Bobbi Brown - Makeup Manual

Like any self respecting makeup junkie I not only spend my fun money on makeup, makeup and more makeup, I also keep abreast of the latest makeup related publications.

If there is anything that competes with shopping for, playing with, and taking home my brand new makeup goodies it has to be reading about makeup in glossy magazines (Allure being the winner) or books.

As I have mentioned I am a HUGE Kevyn Aucoin fan and was heartbroken when he passed away. His books are regular perusal material and I love studying his technique and picking up tips and tricks.

Bobbi Brown has to be a close second for me and I have been waiting for this kind of book from her for a long time. According to Amazon.com this is the book her fans have been waiting for and lord knows I am a fan! It is supposed to be chalk full of tips and techniques from her 25 years of experience.

I am here to report that this book is a good read for both makeup novices and junkies like myself. I really enjoyed her advice on putting together a working makeup kit a lot and her advice on breaking into the business was specific and right on the money.

My only gripe was I wanted more instruction and application tips and tricks. Unfortunately that part of the book was a little lean.

Overall I still think think this is a worth while purchase and read.

Bobbi Brown - Bright Eyes Palette

Oh good lord in heaven I thank you for Bobbi Brown and her makeup creations. I mean this dear blog reader and I hope you are with me on this one. BB rarely disappoints with her makeup offerings and lately she has just kept on getting better and more adventurous which is right up my alley.

Behold the new Bright Eyes palette which features 35 shades of bright soft matte shades of eyeshadow for $70. I found this at Neiman Marcus and had a little mini makeup happy attack when I spotted it. The palette was inspired by BB at fashion week and while the color is bright it is still very wearable which is mainly due to the lack of shimmer.

This would make a great gift for any makeup junkie you have on your list or a seriously fabulous stocking stuffer!

Bobbi Brown - Sunset Gold Collection

This new Bobbi Brown set has me salivating, seriously I need a napkin to mop up my chin! For many years I was silver crazy and shunned gold in all its forms. I have always chosen silver jewelry, accessories, and makeup. But lately I have fallen hard for some of the new gold eyeshadows that have flooded the counters this summer.

The gold I have a little obsession with is cooler and less brassy than golds of the past. They are elegant and remind me of fine champagne bubbling beautifully rather than the flashy 70's hot pants or 80's Dynasty dragon ladies.

No these new golds are crush worthy and I admit that I have bought more than I need but I just can't pass them up. This Bobbi Brown set is killing me though just as I am trying to budget for the holidays.

Sunset Gold includes a metallic organizer bag, Mahogany Ink Gel Liner (one of the best), Bronze Pink Glitter Lip Gloss, Sunset and Antique Gold Metallic eyeshadow for $80.

The shadows are beautiful and fit into BB's new palette system. The gloss is a gorgeous warm pink that complements cool gold eye looks flawlessly. Gel Liner in any shade is worth having and BB's bags are always handy and well made.

Check out this gold treasure at Nordstrom and don't blame me if you leave $80 poorer.

Bobbi Brown - Long Wear Eye Palettes

I must have been very good in a previous life. Nothing else can explain the appearance of the two marvelous beauties you see above. Truly these are a gift from the gods and should be scooped up immediately if not sooner!

Now these two palettes contain my two favorite BB products. The long wear cream eyeshadow and gel liner. BB may not have been the first to put these formulas out in the marketplace but she does them as well if not better than anyone.

BB's cream shadows are fabulous. They are available in both shimmer and matte finishes and indeed are long wearing and do not crease. Gel Liner is much the same. It lasts through an entire work day and even survives the gym looking better than it has any right to.

I can honestly say that they only other brand that rivals these two wonders is MAC with Fluidline and Paint Pots, but then again they are both Estee Lauder owned.

Anyway enough chit chat, lets talk about why you should be spending your hard earned cash on these two babies.

First of all these have limited edition shades of cream shadow and gel liner and they are good shades that belong in your makeup wardrobe.

• Moon Rock Palette on the right includes Gold Drop Long-Wear Cream Shadow, Mineral Dust Long-Wear Cream Shadow, Espresso Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, Black Topaz Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner.
• Night Sky Palette on the left includes Rockstar Long-Wear Cream Shadow, Ocean Storm Long-Wear Cream Shadow, Black Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, Thunder Storm Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner.

The palettes have handy lids that close over the pots so they won't dry out and a brush for application of the liner and shadow is included.

These are Nordstrom exclusive and limited. Happy shopping!

Bobbi Brown - Artist Palette for Lips

Look at that thing! I stumbled upon this gem of lipstick loveliness in Neiman Marcus this weekend and nearly squealed with joy.

This is no bargain palette at $200 big ones but if you are a major lipstick fan or a makeup artist building your kit this would be a great investment.

The palette contains 42 shades in three formulas including lip color that is semi-matte, creamy, and sheer as well as a retractable lip brush.

The lip colors included are very diverse and would suit everything from bridal looks to everyday pretty as well as deeper shades to create edgier lip colors. BB made sure to include most of her best selling shades and textures.

This can be found at Neiman Marcus exclusively for now.

Bobbi Brown - Shimmering Nudes Palette

Get ready to pony up $50 big ones because this palette is worth the cash! Nobody does nudes like BB and the quality of her line makes the price seem reasonable.

The nudes in this palette offer cool and warm tones to pick from but they are so forgiving and well, nude, that anyone can get away with any shade.

This palette features 6 nude shades that range from metallic to soft pearl finishes with Espresso on the right for lining. A double ended brush is included with bristles that are identical to the full size versions. This is important to me because lots of palettes get cheap when it comes to the brush, but not Bobbi!

While you are at the BB counter check out the new Metallic eyeshadows and lipstick colors. The Metallic lipsticks are truly a departure for BB and I love them. The lippies are metallic without being over the top frosty and are very wearable. These new editions to the BB line are very welcome in my book and just make this already great line even better.

Bobbi Brown Vintage Hues

Once again this weekend I was cruising the Neiman's in San Francisco and cursing that they have so many exclusives on makeup I am dying to have! Note to self, keep a blank check in wallet for all Neiman's trips as they only take AMEX.

While cruising I spotted the Bobbi Brown Vintage Hues Mauve palette and my breath caught, I felt a little weak in the knees. Approaching slowly, afraid it was a mirage, I gazed at the mauve toned palette with wonder. I was rudely snapped out of my revere by the SA offering help....I wanted to holler leave me alone with this gem and for heaven's sake don't call attention! I may get bum rushed when the other shoppers spot it.

I am here to tell you dear readers she gave me a LOOK and left....oh well, mission accomplished!

Vintage Hues features 3 eyeshadows, a huge blush and 3 lip colors that are all mauve based with the exception of Navajo eyeshadow which made it's debut in the Raspberry palette.

The eyeshadows are Navajo, Vintage and Chocolate Mauve. The large blush is Mauve and is like most BB blushes, super wearable. The lipcolors are Dusty Mauve Creamy Lip Color, Mauve Lip Sheer, and Vintage Mauve Lip Color.

The Mauve Palette is $55 and limited edition. These colors are gorgeous it's true but they are not what I would describe as summery. Instead this palette looks very fall and with so many companies releasing fall collections earlier this year this is no surprise.

At any rate I promise dear readers this one is worth traveling to check out. It is polished and lovely, what BB does best!

Bobbi Brown Cream Eye Shadow

Everyone owns this stuff right? I mean if you don't then please do yourself a favor and go to the BB counter immediately!

BB cream eye shadows set the bar for long wear and crease resistance. Many cream shadows claim to last all day and look good doing it but fall short of the mark. Not this one.

I wear this alone or use it as a base for powder eyeshadow. When used as a base it helps to intensify the color of powders and also keeps your eye liner locked in place. There are few products that I will recommend without ANY reservations but this is one.

BB recently came out with 5 matte colors that are all neutral without any shimmer and join the lineup of 14 existing colors. Most of the existing colors have slight shimmer which I happen to like. It keeps the cream from looking too flat or heavy on me.

My favs are Bellini a peachy pink, Sandy Gold a golden beige and Ballet Pink is the same color as the slippers with slight shimmer.

All pots are $22 and last a long time....you don't need much product at all. Using a synthetic brush to apply these is best or your finger to blend out the edges.

Bobbi Brown - Custom Palettes

Oh Bobbi Brown....you heard my prayers! The new custom palettes are wonderful and just make me curl my toes in happiness.

Truly one of my favorite things about MAC is buying the eyeshadow staples of my makeup wardrobe in palette form. It is so much easier to travel with and takes up a fraction of the space in my makeup tower.

Bobbi Brown is offering palettes in a horizontal 3 pan configuration or the 4 pan palette pictured. You have a choice of all the existing eyeshadow or blush shades and a few new colors as well.

On BB's website she gives some great suggestions for putting together functional palettes for day to night or your own touch-up kit. The palette's are $10 each with the eyeshadows being $20 and the blush $22.

I am thrilled that BB has joined the palette party and with new eyeshadows like Flint and Copper Sand I could just kiss her! Plus when I went to check these out at the BB counter I was very pleasantly surprised by the size of the pans. They are quite large and a good value for the price.

Now if I could only appeal to BB to get rid of those terrible stiff black plastic brushes in her glosses, the line would be perfection.

Bobbi Brown - Lip System

Bobbi Brown's lip system is supposed to take the guess work out of picking a lipstick shade that looks great on you.

Have you had the experience of picking what you were certain was your Holy Grail lip shade only to get home and wonder if you were temporarily insane? Or worse, you got to the car with your new jewel and caught sight of yourself in the rear view mirror, horrified at your lip color? Were you too ashamed to march right back into the store demanding a refund, so instead you skulk home with the offender?

BB's Lip System is aimed at putting an end to just these kinds of episodes. Here's how it works:

1. a match for your natural lip color is found using one of 12 shades.


2. build your lip wardrobe using the color wheel. the wheel outlines different neutral, bright, deep and sheer shades that will flatter you most.

My match was Pale Pink....I have really pale lips....but this color wasn't on the cute color wheel. The SA tried various others but none matched as well....hmmm. We ended up going with Sandwash Pink and out of all the suggestions I chose Plum in the Lip Sheer formula. It's a good shade for me but the 12 shade color wheel does have some limitations.

Overall I think this is a great idea. A lot of my friends have me go along to pick cosmetic colors because I will be brutally honest and my love of cosmetics has given me a pretty good eye for color. But I consistently see women purchase lipstick and never really be satisfied with their picks and this is where the Lip System can really help.I saw the Lip System at every BB counter I went to today so go check it out and tell me what your match is!