REVIEW┊ Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

awkward shot! My arm makes a cameo appearance..gah >.<

If you've spent any time in the beauty world, I'm sure you've heard many things about the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks. I picked up two of them, in Apricot and Sandstone. These are limited edition but don't worry, these are still available at a number of retailers. If appearing like a refined shimmer goddess is on your to-do lists, keep on reading for more thoughts and swatches!

The Shimmer Bricks are handcrafted in Italy to give you a refined, lit-from-within glow. Can be used on both eyes and cheeks, these luminizers impart a soft, natural glow that will have people mesmerized at the goddess glow!

PACKAGING on these is very sleek and functional. With a push of a button, the compact rises but you'll have to do

the rest of the legwork to fully open the compact. I've travelled with this compact already and am happy to report 

that neither the compact or its contents have cracked. I was a bit worried as I've heard the product is quite fragile but they included a styrofoam square that I keep inside to help cushion it when travelling. I don't recommend tossing it carelessly into your bag but it'll stand up to light jostling. Sandstone's packaging is slightly nicer as the hazy, smokey effect makes it look more mysterious. Apricot is in the typical black packaging. The compact doesn't attract fingerprints like crazy, so no worries about it looking grubby over time. If you do happen to get foundation or cream products onto the compact, it is easily wiped away with a tissue. The mirror is decently sized; I do not have to hold the compact very far to see my entire face. 

These are a powder FORMULA but do not feel dry. They don't FEEL creamy either but they are smooth. These do kick up a bit of powder--I wiped it down with a damp tissue before photographing but that is something to keep in mind. I don't detect a SCENT so no worries for my sensitive sniffers out there. Where these products really glow, hehe, is their APPLICATION. I use a fluffy brush, like my elf Complexion Brush, to dust the product lightly on my cheeks. These can be used for highlighter but swirling all the colors together gives me more of a blush look. You can just dip into the top two strips for more of a highlighting effect. PIGMENTATION is subtle but can be built up, depending on the look you're going for. One layer will give a very soft, ethereal glow. Two layers gives me a barely there blush look with dewy skin, perfect for natural makeup days. Three layers will be glittery disco ball and while that may not be everyone's cup of tea, I didn't notice any emphasis on my pores or other imperfections. On the contrary, I found my post-acne hyperpigmentation marks on my cheeks seemed less dark and obvious. I did look oily, especially in photos so I wouldn't really recommend it but be assured that these did not emphasize larger pores or blemish marks for me. WEAR TIME varies on multiple conditions so take the following as estimates. I tested this over the L'Oreal True Match Liquid Foundation and no primer or powder under or over top. While the color had faded around hour 3, the shimmer lasted until the end of the day. 

SWATCHES 

When I say "heavy" swatch, I swirled my finger in all the colors 3 times before applying to my bare arm. As with all my swatches, I do not apply lotion or any primer beforehand to test how well the product adheres to my skin and how pigmented it appears. As you can see, I didn't get any dustiness or powderiness in my swatches. Pigment adheres well to skin without any skin showing through. Thumbs up for sure!

Apricot is an apricot color when swirled together. You can, of course, concentrate your brush in certain sections for different looks. If I want a more highlighting look, I use the top 2 sections. If I'm going for a blush effect, I like to use the bottom 3 for a pigmented apricot look. I like how this gives me a more glowy, tanned and warm appearance without darkening my skin. I look like I've just been running outside and have a nice sheen on my skin.

Sandstone is a shimmery brown-y mauve color. It gives me a slightly contoured look without being an actual contour color. I like this blush especially now as it is quite subtle on my light medium skintone.

OTHER THOUGHTS 

Each compact retailed for $44usd for 0.4oz/10.3g ($110usd per oz). Quite expensive for what it is but this is the first cheek product I've come across that can give me that refined look without going shimmer overboard. Physician's Formula and Revlon make similar products to these, so if you're looking for a budget-friendly version, I'd check those out. Personally, I have not tried them out but Tati from GlamlifeGuru has a review on Apricot. 

I'm highlighter-averse because I used to have such oily skin. Nowadays, my skin doesn't produce as much oil and I'm enjoying the few highlighters I've tried so far. After trying these out, I think I'm more of a liquid highlighter kind of girl but these are great for blush + highlighter in one go. Previously, the days were gloomy and overcast and these added that nice glow to my skin. These days, the weather is quite sunny so the shimmer in this is too much for me for daytime. I still love adding this on top of whatever I have going on when I go out for dinner though. Long story short, shimmer on these is a little too much for me during the day when it's sunny, but come nighttime, lay the shimmer on me!

BOTTOM LINE

I would recommend them if they fit your budget and if you like shimmer. If highlighter is the last thing on your mind when you're getting ready, skipping these will be fine. Choosing one out of the two I've tried, I would recommend Sandstone just because it's more neutral and functions as a highlight + blush + contour on my skintone. Apricot is pretty but I'm not really into orange cheeks these days. Bobbi Brown also makes 5 other colors. I'm definitely looking into either Rose or Pink Quartz for my next Shimmer Brick purchase. 

WHERE TO BUY 

BOBBI BROWN SHIMMER BRICK COMPACT IN APRICOT || Bobbi Brown

BOBBI BROWN SHIMMER BRICK COMPACT IN SANDSTONE || Neiman Marcus

BOBBI BROWN SHIMMER BRICK COMPACT || Bobbi Brown | Neiman Marcus | Nordstrom | Sephora 

Have you tried the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks before? 

What are your thoughts on these?

XOXO,

MWAH ♥

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