On the display unit for Bobbi Brown's Party Time Collection for Holiday 2011, there are some very snazzy eye shadows. The metallic eye shadow quads captured my attention immediately. Less eye catching at first glance were the Dual Ended Eye Liner pencils ($24). They were just pencils, right? Once I experimented, I found they were no less enticing than the rest of the collection. Three color duos offer a jazzy way to enhance our eyes in black with silver, black with gold, and Chocolate/Bronze (my choice).
Chocolate/Bronze offers two fabulous shades in one pencil. On one end, there's a medium-intensity brown. On the other, there's a stunning bronze that shines with a touch of gold.You won't see that dazzle of this liner in any of my photos of the pencils themselves. There's one above, but the shadow on the right almost obliterates the bronze color on the right. You can see the chocolate pretty well on the left side of the pencil. To use that old saying, "It's what's inside that counts." So, let's get to swatch photos.
Because I - like most of you, I'm sure - have countless black eye liner pencils, I focused right away on the brown shades. These two are gorgeous. I hope you can see that Chocolate is just that, a dark milk chocolate that definitely looks brown (as opposed to some brown liners that are almost black). This is a great color for many women who instinctively reach for black, but want (or need) a subtle change.
The Bronz
e shade is a beautiful shimmering brown-bronze. Not as gold as some bronze-toned makeup, but certainly with golden shine, Bronze draws attention to the eyes. It's perfect for your party look for the holidays. Naturally, the two shades can be blended to create a third.This pencil is ultra-creamy. You'll want to dot or dash it into a line above (or below) your lashes. That actually makes it easy to use (it applies smoothly and easily), but it's so creamy that the testers had been worn to nubs in a short time on display. Fortunately and conveniently, there is a sharpener included in the box. You'll need it if you like your new Dual Ended Eye Liner as much as I like mine. Remember to turn the sharpener, not the liner, when you sharpen it.
I purchased mine at Neiman Marcus. I'm sure it will be available soon at all Bobbi Brown counters and on Bobbi Brown's Web site. Want to stick with black? You have two options - one with silver and one with gold. Bobbi Brown has you covered for the holidays.
Photos by Best Things in Beauty
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10 comments:
I loved the color of this liner too however since it is so soft, I figured it would probably smear on my lower lash line; However i agree with you that the color is beautiful. Also played with the new Tom Ford lipsticks.. sooo tempted!! Hope all is great with you-Gaby
These colors are SO me--I keep thinking, "I have enough makeup," and then something new comes out that I have to have. Let's face it: Once a makeup junkie, always a makeup junkie! (and that's one habit I don't want to break!)
Gaby, it doesn't smear once it "sets." It's actually hard to remove unless you use a long-wear eye makeup remover. You will love that about it.
I agree, MamaVal,
I got over the "too much makeup" thing a long time ago and just resigned myself to my addiction.
I was out doing a bit of shopping and made a point of stopping by the BB counter to check out the new pencils you had reviewed. While I was there, the lovely MA showed me the complete holiday collection and asked if I'd like a test drive. Of course I said yes! She gave me quite a festive look using the party palette in Chocolate & Gold and the pencil in Ebony/Gold. Needless to say, I scooped up both the palette and pencil she had used along with another pencil in Chocolate/Bronze.
These pencils are everything you said they were and they apply so effortlessly along the lid and right into the lash line. I think this new generation of eyeliner pencils we've been seeing from the likes of Armani, YSL, Chantecaille, and now Bobbi Brown is incredible. They pack all the wonderful things we love about gels into a simple and easy to use format.
As for the eyeshadow palettes, they are ultra festive and, yes, quite glittery but, when the lovely MA patted the shadows on my lids over a tiny bit of primer, there wasn't any fallout. Several hours later, the sparkles are still where they're supposed to be and not on my cheeks :-)
Hi Gaby,
Give these new pencils a try at the counter. They are super soft and creamy, but once they set, they're set! The MA used the pencil itself to line my upper lashes but stroked Bobbi's gel liner brush over the pencil and used the brush to line under my lower lashes which are long and tend to get in the way of pencils. There wasn't any smudging then or now.
Thanks for the review. I'm shopping around for new eyeliners as we speak. Just a quick question - why turn the sharpener, not the liner? I always do it the other way around.
Hi Caitlin,
The theory is that if you use a sharpener with a good blade and you turn it gently around the pencil, you are less likely to break delicate leads--or in this case, gels--caused by pressing the pencil too hard against the sharpener while turning. Also, theory has it that you are less likely to shove the point of the pencil into the sharpener; thereby breaking the point. This technique is not just for makeup, but works well with any pencil that has a delicate lead.
Thanks for answering, Eileen! Want a job? :)
Hi I was wondering if u could do a review on the palettes in the picture? This is the only blog on which I found anything about this collection :s Even though everything looks so pretty..
Hi Sofie!
I won't be buying those BB palettes, so it's unlikely I can review them. I will tell you this...I tested them in the store and found them to be extremely glittery. More sparkle than pigment on some of the shades. The neutrals had drawn my eye immediately, but once I tested them, I decided to skip them. My favorite sales associate wasn't impressed either.
Hope that helps.
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