyeliner.  Thank God!  Our long national nightmare is finally over!)  To complete the look (and to avoid dragging the palette around with me!), I'm slicking my lips with the new Black Pearl Shimmer Gloss, a deep platinum heather shade that looks like a dark grey in the tube.  It's another color I never would've thought I could pull off, but it goes on a lot sheerer than it looks - it's the prettiest mix of grey, brown and purple.  I know that sounds awful, but trust me, it's gorgeous on everyone I've seen wearing it.  (If you can only buy one thing from the collection, I'd make it this gloss).  I guess this means Sue and her mauve sweaters were actually ahead of our time.  Who knew? 

Check out Bobbi Brown's entire Mauve look collection here. 

Photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Customize Your Palette

    

I've been really into the palettes lately.  I should've just done a whole "Palette Roundup" or something, but I didn't really think ahead on that one, sorry to say.  And of course, no discussion of palettes would be complete without mentioning Bobbi Brown's new palette system.  The empty palette containers come in either a three or four pan size (both are $10, so go ahead, buy the bigger one pictured above).  Filling them is easy - simply buy your favorite shades and pop them in.  It's perfect for travel because you can change them as needed and since the blush and eye shadows are the same size, you can mix and match.  (Personally, I like to put in three eye shadows and a blush, but you may want two of each.  Or all eye shadows.  Or all blushes.  Go nuts with the different combos!)   The new Shimmer Wash eye shadows ($20) and blushes ($22) all fit in the palettes, so you can put together a combo of neutrals or go a little bolder with your color choices.  And best of all, the fact that you're choosing only the shades you want means that you're never stuck with a palette that has three great colors and one horrible, ugly one.  Don't you hate it when that happens?

Photos courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Limited-Edition Lips

Bobbi Brown has two new limited-edition lip kits out for the summer and (much like people always say about their kids) I love them both, but in very different ways.  The Mini Tube Tints Set is a collection of four small glosses in classic Bobbi shades.  My favorite is Berry Glitter - it's a deep berry shade with the most gorgeous sparkle in it.  I never would've thought I would like a glitter gloss, but I've become slightly obsessed with this one.  And to make it even better, there's also a tube of Clear Glitter in the set, so now I can turn any of my other lipsticks into a glitter gloss.  (And don't think I haven't - I've pretty much sparkled since I got these).   The tubes are small enough to fit in your pocket, so they're perfect for a night out or to fit in a clutch.  And all of the colors look great with a tan (bonus!)  Plus, you can wear them on the beach because they have an SPF 15, which sadly, a lot of my cute glosses do not.  They're also peppermint scented (my favorite lip gloss flavor - it works wonders when you don't have a Breath Saver around).  The set retails for $30 and is well worth the price - I'll be using those glitter tubes until the sparkle is all gone!

The other lip kit I'm loving is the Lip Gloss Palette.  It has six gorgeous shades ranging from nude to a darker brown color, plus a lip brush for easy application.  (As much as I love glosses, I really hate lip gloss finger.  Especially if I'm not near a sink because it inevitably ends up on my clothes somehow).  Two of the shades, Naked and Rum, have a matte finish and the other four are shimmer glosses, which goes perfectly with my new glitter obsession. The new Bronzed Pink shade is my favorite - it's the perfect pink-brown shade and a great neutral color for every day wear because the shimmer is subtle and classic.   If you throw this palette in your bag, you can go from day to night and never have to worry about trying to find a gloss that's rolled into the black hole in your purse.  (I'm convinced that all my bags have one because at least once a week, my keys are nowhere to be found and then magically pop up on the fourth time I'm going through my bag).  At $40, this would also make a perfect gift for any woman that you know - the shades will suit everyone and really, who doesn't love a little Bobbi Brown wrapped in a bow?  No one I know.

Photos courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Pink Satin

You guys, I am SO coveting this new Pink Satin Collection from Bobbi Brown.  I know I say that a lot, but this time, I'm really serious.  It's beyond adorable and perfect for spring.  The collection includes a Lip Gloss Palette with three shimmer shades that are only available in this set (Spring Blossom Shimmer Lip Gloss, Posey Shimmer Lip Gloss and Pastel Ink Lip Gloss).  They're so pretty and shiny!  The set also comes with a Metallics Eye Shadow Palette, with Navajo Metallic Eye Shadow, Hot Stone Metallic Eye Shadow and Pink Ice Metallic Eye Shadow.  The shadows are gorgeous and match the lip colors perfectly.  The collection also has a Mini Brush and Palette Case that holds the eye and lip palettes and three mini brushes: Blush, Eye Shadow and Lip.  I think I'd already own this by now if it didn't cost $140, which isn't a terrible price for what you're getting (especially with the brushes) but is entirely out of my budget right now.  But if I win the lottery this week, I'm totally getting this.  Right after the house in Malibu and the Mercedes...

Photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Mmmm... Raspberry!

I realize I live in Southern California and therefore no longer experience a true "winter" (I'm originally from NH, so I do know what winter really means), but I'm still sick of the cooler weather and the ridiculous amount of rain we've been getting lately.  So in an effort to usher in spring, I have been holding my Bobbi Brown Pink Raspberry Face Palette very close to me lately.  This wonderful palette is a perfect pick-me-up for the winter blues.  While at first glance you may be afraid of the bright blush in the center (don't worry, I'll hold your hand while you swipe some on your cheeks), you will be so delighted with how it looks on.  It's a beautiful healthy pink that really makes cheekbones pop!  I am incredibly pale and it looks really fantastic on me, if I do say so myself.  The rest of the palette is equally drool-worthy.  Two perfect shades for a smoky eye (which wear for hours - I didn't have to touch-up until late afternoon) and two lip sheers, which look beautiful and are not drying to lips (woo hoo for that).  Now here's the kicker, this palette is limited edition (gasp, those two words we Product Whores hate to hear).  So if I were you, I'd get to the mall.  Here's my very mathematical equation on why you should purchase it: Winter blues = sad.  Spring = happy.  Raspberry palette = spring.  Therefore, happy = raspberry palette.  Whew, I'm tired now. 

Photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Baby Me

Continuing my long streak of buying a new bottle of perfume when I already have ten (or thirty-seven) mostly full bottles sitting on top of my dresser, this weekend I found a new favorite - Bobbi Brown's Bath Fragrance. I originally stopped at the Bobbi Brown counter to check out her new metallic eye palettes, but as much as I love them, even I cannot justify spending $45 for a palette of three colors that I won't use every day. And then I smelled Bath and I momentarily forgot about the eyeshadows. It's exactly the kind of fragrance that I love - fresh, slightly sweet, a little bit soapy. It would totally fit in as a member of the Clean fragrances, as a matter of fact. It's very, "I just got out of the shower" smelling. If I were a guy, I would definitely want my girlfriend to smell like this, although with my luck, I'd probably end up with one of those women who douse themselves in patchoulli oil or something equally horrifying. It comes in an adorable little bottle too, meant to look like something out of an old apothecary. The one thing that's a little annoying is that it only comes in one size - a one ounce bottle that costs $40. While the size is perfect for traveling or throwing in a bag, I'd love the option to buy a bigger bottle for, say, $60 or so. First, because this tiny bottle isn't going to last me too long, but also, $40 an ounce is expensive. I think if I worked it out, it might almost be the most expensive one I own. I almost feel guilty spritzing it on (not guilty enough to stop, of course!) Still, this is one of my favorite new perfumes of the last few years and if you could see my extensive collection, you'd know that means a lot. So once again, the Bobbi Brown counter has suckered me in. But at least I can still feel good that I managed to walk away from the metallic shadows. Probably only until the next time I'm at the mall, but it's a start...

Uber Sexy Pout

I personally find a very nude lip to be extremely alluring.  And have I been able to accomplish the task of a nude lip without looking like a corpse bride?  No, no, I have not.  So, when I was directed to Bobbi Brown’s Uber Beige, I was thrilled beyond belief.  It’s the perfect nude for everyone and I promise you won’t look like a zombie… unless that’s what you want to look like (which, in that case, I would put dark circles under your eyes and perhaps tint your skin a nice green).  The lipstick looks fantastic for day or night and with a light swipe of lipgloss over it, looks extremely sexy.  Now, you can play up those smokey eyes you’ve been perfecting forever!  My only complaint is that the lipstick tends to be on the dry side (which is especially ick during the winter months), so I would definitely exfoliate before applying and don’t go without a moisture base of some sort.  Guaranteed women will wonder why your lip color looks so good.  It’s your choice if you want to share the secret or not.

Cream Shadow for an idiot

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of cream eye color.  Where do I begin with my dislikes?  I find it difficult to blend, it goes on too heavy, my fingers always are a mess and nine times out of ten I have more eye color on the bridge of my nose than on my eyelid.  You may be thinking, well, that’s because she’s an idiot.  While that is a good percentage of the truth, the fact remains that cream eye color is not easy to work with, people!  Surrounded with all my negative energy about creams, I set myself out on a quest to find one that I cold stand to use.  And, hold the drum roll, but I actually found one.  Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow is just what a girl like me has been looking for - beautiful somewhat sheer colors, with great shimmer that go on easily.  I was able to use my not-so-graceful sausage-like fingers to spread the shadow up to my brow.  I especially liked using the gold color I chose, funny enough called Sandy Gold, to highlight the inner corners of my eyes to add a bit of brightening.  What I especially appreciated about the Bobbi Brown shadow is my lids did not have the feeling of being stuck.  Unlike most cream eye shadows, this one was not sticky or heavy at all.  Just the perfect consistency and it didn’t dry too fast so I still had time to blend and work the color around a bit.  If a big goof like me can tackle this shadow, anyone can.