Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick: Wild Rose Review

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick: Wild Rose

Hello Lovely People!!
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“Back with Bobbi” – sounds like a hep name for the Bobbi Brown Series?? Hmmm….sad that I thought of the name when I have reached the fag end of the series!!

Anyways…How can a Bobbi Brown series be complete without mentioning (or reviewing) her Shimmer Brick! A product with cult following, Bobbi’s Shimmer brick are the ultimate product for shimmer lovers….a blush? A highlighter? An eye shadow pack? It a multi tasker – don’t we love those.

THE BACKSTORY:
One season, with just minutes to go before the runway lights went up, a fashion designer asked Bobbi to give all the models a lit-from-within look. So she took a shimmery eye shadow and dusted it on everyone’s cheeks—and that’s how the idea for Shimmer Brick was born.

Shimmer bricks are handmade in Italy by pressing five different shades of “ultra-luxe pure pearl pigments” into one pan and double-baking them, the brand explains, and a variety of highlighter shades have been available through the years, some permanent and some limited.

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Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick - Wild Rose

Product Information:

In Bobbi’s own words – “Swept over cheeks or dabbed on lids, nothing lights up your face like shimmer.”

You will not find information on “Wild Rose” shimmer brick on Bobbi’s site. Why? Because it is not available for sale through the site. It’s a special edition product. Note – it is not Limited Edition (available for limited time only) but Special edition (available to select customer base). It is Travel exclusive. So, you will find it easily at in Bobbi Brown’s counters Duty Free shops and Inflight on International airlines.
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From the Cathay Pacific Inflight Magazine : Hand made in Italy, this award winning editor’s favorite highlights skin with five bars of pearlescent shimmer. Each bar also doubles up as eye shadow.

From the website:
To apply: Sweep the Face Blender Brush through all five shades of Shimmer Brick Compact and dust lightly on cheekbones after blush. Focus on applying shimmer on the top of cheekbones – where light naturally hits the face – for the most flattering look.

Bobbi Brown - Shimmer Brick - Wild Rose

Shimmer Brick Tip
Nothing lights up the face like a touch of shimmer. For skin that looks lit-from within, focus on applying Shimmer Brick on top of the cheekbones. To highlight eyes, apply the lightest shade in the compact just under the browbone.

Price:
$49.00 or 10.3gms of product.
I know the dollar conversion today makes you think and re-think shopping for makeup!!!

Packaging:
The shimmer brick comes housed in a black box with a decent sized mirror. There is no brush (Bobbi launched holiday edition of shimmer brick in Rose, couple of years back with a mini blender brush with it – LE only). The brick is hoised in the centre of the box protected with a styrofoam cushion. I have retained the styrofoam cushion to ensure the brick doesn’t break – have heard horror stories online of the brick shattering to pieces post a fall.

Since it’s a special edition, the packaging is slightly different with gold accents on the top of the box which gives it a nice luxe apperance!

The compact comes packaged in a cardboard box. Again, since this was special edition – purchased inflight, it came with a cellophene wrap seal packaging around it – which is always a welcome sight!

Product:
The product consisits of five shimmery pink-tinted strips. The individual strips vary from rosy light-medium pink to peach-orange to warm-toned dirty pink – all with a frosted metallic sheen,

The pigmentation is okay, however because of the immense shimmer, you may not be able to make out much distinction between colours in swatches or on application.

For the Cheeks I tried using it as a blush on my cheeks; the colour payoff is just okay, not very high not very low, because it has been designed as such– not to give as much colour as it is for highlighting. If I build up the colour in layers, it does build up to a rosy hue; however, the shimmer also does. The added shimmer tends to draw attention to my open pores. (please note, it is a shimmer brick….however, it is not like glitter on your face!!)

I think the need to build up for the colour to really show may be because of the skin tone– I am NC30-35 in MAC. On a fairer, say Caucasian skin, this could work as a perfect shimmery rosy blush.

You do have the option of sweeping this on to your cheek post application of a blush– hence, adding a touch of shimmer to any blush of yours and the extra oomph to your face!

For the purpose of the review, the photograph is with built-up shimmer brick (no blush added to the cheek).

For the eyes – If you like shimmery eyeshadow (I do) – this could work for you. However, I feel that the colour variation between the five strips is very less. So when I tried it on my eyes (refer the pics), I am not really able to tell that I have used 2 shades and not just used one shade all over the lid. Which is a bummer!

On the Lips – This is not an advertised usage but you could use the brick to dab a little shimmer on your lips and top it with a nude lipgloss to give an extra oomph to your lips!

To sum this up for you:

Pros of Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick: Wild Rose

1. The powder is extremely finely milled
2. Shimmer is not at all chunky or glittery but very very fine.
3. Gives a pleasant rosy hue blush to the cheeks
4. Multipurpose product – use as blush, eyeliner, highlighter.
5. Easy to apply
6. Easy to carry and do touchups since the product comes with a mirror. However, I would be wary of carrying it around in my bag – for fear that the strips might break with impact.
7. Did not break me out
8. Decent pigmentation

Cons of Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick: Wild Rose

1. The shimmer does accentuate pores a little.
2. The price is a con –3K+ for the product
3. Too much quantity – Yes, you read that right! Its too much quantity for us to be able to use it – even with it being multipurpose!

Grande Finale:
IMBB Rating: Product – 4.5 / Indian Context – 2.5
Ok – this is the first time I am splitting the rating of a product in this way.

As a product category – it is a great multi-tasker. It has been a game changer and an iconic product in the Bobbi Brown line – and is definitely high quality. You cannot complain that it gives too much shimmer – hello!! It is a shimmer brick!

In the Indian Context – In our context, ie, with reference to the Indian skin tone, I do not see Wild Rose being used much by me in my daily regime. Yes, it’s a highlighter, it’s a eyeshadow, it’s a blush – however, 3K for this is a wee bit too much because I personally will not use it much. Open pores, skin tone – these conditions do not help me want to reach for the product.

But note, I am not writing off this product, I am commenting on the shade Wild Rose in context to the general Indian skin tone.

You may be someone who loves this product or another shade of the Shimmer Brick. Do check out the shimmer brick in store / counter before you shell out 49$!!

Cheers! Have a great day!

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Bronze
Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow Charcoal 12

IMBB RECOMMENDS

14 thoughts on “Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick: Wild Rose Review

    1. *thankyou* Triya – glad you like the review! ANd I totally agree…too expensive and I am not able to justify the expense! *waaa*

  1. Looks absolutely gorgeous on you! *clap* *puchhi*
    I want BB here!! Kulpreet, send me some BB products, you have so many of them already!! 😛 😛

    1. *thankyou* Astha for your kind words! Believe it or not, officially, we dont have BB in Mumbai still! Though there is a shop that I know which keeps all imported stuff – last I went here, he should me an entire stock of new BB lippies – some hundred pieces…charging about INR 2150 each….mark up of about INR 600-700!!! *nonono* *nonono* I was like noooooooo way!!!

      Where are you based out of Astha?

      1. omg is it? I can’t wait to go to Delhi now, just 5 more months now!! *happydance*
        and I live quite close to you, I am in Manipal. 🙂

        1. Something special taking you to Delhi? Do a haul and share details with us on what all you liked and what all you picked. Im soooo excited!! *happy dance* *happy dance* *happy dance*

    1. Something prettier coming up soon Gowthami! *pompom* *pompom*

      Shimmery! Yes! But what to do…it is aptly named – SHimmer brick!! rofl rofl

  2. I absolutely love shimmer bricks. Have the bronze one and I do have to use it every time I do makeup. Love it. You have done beautiful eye makeup and you look pretty. Good review 🙂

    1. *thankyou* *thankyou* for your encouraging words Rati! Means a lot!!

      I like shimmer…especially on the eyes (I feel it brightens the eye area) but with open pores n oily skin, I RARELY go for the dewy, shimmer effect. I know you like the Shimmer brick – had read your review on it and also your love for MAC skin finish! Something nicer coming up soon to make you jealous jealous!! *green* *green* *green*

    1. *thankyou* Aditi! Yes, the packaging is wow! Makes you enjoy opening the product – if only I could use this often!! *waaa* *waaa*

  3. the love how it brightens you face …lovely pics kulpreet *clap* I love products that have multi utilities *hifive*

    1. *thankyou* *thankyou* Parmita! So kind of you!

      Yes, multipurpose products do make life easier and interesting! If only there were more of these around! *hifive*

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