Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Wild Rose

Ingredients (courtesy of ehow.com): The first ingredients in the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick have the highest concentration. Talc, a powdered magnisium silicate, is added for its oil absorbing and anti-chaffing properties. Caprylic Triglyceride, an oily liquid made from coconut oil, helps hydrate the skin and thicken liquid additives. Zea Mays (Corn) Starch is known for its skin conditioning and protecting benefits. And, Aluminum Starch Octensylsuccinate is a plant derived starch that aids in anti-caking and sun protection. Thank you, Pascha of The Posh Blog, for finding this info for me.

Product Description: Handmade in Italy, this award-winning editor’s favorite highlights skin with five bars of pearlescent shimmer.

My Experience: I know I’m being naughty for reviewing this because it was limited edition and it’s not available anymore. But! But! But! I just couldn’t resist. I adore this product, and I take some guilty comfort in knowing that you can always pick up a similar shimmer brick from Bobbi Brown. I’m not fond of blushes – my cheeks are naturally ruddy and I’m heavy-handed with the powder brush. It’s a lethal combination that often results in the dreaded clown face. So, I usually do myself a favor and avoid blushes altogether. But I love highlighters and shimmer as long as they don’t turn my face into a disco ball. And this, my lovelies, is the perfect product for blush-shy highlighter fiends. I can swish my brush liberally into the pan without worrying about it applying too dark or bright. It builds up slowly but beautifully. It’s honestly fool-proof. And it’s gorgeous. It’s a subtle blooming glow of pink with a dewy sheen that looks enchanting when caught by the light. Lately, if I don’t have time or don’t want to bother with a full face of makeup but want a fresh pick-me-up, I use this to give my cheeks a pretty, pearly flush. And the packaging is tres chic – it’s sleek, stylish yet simple and feels weighty and solid. It’s expensive, yes, but I like to think of it as a multipurpose product because it can be used as a blush, highlighter and even eyeshadow. Plus it will last a very long time. And it’s just dreamy on the skin. Every time I open the compact I smile, and I truly love to watch the warm glow that beams from my skin as I apply it. When I run out, I’ll buy another shimmer brick that’s as close to this one as I can get. FYI they are currently selling a summery shimmer brick in the shade Nectar, which looks comparable but is more on the coral side. Try it. Love it.

The Skinny: A gorgeous multipurpose powder that works as a blush, highlighter and eyeshadow all in one. Application is fool-proof, even for the heavy-handed, and it brightens up cheeks with a glowing, pearly pink shimmer. It’s pricey but pure quality.

Cost:

I’ve seen this particular shimmer brick floating around Ebay and Amazon for eye-watering prices, but check out the stunning shades currently available from Bobbi Brown.

USA: a variety of Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks are available for $42 from Sephora

UK: a variety of Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks are available for £32 from Bobbi Brown

Rating: HERO (goes above and beyond expectations)

Guerlain Eyeshadow Quartet in Turandot

Ingredients: Talc, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Nylon-12, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Magnesium Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Aluminum Dimyristate, Phenoxyethanol, Bisbehenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleater, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sorbic Acid, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol [+/- Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), etc.

Product Description: “This precious quartet, 500 Les Ombres Turandot, showcases a subtle monochrome palette for vibrant and refined eye make-up. The interplay of textures and colours allows you to effortlessly adapt the make-up result, from a radiant morning to enigmatic nights.”

Shades: Two matte (Rose Satine and Prune Aubergine) and two iridescent (Dore Clair and Beige Mordore).

My Experience: Since I’ve started my MA, the purse strings have been very tightly drawn. I could afford only one eyeshadow palette this winter, and I carefully researched the holiday collections to narrow down my choice. It was down to this palette and Chanel’s holiday palette and price determined the winner: Guerlain’s palette was cheaper by several pounds. And I’m so pleased that I chose this one. The beauty of this palette is swoon-worthy. First of all, the packaging is gold and sleek and bears the weight of quality. Second, the eyeshadows blend like butter and are eye-catching yet flattering. Rose Satine is a rosy, dusky pink and Prune Aubergine is a plummy brown. Rose Satine is meant to be matte but I would say the finish has a slight satin sheen to it. The golden shade has a touch of orange to it so it’s warmer than most golds, which makes it quite unique. Combined with Rose Satine, it’s like a wash of sumptuous sunset over the eyelids. These colors are vibrant but not garish, and compliment each other wonderfully. The shimmery brown shade is deep and rich, and a perfect color to vamp up the eyes for night. This is a warm-toned palette of unique and top quality shades and textures. There is only one thing that would have made it holy grail for me, and that’s the inclusion of a suitable highlight shade. But, really, I don’t even care because I love this palette so much. Thank you, Guerlain, for a marvellous palette.

The Skinny: A top-notch eyeshadow palette with a mix of matte and shimmery shades that compliment each other beautifully. This is quality from head to toe. Love it.

Cost:

UK: £37 – I purchased mine from Debenhams a few weeks ago but it appears to be sold out. Keep checking back and you might be able to get your hands on it.

USA: $59 – I’m having trouble finding this only a few weeks after I bought it! I’ve seen it lurking on Ebay, though. Keep your eyes peeled and you might get lucky! Otherwise, have a look at the other lovely palettes in the range.

Rating: 5/5

Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow Palette in Prelude (no.33)

Ingredients: I couldn’t find any information on the ingredients – sorry!

Product Description: Provides smudge-proof, long-lasting color in a range of shades from matte to satin to shimmer.

My Experience: This quad is timeless, but particularly relevant for fall if you’ve caught The Great Gatsby fever. The four shades have a subtle sheen to them, the darkest shade being almost matte. The formula is soft, blends beautifully and lasts all day with a primer. The shadows can be worn as a sheer wash of color or built into a rich, smokey eye. My favorite shade sits at the top left in the palette. It’s a sophisticated mushroom-grey with a touch of purple and gentle shimmer that gives it extra dimension, making it quite unique. Layering this creates a smokey eye that screams chic twenties flapper. The darkest shade is velvety dark chocolate, perfect for bold intensity or smudging along the lash line. The bottom left shade is a light creamy taupe with a ripple of shimmer. It’s great on its own or for blending out the edges of the darker colors. The lightest color is soft ivory with a hint of shimmer that pulls together the whole palette and works wonderfully to highlight the brow bone and inner corner of the eye. These colors are so versatile and unique; they could be worn all year and throughout changes in trends, which is probably why Chanel added it to their permanent collection. Seen the pictures of Kate Winslet when she attended the Titanic 3D Premiere? Her makeup artist, the lovely Lisa Eldridge, used this palette to create her soft smokey eye. Check out Eldridge’s recreation of the look using the Prelude palette here.

The Skinny: A palette of unique shades of silky soft texture that blend easily to create a range of looks from soft to bold, including a period-perfect twenties smokey eye. A great addition to any makeup collection.

Cost:

UK: £37 from Boots

USA: $58 from Chanel

Rating: 5/5

Chanel Illusion D’ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows in Ebloui (no.86) and Illusoire (no.83)

Ingredients: Isododecane, polysilicone-11, polymethylsilsesquioxane, petrolatum, calcium aluminum borosilicate, butyl acrylate/hydroxypropyl dimethicone acrylate copolymer, talc, silica, phenoxyethanol, tin oxide and synthetic fluorphlogopite

May Contain: CI 75470 (carmine), CI 77000 (aluminum powder), CI 77007 (ultramarines), CI 77163 (bismuth oxychloride), CI 77288 (chromium oxide greens), CI 77289 (chromium hydroxide green), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (iron oxides), CI 77510 (ferric ferrocyanide), CI 77742 (manganese violet), CI 77891 (titanium dioxide) and mica

Product Description: Intensely shimmering, long-wearing eyeshadows that can be used as both an eyeshadow and eyeliner.

My Experience: These eyeshadows really are different. They’re formulated as a gel, but have a mousse-like, spongey texture. They apply creamy smooth, but dry to a powder. Although they set quickly, they’re easy to work with. They come with a tiny angled brush that’s specifically designed for application on both the lid and lash line. I’ve used the brush and it works decently, but I find using my finger allows me to apply more product more quickly. I then blend out the edges with a crease brush. I like that this can either provide a sheer shimmer of color or be layered for a rich, smokey look. And although it sets quickly, it’s very easy to blend out the edges and apply more layers without it looking heavy or patchy. I prefer Illusoire because it’s such a unique color, a purpley-grey woven with fine sparkles. It looks great day or night, and sets off green eyes really well. I’ve had several compliments on this shade. Ebloui looks burgundy in the pot, but is more darkened rust on the skin. It’s a lot less shimmery than Illusoire, and just not as versatile or pretty a shade because red can be difficult to pull off. Ebloui works best when combined with other dark shadow colors, but I like that Illusoire doesn’t need that extra help. Both these shadows are very long-lasting; if you have oily lids like me, you’ll get several hours wear without creasing and they’ll last all day and night with a primer. There are six shades in this collection, including a shimmery peachy-pink that would be beautiful for summer and a velvety black with starry sparkles that I’m desperately craving. Check out detailed swatches of the whole collection from temptalia. These are pricey shadows, but I think the quality is so impressive and some of the shades are so unique that it’s worth owning at least one of these beauties.

The Skinny: A high quality, long-wearing and easy to use eyeshadow that comes in unique and beautifully shimmering shades. Illusoire is the better color of the two eyeshadows in this review.

Cost:

UK: £23 from House of Fraser

USA: $36 from Nordstrom

Rating: 5/5