Bobbi Brown

Because the Eyes Are the Nipples of the Face: Bobbi Brown’s New Smokey Eye Crayon Kajal Liner

November 7th, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

Bobbi Brown Crayon Kajal — That’s Bobbi Brown’s new Crayon Kajal in Black Coffee on my lash and water lines

“The eyes are the nipples of the face.”

Yes, truer words were never spoken. 🙂

Ha! OK, let me explain. I was watching My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding the other day (whatever, don’t judge!), and that’s what one of the girls (14 years old, wearing booty shorts with pink rhinestone hearts) said while she was doing her makeup for a matchmaking party her parents arranged to help her find a husband.

FUN FACT OF THE DAY: The quote is originally from The House Bunny, starring Anna Farris.

So that’s what I kept thinking this morning while I was applying my eyeliner, Bobbi Brown’s new Smokey Eye Kajal Liner in Black Coffee.

Face nipples. I’m lining the nipples…OF MY FACE.

The liner’s new and comes in six colors, including the Black Coffee shade I’m wearing here. Their big selling point: that they’re super soft, smooth and won’t tug at your skin. They’re also very, very pigmented (also known as uber-pigmented) and easy to smudge. Better for messy rocker chick looks with soft diffused liner than looks with sharp lines.

The fancy formula stays creamy, so you can buff it out and play with it throughout the day, but it still lasts 5-7 hours along my lash lines.

Which is cool.

Of course, that wear time doesn’t extend to my water lines, where it gives up the ghost in 1-2 hours. If you’re looking for a long-wearing liner that will set and last there, Smokey Eye Crayon Kajal probably isn’t ideal.

Bobbi Brown Crayon Kajal Swatches from the left: Black Amethyst, Black Coffee and Noir — Swatches from the left of Black Amethyst, Black Coffee and Noir

Something like Bobbi’s Long-Wearing Gel Eyeliner might be better. Twelve hours on lash and water lines. Jet, the basic black, used to be my jam. I wore it all the time until my water lines started acting up (no idea why). Now I use Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Perversion.

Now, even with that limited water line wear time, Bobbi never billed these as long-wearing, so there’s that. They’re designed first and foremost for smokey eyes.

Bobbi Brown Crayon Kajal Swatches from the left: Jade, Pacific and Storm — Swatches from the left of Jade, Pacific and Storm

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Of Lists and Lashes: 15 Things I Learned Today About Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara and Life

November 7th, 2013 by Karen 20 Comments

15 Things I learned today about Bobbi Brown’s Smokey Eye Mascara and life in general

Today is a new day.
The world is not falling apart. It only felt like that for a little while.
It helps to set a timer when you write. Ten minutes is a good starting point. More than that, and you’re apt to spew a lot of crazy talk.
When it comes to busting through writer’s block, don’t think too much. Avoid the urge to self-edit. Just dictate the words as you hear them in your head.
It helps to read about writer’s block when you have it (go figure).

A little light reading…

3 Simple Steps for Staring Down Writer’s Block

How to Identify the Dread Writer’s Block and Its Relatives

How to Deal with Writers Block

Strategies for Overcoming Writer’s Block

Overcoming Writer’s Block

The constant sound of construction in my neighborhood (it seems like all of my neighbors are doing work on their homes right now) is surely contributing to my agitation.
It almost always helps to make lists.
Playlists are also pretty cool.

It also helps to straighten your hair (seriously), and flat irons are great.

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Working Through Some Things With the Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Twilight Pink Lip & Eye Palette

November 6th, 2013 by Karen 30 Comments

Bobbi Browxn Deluxe Lip and Eye Palette — Wearing the new Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Twilight Pink Lip & Eye Palette

Friend, I’m hoping you can help me through this bout of grade-A writer’s block by forgiving me for rambling and blabbering on (more than usual) while I slog my way through it.

Truth is, after 8,729 posts about makeup (seriously, that’s how many posts I’ve done)…sometimes you run out of new ways to say, “This is (or isn’t) a pretty kick-@ss palette.”

First, this was supposed to be a post about Bobbi Brown’s new limited edition $80 Twilight Pink Lip & Eye Palette, but whether it ends up being that or something else, we’re about to find out.

Ha! I made myself laugh…

At least that’s a start. 🙂

So, back to the palette. It’s new for the holidays, houses 10 powder eyeshadows in a mix of matte, shimmer and glitter finishes; four sheer lip colors and two tiny brushes (which, eh, are just OK).

See, here’s the good thing about wearing smokey eyes…

Uh…I don’t even know what I’m talking about. I’m just going to sit here and move my fingers until I think of something to say.

I warn you — it might take a while.

Bobbi Brown Deluxe Lip and Eye Palette eyeshadows — The eyeshadows

Alright, Karen, what’s the most surprising thing about this palette?

Gosh, Karen, I don’t know. I keep trying to think of a snappy intro, like, I could make a joke about Twilight, the movie, or maybe say something about the lack of warmth in the palette.

Gawd, my hand is throbbing… This is what I get for not cleaning the floors. I actually fell, slow motion, in my office today, and the lamest thing of all was that I was barely moving when it happened. I was just walking slowly to my chair.

Honestly, it’s a miracle the bookshelf didn’t fall on me.

I guess we can just file that under “Not-So-Exciting Things That Happened Today.”

As for things filed under “Good Things That Happened Today,” I did a dark smokey eye with this palette, and it didn’t turn out half bad.

Bobbi Brown Deluxe Lip and Eye Palette lip products — The lip products

Maybe I should talk about the palette now…

OK, the palette, the palette, the palette! It’s by Bobbi Brown, new for holiday, WOOTY TOOT TOOT! Bobbi Brown’s new limited edition holiday palette features 10 powder eyeshadows and four lip colors housed in one sleek mirrored kit. There are also two mini brushes included as well for on-the-go touch-ups.

I HATE THAT WORD FEATURED. I HATE THAT WORD HOUSED. I HATE FEATURED, HOUSED, BOASTS, OFFERS, because I would never, ever say any of those words in casual conversation. Holy sh*t, this is angry, angry typing. I can barely see straight.

Anyway, new palette, new for holiday. It’s got a lot of cool-toned colors.

Oh, boy, I’m not going to be able to use any of this at all. Keep breathing, don’t freak out, pretend you’re just talking to Jen.

I guess I would tell her that most of the colors are very cool-toned, with a couple of neutrals. Not a lot here for people in the warmer skin tone department.

I hate that word, “department.”

Bobbi Brown Deluxe Lip and Eye Palette packaging — The packaging

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My Warm Skin Tone Is Warming Up To the Neutral Cool Shades in the Bobbi Brown Smokey Cool Eye Palette

November 4th, 2013 by Karen 23 Comments

The Sisterhood of Sparkly Shadows will probably kick me out of the sorority for this, but eff it! — I’m saying it anyways: Bobbi Brown’s Smokey Eye Cool palette could really use one fewer glittery eyeshadows and one more matte brown.

There. I said it. 🙂

“This carefully edited mix of six eye shadows is the perfect palette for those who prefer their smokey eye look on the cool side. Featuring everything you need to take eyes from day to night including Bobbi’s beloved base shadow in Ivory and an array of sparkly and shimmery textures in cool grey hues. A Mini Dual Ended Shadow/Liner brush completes this mirrored compact-all it needs now is a bow.”

— bobbibrowncosmetics.com

I’m really not trying to hate on the sparkly stuff, ’cause you know I love me some glitter.

WOO-HOO! TEAM GLITTER! *fist bumps*

It’s just that I tried to make this work using only the six shadows in the set (it comes with three mattes, one shimmer and two glitters), but I couldn’t tie them all together without a medium brown shade to ease the transition from the lighter shades into the darker ones.

It’s like a piece of the puzzle is missing, ya know?

Now, if I were able to swap one of the Sparkle Eye Shadows, which are Bobbi’s take on pressed glitters, for an easy-to-use golden brown along the lines of MAC Cork, it would be so on…

Bobbi Brown Smokey Cool Eye Palette swatches from the left: Ivory Eye Shadow, Graphite Sparkle Eye Shadow, Smokey Grey Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow, Truffle Eye Shadow, Platinum Sparkle Eye Shadow and Caviar Eye Shadow — Swatches from the left: Ivory Eye Shadow, Graphite Sparkle Eye Shadow, Smokey Grey Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow, Truffle Eye Shadow, Platinum Sparkle Eye Shadow and Caviar Eye Shadow

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Get a Flattering Nude Glow That You Don’t Have To Get Naked for With Bobbi Brown’s New Nude Glow Shimmer Brick

November 4th, 2013 by Karen 31 Comments

Wearing the new limited edition Bobbi Brown Nude Glow Shimmer Brick ($45)

This is the look I wore on my lady date with Jen and Cindy yesterday, although really, I didn’t expect either of them to notice because 1) the Bobbi Brown Nude Glow Shimmer Brick I’m wearing wasn’t designed to stand out like that, and 2) neither of them are hard-core makeup people. In fact, the day Cindy turns to me and says, “OOH! I like how you blended that highlighter into your blush!” is the day I expect to see pigs flying and RyGos ceasing to be frickin’ adorable.

With Nude Glow, that’s exactly what you get — a nude glow, like kind of shine your skin takes on after a really good facial…or an entire day spent chillin’ at a spa (and not doing a damn thing for anyone).

This is one of those highlighters with a super forgiving sheen, and I think that’s why a lot of women — especially mature gals — are going to dig it.

I’ve worn the Shimmer Bricks in Bobbi’s permanent line and have also tried a few of her limited edition ones from previous collections, but this one, with its exceptionally fine powders, seems to be a step above the others.

Bobbi Brown Nude Glow Shimmer Brick pan closeup — A closer look at the pan…

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Post-Dental Beauty Bribery Featuring Yves Saint Laurent and Bobbi Brown Fall 2013 Swatches

September 25th, 2013 by Karen 25 Comments

K in the mirror — Who’s that cat lady at the mall?!

Okay, so I know I always hem and haw whenever I have to go to the dentist (I can’t help it. I’m a crybaby.), but I had some seriously traumatic dental experiences as a child.

I’m way better now, though. Now I only slightly freak out before my appointments. 🙂

Today my plan of attack was pretty simple: just don’t cry. So I took a ton of deep breaths, tried not to clench my fists in the chair, said comforting things to myself like, “You’re doing great. Everything’s going to be fine. This isn’t bad at all.” And, of course, I exercised beauty bribery.

I gotta admit, that stuff really works. I told myself that if I didn’t cry at the dentist’s office today, I could pop by the mall on my way home, and wouldn’t ya know it? I didn’t shed a tear, which goes to show ya — that’s the healing power of shopping centers right there.

Of course, the mall doesn’t get all the credit. It also helped that the gal who did my cleaning, Kim, happened to be a beauty junkie and fellow MAC fan (Hey, Kim!), so we had a lot to talk about.

When Kim finished and I left the office with my new toothbrush, some floss, a freshly cleaned night mouth guard (SEXY) and one of those pointy rubber thing-a-ma-bobbers to clean my gums, I made a b-line for Nordstrom’s Yves Saint Laurent and Bobbi Brown counters.

Sigh… I could’ve stayed there all night long, but then I thought, Who would do my tubby tabby’s bidding?

Must hurry up and get swatches.

YSL Fall Look 2013 Swatches

Starting with the four swatches in the top row from the left: the City Drive Classy Palette ($55)
Top row, three swatches on the right: the Top Secrets BB Cream Skintone Perfector in Light, Medium and Dark ($50 each)
Middle row: the City Drive Arty Palette ($55)
Bottom row, the two swatches on the left: Blush Radiance in 09 and 10 ($45 each)
Bottom row, the three swatches on the right: Rouge Pur Couture Lip Color in 1, 51 and 54 ($34 each)

Bobbi Brown Katie Palette, $68 — The Bobbi Brown Katie Palette ($68)

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Unsung Makeup Heroes: Bobbi Brown Peach Corrector

May 20th, 2013 by Karen 25 Comments

I’ve been having one of those Mondays where everything’s been going…great!

Don’t you just love those?

They’re few and far between, let me tell ya, but I’ll take it. Some Mondays I don’t feel ready for the weekend to end or for the workweek to start, but I’ve been in in a pretty good groove so far today.

I don’t know, maybe it’s the heat… It’s almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Novato right now!

Seriously, I think it’s making me loopy because I’m smiling from ear to ear… 🙂

I was watching a mama bird feed one of her little ones in the oak tree by my window this morning as I applied under-eye concealer and randomly started singing, “The hills are aliiiiive, with the sound of musiiiiiic!”

The concealer was Bobbi Brown’s bad@ss Peach Corrector. My dark under-eye situation has been triple-rainbow intense lately. I’m officially in my (gulp) late thirties now, and the purplish, bluish dark circles under my eyes have become something of a mainstay of my looks, haha.

Shoot, last night I even got 10 hours of sleep — 10 GLORIOUS HOURS! — and I still woke up with dark circles.

Thank goodness for Bobbi’s $23 miracle working Peach Corrector…

A creamy, opaque color-correcting concealer designed to be layered beneath your go-to under-eye concealer, it’s great if you get those real deal, Uncle Fester-caliber dark circles like moi. I use Peach, one of 16 shades in the line.

SHAZAM! It’s like waving a magic wand over my face. When I add it to my mix, I think I definitely look refreshed and considerably less tired, and that whole under-eye sitch looks brighter.

Most of the time I just wear it on its own with powder dusted on top (versus underneath another concealer), and it neutralizes the purple action. Heck, when I use it I think I even look a little younger (says the girl turning 38 in a few weeks, le sigh!).

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Supersized, Hold the Orange: Bobbi Brown’s Nude Beach Face & Body Bronzing Duo Is a Big Pan of Tan

May 7th, 2013 by Karen 28 Comments

Surf’s up, brah! Channeling an endless summer with the new Bobbi Brown Nude Beach Face & Body Bronzing Duo, $42

Bobbi Brown’s Nude Beach Face & Body Bronzing Duo ($42), a new super-sized bronzing powder duo, does NOT mess around.

I’m pretty tan to begin with, courtesy of the Pacific Islander gene pool, but when I wear this bronzer — daaaayum! — I look hella bronzed, brah, like “Hook me up with the kama’aina discount because I’m local!” 🙂

It’s gotta be the lack of orange undertones…

Nude Beach just doesn’t have ’em. There’s a reddish, pinkish brown with a matte finish on one side and a brick reddish-like brown with a subtle sheen on the other. Both colors contain a lot of red and could pass for a natural tan. With these, whether worn separately or together, you’ll look like you’ve been surfing every day for six months!

For a faux endless summer tan that lasts all day long, on the parts of my face where the sun naturally falls — my forehead, around the edges of my face, across the tops of my cheekbones — I lightly dust a 50/50 blend of Nude Beach’s two bronzers using Sonia Kashuk’s Brush Couture Powder Brush (a great drugstore dupe for Bobbi’s $50 Bronzing Brush).

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