Bring It, Bobbi

Another item I received recently in a makeup swap is this great Bobbi Brown Lip and Eye Basics Palette. It's a wonderful thing to have for everyday or professional situations, as it has a near-perfect array of items, all housed in an adorably petite compact.


First, there are two sparkly glosses in Pink Bouquet and Orchid, and two lipsticks in Dusty Mauve and Slopes (colours listed from the left).


Then, there are four eyeshadows. From the left, they are Bone, Nude, Stone, and Mahogany.


The palette itself originally came with a Mini Lip Brush and a Mini Dual-Ended Eyeliner/Eye Shadow Brush, but since those aren't included I had use my own tools. Thankfully, my Sonia Kashuk travel-sized brushes fit perfectly in the little trench where the old brushes used to sit...I can fit a lip brush and a shadow brush snugly, and they don't shift over to where the lippies/shadows are.


Of course, I have to post swatches of these lovely colours. The eyeshadows start with Bone at the top, and the lip products start with Pink Bouquet at the top.


The two items that I'd say I like the least are the glosses. First of all, I'm not much of a gloss girl and really dislike the look of overly glossy lips. On an everyday basis, these have great staying power and aren't super-sticky, so I apply just a dab to add some healthy shine to my lips. When I swatched the glosses on my hand, however, they seemed to be pretty glittery...another thing I hate in gloss. In fact, after I washed everything off of my hand, a bunch of glitter particles stayed on my hand, so beware if you want to load on the gloss. For my purposes, however, these glosses are fine...and it's saying a lot about this palette that these are my least favourite items.

The "in-between" items for me are the lipsticks. They're pretty and normal and have pretty good staying power, but they're not swoon-worthy. They're a tad bit dark, and I usually opt for more "my lips but better" looks, but if I dab a little bit on my lips they work out well for everyday.

The real stunners for me are the eyeshadows. They're kind of perfect for my usual everyday looks. Bone is a cream shadow that's great for highlighting the inner corners without excessive shimmer. Nude is a pretty colour that's kind of similar to my skintone on my eyelids, so it's a pretty good all-over colour. It also makes a surprisingly good setting powder for undereye concealer. Mahogany is a surprisingly rich, dark, and pigmented brown that comes out as a brown-black. I can easily line my eyes with this and feather it out so it emphasizes them but it's just a harsh line. I thought it was going to be a softer brown, but the swatch I have is just one swipe, just to show you how pigmented it is. I love it! And Stone...Stone is a beautiful taupey brown shadow. It's a "Shimmer Wash," as opposed to a matte shadow, but it isn't overly glittery and instead has a pretty satin finish. And taupe eyeshadow is really just one of the greatest inventions in the whole entire world, honestly. In a nutshell, I love these eyeshadows.

If you don't feel like scouring eBay for this palette...at least consider picking up Stone! It's so gorgeous.