Bobbi Brown's Natural Beauty Philosophy

So I'm a huge fan of Refinery 29's beauty and make-up articles and slideshows. They're sharp, relevant and have so many great tips! I'm also a fan of Bobbi Brown - I have most of her make-up books and I love that she's so down to earth, despite being one of the reigning queens of the beauty universe.

One of the things I love most about her is her stance on aging. With the trend towards increasing amounts of cosmetic "enhancement" and a pressure to stay young-looking well into our 40s (and 50s - just look at Demi Moore and Madonna) the natural aging process has started to look, well, unnatural.

Enter Bobbi. She recently spoke up in an interview (see it here) about the topic of fillers - most notably Botox.

"I think we’ll all soon be having a lot more laser treatments instead that don’t alter the way you look, but do improve the texture of your skin and help you look healthy."

That sounds just fine to me. I'm all for non-intrusive beauty innovations - but surgery? Injections of botulism? No, thank you. I'm not judging ladies who decide to go this route. It's a personal decision and everyone must make it for themselves. But personally, the idea terrifies me! Yeah, I'm a total wimp.

Bobbi also mentioned daily use of SPF as one of the largest contributors to great skin as we age. Amen, sister.

What do you think? Are you all about the natural like Bobbi? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Chanel - Taupe Grisé

I've been lusting after this forever, but it's SO EXPENSIVE! Fortunately I managed to find a tester online (so before you ask, no, that's not what the packaging actually looks like) for much less so I could give it a try.

This is a lovely mauved grey/brown with a hint of shimmer that blends really well into the lashline for a smokey eye or over the lid for a more night-out look. It's pretty pigmented and blends about as well as your average MAC shadow.

Here's what it looks like without eyeshadow base:

I don't know if I'd every buy it retail price - probably not. It's a nice shade and somewhat unique, but there are enough similar shades that are much more affordable that I don't think it's a must-have for the price.

Some similar dupes are: MAC Moth Brown, MAC Unflappable, MAC pigment in Deceit, Bobbi Brown shadow in After Hours. Unfortunately a lot of those are limited edition, but at least Unflappable and Deceit are still available on All Cosmetics Wholesale, so head over and check them out if this shade looks enticing.

Last word - I like this, and I'll definitely get a lot of use out of it, but I won't be replacing it once it's gone.

Top Ten of the Week

 

 The other day when I was getting ready for work, I found myself reaching for the same thing as I had the day before, and I got to thinking about how I choose what to use each morning from the ridiculous amount of products that are currently cluttering up my bathroom. There are some things that I use every day for months, like my Smashbox Tinted Moisturizer in Luminous and my Makeup Forever Brown Gel. But then there are things that I will use for a week or even two, but then set aside and all but forget about. I realized that I tend to wear a few looks during the week, then experiment a little on weekends. I'll often stumble across a daytime look that I try out on Saturday or Sunday and it will become my favourite for the next week. But it's always changing. So I thought I'd share the things I found myself reaching for the most this week. Possibly I'll do this every week or few weeks - whenever I notice that I'm using different stuff than last time!


1. MAC Seasonally Spicy Technakohl Liner

I got this recently and am absolutely loving it. It's greats smudged along the upper and lower lashlines with Remotely Grey shadow on top for a super easy daytime look. Another bonus? You don't need to sharpen it!


2. MAC Remotely Grey Eyeshadow

As mentioned above, this shadow is great to smoke out a dark brown liner along the lashlines. I also love it as a lid colour for a daytime neutral look. Despite the name, it's more of a taupey-brown than grey, though I suppose it has the tiniest hint of a silvery/grey sheen to it. I really wish this wasn't LE, because in my opinion this is a must-have shade!

3. MAC Amplified Lipstick in Impassioned

I can't believe I never noticed this shade before! I went into MAC last week to exchange some of my Back 2 MAC empties, and they didn't have the lipstick I was looking for in stock. I was just about to give up and leave, when I glanced over and this shade caught my eye. It's the most gorgeous coral/pink shade that is both bold and tasteful simultaneously. Though it's not for every day, this is a super fun lipstick to wear for a night out!


4. MAC False Lashes Mascara (Black)

I used to use MAC Plush Lash every day. I decided to give this one a try, and I haven't even opened my brand new replacement Plush Lash that I bought a few months ago. This adds length and volume and can be worn in the day time, or built up for a night out. New fave.

5. Lancome Luring Eyeshadow (Sheen)

Okay, so I don't like Lancome because of the whole testing on animals thing, so I went back and forth about whether to include this shadow on the list. In the end I decided to because in all honesty, though I won't be purchasing from them again in the future, this shadow is one that I find to be unique. It is an iridescent shimmery shadow that has hints of blue, green and purple in it. I like to layer it over another shadow (or paint pot) that will accentuate one of these colours.

6. Bare Escentuals Buxom Lip Tarnish in "Caught on Tape"

You might not have heard of these pencils - I hadn't. They're basically lip stain/glaze in a pencil format that has BE's Buxom line plumping properties. I love the colour of this - it's between a rich burgundy red and a fuchsia pink - and you can build the colour up or wear it as a subtle hint of colour during the day. Great.


7. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

I'm sure you have all heard of this cream - it's something of a cult favourite. It's bright yellow and comes in a clear plastic cubic pump container. It also comes in handy travel-size squeeze tubes for $15 each. I have trouble with dry skin in the winter, so this is a very important part of my winter skin care. It's thick enough to provide lots of moisture, but it absorbs more quickly than other creams so it doesn't leave my skin feeling oily. Also it doesn't have much of a scent - if anything it smells a little like oatmeal - which is another plus in my book. Because I hate using hand cream and then forgetting and touching my face, I have actually been known to use this as a hand cream in the winter time as well, and it works wonders for my hands and if I do touch my face, it doesn't leave it feeling gross. Bonus.


8. Kiehl's Lip Balm or MAC Lip Conditioner

I don't shop at Kiehl's anymore, because of the whole animal testing fiasco (they are a subsidiary of L'Oreal), but I have a tub and a tube of their lip balm that I'm still working on using up. It really isn't anything special, in all honesty, so you can substitute Rosebud Salve or MAC Lip Conditioner or even a drug store brand of lip conditioner. But whatever you use, it's important to moisturized those lips in the winter time, just like you do with the rest of your skin. I use this before bed at night and in the morning when I'm doing the rest of my makeup. If I'm not wearing a coloured lip product I'll also use it throughout the day.

9. Bobbi Brown Longwear Cream Shadow in Sand Dollar

This is a great base colour or for a daytime neutral eye. It is a muted taupe colour with a hint of shimmer that makes it gorgeous worn alone or with a thin wash of similar eyeshadow over top. I like it with MAC's Wedge shadow in the crease and Seasonally Spicy smudged into the lashline with Remotely Grey (you can also use any mid-tone brown shadow). So easy!

10. Nars Blush Brush

I love that this is super soft, it picks up just enough product when tapped off lightly and is the perfect size to apply to the cheekbone - I hate brushes that are too large so that blush ends up everywhere, or too small so that it ends up in a thin line. Pricey, but I'm getting daily use out of it!

So there you go, that's what I'm loving this week! Until next time....

xo M.

Bobbi Brown - Rich Lip Color SPF12

L-R: Old Hollywood, Rose Blossom, Crimson, Mod Pink, Cosmic Raspberry 

If you're an avid YouTuber and makeup fanatic (and let's face it, if you're reading this, you probably are), you may have come across Bobbi Brown's video introducing her Rich Lip Color SPF 12 lipsticks:

They look beautiful, don't they? I discovered them when I read Temptalia's review and saw this picture:

 Cosmic Raspberry (photo by Temptalia)

You all know how obsessed I am with pink lipstick, so of course I NEEDED this IMMEDIATELY if not sooner. The real drag? They don't sell them in Canada. You heard me, as beautiful as they are, you can't get them here. So if you want to try these out, you're going to have to get creative. Find a friend who is going to the States or an online site that will ship to Canada (which I still haven't managed to do).

But however you manage it, get your eager little hands on a couple of these. As you can see, I snagged a few, and while not all of them have become favourites, I do find myself reaching for Cosmic Raspberry frequently when I'm looking for a bright pop of colour. Mod pink is a little too peachy for me, but rose blossom is great if you want a neutral pink look. Old Hollywood is exactly the (quint)essential, glamorous red that you'd want it to be. It looks beautiful with a dramatic, dark eyeliner.

And finally, we have Crimson. This is a very dark burgundy shade - that quite frankly scared me a bit when I first opened it. However, Bobbi's right - you can build it to make it more subtle or super dramatic. Here's a cool video I found yesterday that might help you figure out how if you're having trouble:

The final word? I really like these. They're nearly-matte, but they're not drying. I find them easy to apply and work with, and they don't need constant upkeep (though bear in mind that the more intense or dark a colour, the more often you'll need to touch up!). If you get a chance to pick some up, I'd definitely recommend it. I'll update this pots if I hear anything about them becoming available in Canada - which I very much hope they will!

Ratings:
Packaging: 5/5 

Product quality: 5/5
Worth the price? Perhaps. These are a bit pricey. If you have the cash, they're worth it. If you're on a drugstore budget, these might not be worth the scrimping and saving!
Would I purchase again? Yes. In fact, I must admit to having a backup of Cosmic Raspberry!

Cruelty-Free? Still looking into it.

Where to find it: Bobbi Brown stores and online. Nordstrom's in store and online.(Note: Canadian Bobbi Brown retailers do not carry this product at this time, and neither online site will ship to Canada.)