Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick Pink

More subtle than our Shimmer Brick but with the same overall brightening effect of our 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.



Brightening brick in Pink was limited edition and part of the Navy and Nude collection. It is on the same page as legendary BB shimmer brick but was supposed to be more subtle. I noticed it while walking by the Bobbi Brown counter and I had to turn around go back and swatch it. It was so beautiful under the store lights. Shimmer shimmer bling bling! This is a glitter bomb. I have no problem with glitter and shimmer- the more the better but in this case I have to disagree with description that this is more subtle than popular Shimmer brick. Shimmer brick does have more shimmer and is more opaque in color, while Brightening  brick is more sheer , more like a setting powder but it has large glitter particles. It does brighten nicely and you can dust off the glitter if it bothers you. This is more your "night out" product. Can't really say it's office friendly.

It comes in a standard black plastic square packaging. Honestly I do not like BB packaging it's bulky and plastic feels cheap. It also includes decent size mirror.

Size comparison - left brightening brick right shimmer brick

In a daylight, without a flash or direct sunlight it actually doesn't look that shimmery/glittery. Whenever I use it I mix all the 4 shades together. I am to lazy to try to use certain squares more than the other ones. If there is too much glitter on the skin I tried to dust it off with a fan brush.

Heavy swatches of the each separate color

Lightly dusted with MAC 188 brush. Taken indoors with a flash

 Same thing but taken in natural daylight

Overall it's nice product for shimmer lovers. I am not too crazy about it and most of the time I will reach for some other highlighter. I loved the idea of brightening and this does that especially over pink blushes it gives nice look, but I think I would be better of I picked some other brightening brick from their line . I think they had a Nude one that would work better for me.

My favorite lip balms - Lush, Bobbi Brown and Fresh

Having dry chapped lips has been "my signature" since I can remember. I don't ever remember not having dry lips. Even during not so cold months, they are still dry, maybe not as bad as during winter. Whatever I do it's not helping. More water more moisture... I think it's hereditary because my father has exactly the same problem. I am very big on lip balms and I am always on a hunt for the one that will actually help me more than others. Today I picked three of my recent (or not so recent) favorites.

Specially formulated with Wheat Germ and Olive Oil, this comfortable, non-greasy lip balm immediately goes to work comforting lips. Wear alone for natural look, with Lip Liner or Lip Gloss. Bobbi Brown Lip Balm comes in a sleek and portable polished silver tin.

 Bobbi Brown lip balm was recommend to me a year ago from a colleague when she was shocked how dry my lips can get. I finally ordered it couple of months ago and I have to tell you she was right how amazing it is. It has balmy texture that seems thick but actually feels very light on lips. It is very moisturizing, and I managed to have my lips look normal for couple of days while using it but I had to reapply it like crazy. Literally every hour or two. Non stop. Again packaging issue with having to apply it directly on my lips or stick my fingers in ti (which I never do). It is on a pricey side but you get 15g which is huge for a lipbalm. I wonder how long will this last me? More than a year I think. It feels light enough to be applied on top of the lipstick or even before - it would not make lipstick bleed. Bobbi did a great job with this one. If I ever run out I will repurchase it. (unless something new and amazing shows up on market)

What it is:

A hydrating treatment that nourishes, protects, and plumps the lips.

What it is formulated to do:

Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 blends reparative oils and waxes with real sugar, a natural humectant, for delectable and dependable moisture. Sweet and tart black currant oil, rich in plumping essential fatty acids, cushions the lips while antioxidant grapeseed polyphenols and vitamins A, C, and E provide protection from wrinkle-causing free radicals. It also provides essential, year-round protection from damaging UV rays. 

What it is formulated WITHOUT:

- Parabens

- Sulfates

- Synthetic Dyes

- Petrochemicals

- Phthalates

- GMOs

- Triclosan

What else you need to know:

This lip-loving essential has a bright, citrus scent and is free of petroleum, mineral oil, and lanolin.

I received Fresh sugar lip balm as a birthday gift from Sephora. They give away two minis - this one and Rose one that has slight pinkish tint. I did not really care about that one but this one I kind of liked. It has very thick balmy texture. Applies very easily and melts into a lighter more hydrating texture. It provides good hydration and packaging is a plus - much more hygeinic than a pot/jar. Scent surprised me - I was expecting something sugary sweet but it has light fresh scent, almost like herbal/citrus. I love to have it in my purse BUT I noticed it melts like crazy and it brakes easily. It's not a problem if you have a mini one that you got for free but if you pay full price than it's certainly a big issue. I noticed many women complain about it. I have couple of these and I do not think I will be buying full sized one. But would not mind getting couple more of these :)

I like that it leaves lips looking glossy and moisturized. Great pick for someone who wants good hydration without heavy sticky feeling of a balm and no color. This product became so popular that they came out with God knows how many different scents and colored balms (more of a light tint).

 We experimented immensely with flavor to make this popular lip balm for soft, chocolate-orange flavored lips. We mix Chocolate Whipstick by hand with a lip-soothing infusion of oats, beautiful almond and wheat germ oils, plus beeswax to protect lips from dehydration If that sounds a bit boring, worry not; we livened it up with real chocolate, vanilla absolute and orange oil. Delicious and good for you, which is a rare and lovely thing.

FEATURES
For dry, cracked lips: Chocolate Whipstick is our thickest lip balm, ideal for dry or sensitive skin.
Now, more flavorful!: strong> With a new formula that we make at lower temperatures so the flavor is stronger and more delicious than ever!

Preservative-free: Whipstick doesn’t contain any water or infusions so we’re able to make it preservative-free




My all time favorite. Tried it the first time over 6 years ago and since then I can not be without it. Sometimes I have two, one for home and one for on the go. Nothing beats it. It's very thick, and texture almost feels dry and impossible to spread, but when it warms up against the lips it becomes super creamy. I love the scent too - chocolate and orange - yes please! It leaves  light brown color, but it is very sheer. I love putting a lot overnight. This is probably the only balm that I do not have to reapply every couple of hours, or should I say all the time?  My problem is that I am not consistent - I use it for couple of days then I forget and don't use it for a week and then I look at my lips and they are the driest lips ever, cracked, chipped, just horrible.  My only issue with Whipstick is it's packaging. I hate this kind of a pot packaging. I do not ever put my fingers in it, but I actually "kiss" the product. I put it on my lips , pucker up and then move the pot in circle motion couple of times. Problem is it also leaves some product around my lips which is not an issue unless you have makeup on. Easily fixable though. 
Depending on how often I use it it lasts between 6 and 10 months. In my opinion this is the best product Lush ever made. 

L'occitane and Sephora VIB Sale 2013 hauls

Time for another haul post.  I had my eye on a couple of product for a while but most of items were bought on a whim... which is unusual for me. I like to plan my purchases. Especially since Sephora has their annual VIB sale in November.

I got : 

Clarins one step exfoliating cleanser - had it long time ago and been wanting to buy it since then. Love to use it in shower, love how gentle yet effective it is. 

NARS Orgasm illuminator - had a mini one, wasn't really impressed but Adrijana convinced me that I "need" it :)

NARS Dolce vita lipstick - been wanting it forever! Such a beatiful MLBB shade. Nars makes great lipsticks

NARS Mississippi mermaid eyeshadow - new "cinematic" formula is mind blowing! It's not a cream but not a powder either. It's hybrid and feels smooth like a butter and shade is not so unique, but very wearable champagne with multi colored shimmer. I can see myself hitting pan on this one.

Bobbi Brown blush in Washed rose - fell in love with it over a year and finally bough it! For me it's a unique shade I do not have anything similar to it, plus I wanted to try more Bobbi Brown products. 

Hourglass Ambiend powder in Luminous light - this is probably the product that I "need" the least but all the crazy hype around Ambient powders made me try at least one and Luminous is right up my alley. (I also tried Dim in store and it's beautiful especially for cool skin tones).

Guerlain Maxi shine lip gloss - this is my first Guerlain lipgloss. I actually wanted to buy Dior but when I saw this shade in store and swatched it I fell in love - such a wearable mauve color with amazing shimmer. Kind of remind me of Rouge coco shine in Boy but in a gloss version.

I am on a L'occitane roll. I keep getting more and more stuff. The only thing I avoid from them is face care. I always brake out terribly. Thankfully they have enough amazing body and hair products. This is my fourth bottle of Citrus verbena shower gel - my husband loves it too, it's such a fresh scent. Great for summer or morning showers to boost energy.  Hand cream is their cult Shea hand cream but in special holiday limited edition (not sure that I really like this year's design). Recently I bought their Repair shampoo but after that I tried the sample of Volumizing one and actually liked it much better so I decided to buy it. Almond shower oil was gift with purchase - woohoo! I love how generous L'occitane is. I always get a great deal plus I was able to use my gift card. 

Before these two hauls I also bought NARS Daydream blush - this was love at first sight! I will be reviewing it soon!

Holiday season is the worst when it comes to cosmetics. So many great deals, palettes, sales, gwps... my wallet is crying in a corner. 

Bobbi Brown conditioning brush cleanser review

Specifically designed to remove makeup and residue safely without damaging brushes. Take special care of your Bobbi Brown Brushes by cleaning regularly for longer lasting life.

I have been using MAC brush cleanser for past couple of years and I ran out recently and somehow I got Bobbi Brown instead. I was curious to try it, plus they had nice GWP - two mini lipglosses and mini mascara with of course free shipping.

I am really not big on Bobbi Brown. Most of their products don't really attract me plus their prices are close or same as Chanel and if I have to pick between the two obviously I will go with Chanel.
I just recently bought couple of their products for the first time and I have not used the brand before. What I have been reading lately from other beauty bloggers who have a lot of experience with BB and been using it for years is that things are going south for this brand - quality is lower and lower. But honestly I do not have anything from before to compare it with.

Back to the topic of this post. Brush cleansing is a must if you use brushes to apply your  makeup.

Bobbi Brown conditioning brush cleanser comes in a black tube with a flip top cap. 

It has 3.4 oz or 100ml of product which really is not a lot. BB is notorious for tiny amounts of product. This kind of a thing is a really turn off for me. Since I debated between this one and MAC I looked at the price - BB is 1$ more than MAC, but silly me somehow I overlooked the amount of the product. Bobbi 100ml MAC 235ml  - that pretty much says it all. 

Simply said this has liquid soap or shampoo kind of consistency. It foams up nicely and cleans brushes decently but is definitely having hard time cleaning brushes that I use with liquid foundations - especially long wearing ones. Those ones I have to wash couple of times and leave them soaked with cleanser for a little bit.

How I wash my brushes:

• damp the brush with lukewarm water (not the handle)
• put a little bit of a cleanser in a palm of my hand 
• dip the brush in the cleanser and either swirl (which I do not like doing because I am scared that I will ruin the shape of the brush or brake the hair) or gently move brush away from and towards you 
• if it does not foam up enough I like to add just a little bit more water (in photos below you will see how it looks when I just start cleaning the brush, not a lot of foam and in the second photo you can see what happens when I add more water, nice and foamy)
• rinse out and lay brush flat down 

I did not really feel that this cleanser has any conditioning properties. Bristles were not softer than usually. They actually felt slightly dried out which does not surprise me since the formula contains peppermint. Why in  the world?? Is that ingredient you put just for a nice smell? Then again don't forget you use this on you eye brushes too - I am trying to imagine eye reaction after some peppermint was left on the brush.

Overall:

I will not buy it again. It's ok, decent brush cleanser but when I compare price and the amount of the product with my favorite, i will clearly go with MAC.