Double-Decker Dips

Wow! Talk about a palette that packs a punch. This Bobbi Brown bonanza has it all. A double decker of gorgeousness, many looks - from the subtle to the stunning can be conjured up with these personally picked creamy lip colours and eye shadows from the make-up maestro herself, Bobbi. Flattering to all skin tones, it makes for the perfect Christmas stocking thriller, or if you really want it to be all about you, it's the perfect self gifting treat. Bobbi's tag is #ReadySetGive which I feel could easily be switched to #ReadySetKeep!

Bobbi brown Deluxe Lip & Eye Palette on counter now for £59  

Surf eyes are up

There are palettes and then there are Bobbi Brown palettes. The Limited Edition Surf & Sand Eye Palette is a summer wonder and has poolside chic written all over it. Perfect if you fancy experimenting with pastel tones that aren't too out there, these metallic, sea washed and beach bound pretty hues can be worn alone or layered on the lid. My personal favourites are the new Bikini Bronze, Surf Sparkle and Sea Foam Sparkle eye shadows. With 8 go-to colours, they're a breeze to apply and easy peasy to pack in the magnetic closing, sand linen wrapped fabric palette. No other eye shadows are required. It's as beach babe as make-up gets.

Bobbi Brown Surf & Sand Palette, £48. On counter July.

Blush crush

Preparing to leap into March dictates an upswing in mood and therefore make-up. Cosmetic counters literally pop with bright ‘n’ breezy spring shades to lift winter pale complexions. I love to start with the cheeks as it’s the easiest way to uplift the whole face. Putting a pure and natural flush in the apples is Clinique’s Cheek Pop collection. A playful embossed daisy that delivers the freshest of colours with zero trace of power or build-up. The wizardry formula begins life as a smooth liquid which is then transformed through a slow baking process - I don’t think Mary Berry was involved, that ends life as a super lightweight powder. Colour stays true all day.  Just abracadabra.

For a more vintage feel, but nevertheless still bright and modern is Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks in Hibiscus. It’s a limited edition which was inspired by Bobbi’s memories of her grandmother who used lipstick on her cheeks instead of blush. This doubly hard-working pot of cosmetic joy blends blindfold easy, giving cheeks a pretty and sheer wash of colour. As for the lips a stained finish is imparted which helps the illusion of fullness. Who say two into one doesn’t go?

Clinique Cheek Pops is available in 4 shades and retails for £16.60

Bobbi brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks retails for £19.00

Both on counter March

for skin misbehaving

9

My skin has been very touchy lately. As with all sensitive issues I approach it with a softly, softly approach. So the spotty rash that started appearing just under my nose and spreading down the side of my mouth I treated with kid gloves. My very first stop was to shop for a super gentle cleanser – one that wasn’t full of fancy anti-ageing ingredients that could potentially irritate, along with a formula that left skin wrapped in comfort and and not hung out to dry. The name Cetaphil kept popping up in magazines as a cleanser loved by models – if anyone knows about  superior cleansing it’s this glamorous tribe who have cleansing down to a fine art after shoots. It was also deemed a favourite of dermatologists. Sold to the lady with a rash! In a handy pump dispenser, it’s everything free – soap free, fragrance free and clogging free and feels like a million dollars when applied. It’s so easy to work with and rinses off like a dream.  Now, it hasn’t single  handedly cleared up my rash – I’ve had a little help from my GP, but it is a cleanser that my skin has fallen in love and I’m sticking to. Cetaphil from Boots, £8.99

Another keeper for my skin is Bobbi Brown’s Extra Bright Advanced Moisture Cream.  A super duper, deeply hydrating formula that plumps up skin something wonderful. And truly does leave skin with a healthy looking glow.  Quite  handy when your complexion has the tone of a pavement thanks to this dull and dreary weather! The secret lies in Glucosamine that gently exfoliates and therefore makes skin smoother for light to refract. I like to mix it in with a CC cream to really reboot the complexion. Available this month at £62.50

Nude but not naked

This time of year the face calls for a splash of January cheer but crucially with shades that are none too garish. Too bright against a pallid complexion and you run the risk of looking like Bozo the clown. Bobbi Brown the queen of understated gorgeousness has got the make-up mix just right (again) this season with her Nude Glow Collection.

Likened to pieces of sparkly jewellery – preferably pink diamonds! That you wear to bring a lightness of being to your look, so does the everyday Nude Glows bring a veil of ultra prettiness and natural shine to your face. My favourites are the limited edition eye palettes. Colour quartets of nude, crystal or bronze pop open sleepy New Year eyes something beautiful with a mix of mattes, soft shimmers and just-enough sparkle. Colour swipe solo or wear layered for a come-hither sexier look. To complement the collection the limited edition Sheer Lip Colors are lightweight and easy breezy to wear for a barely brightened lip, whereas the nail polish in Ballet Pink Glitter adds grown-up cuteness to nails. To bask a fatigued complexion in flattering cosmetic light, the three Brightening Finishing Powders in picks of  Procaine Pearl, Brightening Nudes and Bronze Glow are formulated to give skin a healthy detoxed glow. Wrapped up, this collection is nude but leaves your skin far from looking completely naked.

The Nude Glow Collection is now on counter.

Eye Palette £35

Sheer Lip Color £19

Nail Polish £11

Brightening Finishing Powder £40
www.bobbibrown.co.uk

Bobbi's stocking thrillers

‘Tis the season of the make-up palette. Leading up to Christmas every colour imaginable is pored into a palette. Some not so good, others okay and some brilliant with tonal colours and textures thought out to the nth degree. Bobbi Brown’s Gift Giving Collection are palettes of perfection.

Expertly edited, Bobbi has ensured there’s no colour that goes unused in her palettes. The star player is her Twilight Pink Lip & Eye Palette, £59. A double decker compact that keeps lips and eyes looking glam and gorgeous all season long. Pick ‘n’ mix with 10 eye shades and four super pretty lip shades. Or, you could ditch the lips and chose the £37 Eye Shadow Palettes with an assortment of nude to rich shades in cool and warm tones.  For eyes that literally want to sparkle, check out the Sequin Shimmer Brick Eye Palette, £34.50. Flip it open to reveal 10 perfect non-crepey shimmery sjhades from silver to golden tones. Just beautiful. And, talking of shimmery, her seasonal limited edition Nude Glow Shimmer Brick, £35 gives skin a sheer dusting of luxury gold and bronze shades. Whether you gift or self-gift, there’s little doubt anyone will be left standing alone under the mistletoe! 

Bobbi Brown's Holiday Gift Giving Collection is in stores now or available from www.bobbibrown.co.uk

 

In the navy!

Who would think of navy as the perfect shade to carry off from summer-to-autumn? Always full of surprises, Bobbi Brown introduces her Navy & Nude collection – and just like a Breton tee, it’s a look that’s summery, crisp and fresh.

“Navy is for everyone,” says Lori Woodhouse, Bobbi Brown’s education executive who talked me through the look at the launch. “The intensity is super matte and dense, and when used with a nude shadow brings warmth to the eye.” The limited edition Navy & Nude Eye Palette really is top drawer – opening to reveal two shelves of 8 shades ranging from ivory, a beige shimmer wash, a rich navy and a blazing star sparkle which Lori says hides texture on the eyelid if you’re not good at blending. Advising to apply from the lightest to the darkest shade when layering, and finishing off with a smattering of sparkle, Lori created the look on the model above. Here you can see how a classically cool, soft smoky eye can totally work for a summer day look.

My other two must-wears from the collection is the limited edition Brightening Brick which is super pretty, super mistake proof and really does give cheeks a pearlised, happy radiance. And I love the reverse thinking of the Navy Nail Polish. So different from the usual pinks, corals and apricots normally spied on finger to toe tips in summer. Looking modern and sexy with lightly tanned skin, it’s become my pedicure polish of choice.

Bobbi Brown’s Navy & Nude Collection is on counter in July.

Navy & Nude Eye Palette, £48

Brightening Brick, £40.00

Nail Polish, £11.00

www.bobbibrown.co.uk

Brooklyn Beauty Bound

Visiting New York last week – hence the blogger silence, a friend told me to swing by Shen Beauty.  More a destination boutique, I took the subway, then enjoyed a cab ride across the Brooklyn Bridge on the way back to Manhattan. It’s well worth the short trip. When visiting the US, I like Sephora  for a beauty browse and buy, and there's plenty of them littered across Manhattan where you can pick up familiar brands, but it’s nice as a beauty sleuth to discover somewhere that offers something different.

CO-PARTNER, JULES

The something different comes in the bottles, tubs,  lotions,  potions and liquids  lovingly edited by Jessica Richard and Jules Stringer. Bringing their unique NY-LON eye into the one-off store they created three years ago.  Jessica is from New York and formerly worked at Vogue and Jules a former beauty journalist from London, came about when the two women had a chance meeting at a music concert and beauty bonded over where to buy a decent moisturiser in Jessica’s neighbourhood. And btw, the neighbourhood is very funky with cool shops and a village vibe. Think Primrose Hill.

SOME OF SHEN BEAUTY'S EDIT

OJ IN A JAM JAR BROOKLYN STYLE!

The shop itself is light and airy and prettily washed with shades of lilac and purple. You almost feel this shop can change your life! Brands range from the well known but wanted, Bobbi Brown and Tangle Teezer,  to the lesser known brands such as Kjaer Weis with its gorgeous packaging and dewy colours,  to Mrs White’s - a natural spray anti-mosquito eau de cologne that sells in its droves.  Both Jessica and Jules really know their stuff and will happily talk to customers about any product you wish to know more about in terms of heritage, ingredients and performance.  After your beauty picks, you can soak up the neighborhood where Solange Knowles hangs out and enjoy an OJ in a jam jar at the many cafes. Awesome!

Shen Beauty is at 315 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231

www.shen-beauty.com

The new downtown smokey eye

KATIE HOLMES THE NEW FACE OF BB

THE DOWNTOWN SMOKEY EYE

Bobbi Brown always has the insight to come up with a product that, once experienced you can’t do without ever again! Her new Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick is one such product. Demonstrated with flair at its launch event by Georgina Pelosi, Bobbi Brown’s PRO artist, Georgina describes the look as the ‘downtown chic smokey eye’. A look that manages to pull off effortless and high impact in equal measure. 

A tug-free formula, it glides on a naked eye easy peasy and can be used to shade, define, smoke up and highlight eyes. No OTT blending required. Simply swipe and go. Lasting up to 8 hours without creasing or fading, it makes for the quickest and easiest eye outside of a New York minute!  

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick, £20 is available in 8 shades.

Pretty Powerful Bobbi

Love the strong sisterhood sentiment behind Bobbi Brown’s The Pretty Powerful Campaign for Women & Girls. Launching on International Women’s Day – diary date March 9^th, Pretty Powerful Pot Rouge will put their support behind organisations that empower women and girls with the confidence and resources to be their best.

“Pretty Powerful symbolises my belief that all women are pretty,” says make-up artist Bobbi Brown, and with the right tools, are empowered to a higher level of pretty.” And to me that totally sums up the power of make-up – making good what you naturally have, and playing out the confidence it cannot help but give you. Of course Bobbi realises that make-up alone cannot even the playing field for women and girls across the globe, but believes that together, those who create, apply, buy and wear make-up can. This campaign aims to helps women ‘be who they are’ and will raise funds to support programs that provide them with education, job skills and work experience. Here in the UK, the initiative will support Dress for Success, a non-profit organisation that promotes women’s economic independence through career development and job retention.  

As for the Pot Rouge it’s a keeper, a real make-up bag staple. The colour is a make-anyone-pretty pink, popping both cheeks with a flush of stained colour and giving lips a kissable soft finish. It’s a win win buy!

The Pretty Powerful Pot Rouge will be available at all Bobbi Brown Studios and the full price minus VAT of £18 will be donated to Dress For Success London.

www.dressforsuccess.org.uk

www.bobbibrown.co.uk

Beauty's shelf helper

How do you feel without any make-up on? Not even a smidgen or a smudge? I’m guessing most of us would feel naked, self conscious and just a touch under confident. Now, that’s the power of make-up. It helps not only define our features, bringing them into focus, but in turn helps boost our self esteem, literally making us face our day with a little bit more sass.

Make-up artist Bobbi Brown understands the psychology behind the wearing of make-up only too well. In her new book Pretty Powerful it’s more than just gorgeous pictures – which there are many, but has women, some well known, others not, photographed sans make-up  and minus photo shopping, so you can see blemishes, lines, pores and shine, then photographed expertly make up. The difference is incredible. It proves with a little bit of know-how you can apply beauty and confidence. The book has a life coaching feel to it without being too worthy. Women in the book tell inspiring stories such as how make-up helped them when going through a tough time with chemotherapy or how they realised their look didn’t have to fit into a certain stereotype. And talking of stereotypes, Bobbi doesn't believe in them which is why there are all types of women to relate to in this book: black, Asian, Latino, Caucasian along with start-to-finish tips on getting your base right and colours that suit.   I don’t know how old Bobbi is, but she has life experience worth hearing as a successful business woman, wife and mother, and she gives some of her insights on feeling good and inspiring you to be your best, most authentic self. It just goes to remind us that make-up isn’t just powder and paint, it can be a personal transformer.

Pretty Powerful by Bobbi Brown costs £19.99 and published by Chronicle Books.

Bobbi Brown's show of hands

Just a mega quick post to show you Bobbi Brown’s new limited edition Shimmer Nail Polish in Black Pearl. Yes, Halloween may be over, but this tough luxe of a nail lacquer – mid way between black and a dark grey, still looks fashionably edgy.  

Look out for the new Extra Hand Cream too. It 's an anti-ageing treatment for hands addressing loss of collagen and dehydration. Spooky nail colours good. Spooky crepey hands, not! 

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Nail Polish, £11
Bobbi Brown Extra Hand Cream,  £21.00 both available from this month.

Bobbi's brand new girl

 

KATIE DOES A BOBBI

This week I tweeted that Katie Holmes has been announced as the new face of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, so I thought I’d follow it up with the full blown beauty story.

Fresh out of a highly publicised divorce – I needn’t say who with, the big question was, ‘What Katie will do next?’ We now have the answer. Collaborating with Bobbi Brown as the brand’s first-ever celebrity face, it could be seen as a case of a break-over make-over! Here’s a short interview with Bobbi on her smart decision making if the press picture is anything to go by. Who wouldn’t want to emulate Katie’s fresh, confident and timeless look?

 

What is the reason you decided to sign a celebrity face to represent Bobbi Brown Cosmetics now?
I look at this a bit differently. I never set out to find a celebrity face, I hired a woman who just so happens to be a celebrity.  Katie and I met through a mutual friend and instantly clicked.  We’re both girls from the Midwest, entrepreneurs, and mothers who live multidimensional lives.  It was nice to find out that we had so much in common.  We started to talk about ways to work together on her upcoming show, and that is when it clicked and I thought she would be the perfect person to represent my brand.  Katie reminds me of a modern day Ali McGraw, who I admired growing up. She is a classic beauty with a sparkle in her eye and a smile that lights up a room. She is beautiful without trying to be.    

A YOUNG ALI McGRAW WHICH BOBBI SAW IN KATIE

 

What about Katie Holmes made her a good fit for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics?

One of my favorite beauty icons of all time is Ali McGraw who is beautiful without trying to be.  When I met Katie Holmes she instantly reminded me of Ali – a natural beauty that I can relate to.  She embodies the modern Bobbi Brown Cosmetics woman: confident, down to earth, positive spirit, beautiful inside and out.  I love how Katie Holmes is a real woman –who juggles a career, supports her community through her charity “Dizzy Feet” and is a doting mother. 

 

How do you see your relationship with Katie Holmes evolving over the next year?
Next week, I look forward to working together on creating the beauty looks for her Spring 2013 fashion show for her and stylist Jeanne Yang’s “Holmes & Yang” line.  I’ve been a fan of the brand for its simple, clean lines that enhance a woman’s shape.  Next, we will be shooting the brand’s spring ad campaign with Katie Holmes in New York City.