PINK BOBBI BROWN BRIGHTENING BRICK - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

More subtle than the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick but with the same overall brightening effect of the finishing powder, this formula creates a lit-from-within glow plus a hint of pretty pink. Use it just on the cheeks for a soft blush or all over the face for veil-like luminosity. The best part: this pink pairs perfectly with the season's nude and navy shades.

Note: If you want to softly illuminate skin without adding color, choose a Brightening Finishing Powder.

About Bobbi Brown:
Based on the philosophy that beauty should be real, approachable, and simple, Bobbi Brown launched her eponymous collection in 1991. Bobbi Brown herself became a household name and in high demand as a celebrity make-up artist, and the Bobbi Brown line today includes not only cosmetics and brushes but also fragrances and skincare treatments that are loved worldwide.

I love Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks but sometimes I prefer a more subtle look so I thought I would try the new Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick in Pink. It contains lots of glitter flecks which at first can be overwhelming. Once blended with the varying pink shades it adds a soft highlight to the face. It is important to note that after a few uses the intensity of the glitter flecks does lessen somewhat which makes this powder more wearable.

The staying power of the brightening powder isn't as great as I had expected. I thought it would wear at least 4-6 hours but by the three hour mark there was excessive fading. This is definitely one of those powders that requires a few touch ups throughout the day. Overall though, I really love how this powder gives my face a really nice healthy glow.

I purchased the brightening brick from the Bobbi Brown website but it is also available at Nordstrom as well. It currently retails at $45.00 for .23 oz.

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NUDES BOBBI BROWN BRIGHTENING FINISHING POWDER - SWATCHES AND REVIEW

Brightening Finishing Powder - Nudes

This all-over powder instantly illuminates and gives skin a healthy-looking glow. It's infused with a skin brightening blend of Mulberry, Grape and Scutellaria Extracts, as well as Sodium Hyaluronate to help keep skin fresh and smooth looking. Palette includes a mirror for perfect application. Featured on Elle.com as a "full-face-pick-me-up." (May 2013)

Bobbi Brown has some of the best makeup products; especially if you love a natural makeup look. Normally, my every day go-to look is similar to that - a natural look with just a hint of color on my face. That is how I want my makeup to look - effortless but yet noticeable. So you can always count on Bobbi Brown products to enhance a woman's natural beauty (or mine for that matter) with just a touch of color.

During the summer months, I have been reaching for tinted moisturizers because we spend a good portion of our weekends with our boys at Carowinds. Carowinds is a huge amusement park similar to Kings Island and Six Flags. So basically what that translates into is an all-day adventure outside in the hot sun and trying to wear a full face of makeup is pretty pointless - hence the tinted moisturizer.

One of the drawbacks of wearing tinted moisturizers is sometimes they make the face appear oily or greasy so I like to apply a light dusting of face powder. The Bobbi Brown Brightening Nudes finishing powder is perfect for lessening the shine while adding a nice healthy glow at the same time. This powder is currently priced at $50.00 for .23 oz. and can be purchased from the Bobbi Brown website, Sephora  or at Nordstrom.

204 THE STARLET MARC JACOBS BEAUTY STYLE EYE-CON NO 7 PLUSH EYESHADOW PALETTE

Sephora.com recently offered their VIB members the opportunity to purchase a few select pre-sale items from the MARC JACOBS BEAUTY line. The full collection will be launching on August 9th so if you missed out on the pre-sale you will have another opportunity to make a purchase when it launches.

During the pre-sale there were two Style eye-con No 7 eyeshadow palettes available: The Starlet 204 and The Tease 202. I went with The Starlet 204 because it seemed to have a more diverse color range than The Tease 202. The latter housed a range of purple eyeshadows which were nice but not very appealing to me. With the Starlet 204 palette the color ranges are so diverse they will work for just about everyone.

The staying power and the pigmentation for these shadows are among the best. The shadows are a powder formula but felt creamy to the touch. When swatching I barely touched the shadows and the color intensity was insane. All the shadows kept their vibrant color when applied to the lid and all wore for a solid 6-8 hours with little to no creasing during that time. After about 12 hours I noticed minimal fading and slight creasing but nothing too significant.   

Please note:
Not pictured is a single sponge applicator that is supposed to come with this palette but I checked all the packaging and mine was missing. Also, the net total weight for the eyeshadows is .24 oz. 

Read more about the pre-sale collection here: MARC JACOBS BEAUTY SEPHORA VIB PRESALE

The Starlet 204 -
metallic muted lilac, metallic champagne pink, metallic dark copper brown, metallic bright copper, metallic gold, metallic bluish silver, metallic gunmetal gray

STYLE EYE-CON NO. 7 PLUSH EYESHADOW - $59.00 USD

What it is:
A super skinny, sleek palette of seven eye shadows that harmoniously marry with a creamy, sumptuous finish.

What it does:
A super skinny and sleek design will instantly make these seven harmonized shadows become your eye essentials. Each palette of shimmery metallics, buttery mattes, and lustrous sheens are made with advanced pigments that allow true, instant color payoff, and long-lasting plush performance. Marc invites you to play and become your own Style Eye-Con.

(L to R) metallic muted lilac, metallic champagne pink, metallic dark copper brown, metallic bright copper, metallic gold, metallic bluish silver, metallic gunmetal gray