Even beauty bloggers get the blues...
...and when they do, they order the weirdest things.
Don't ask me what possessed me to go for Bobbi Brown's new Hot Collection (Spring/summer 2015), a selection of colors described on Bobbi's website in terrifying terms such as "bright electric". I tried in vain to explain it to my friend Josie who was here as I opened the package. She knows me better than to suspect a case of shopping under the influence, but she had a good laugh nonetheless. Because really: Hot Berry and Hot Orange?
Well, actually, yes.
Applied judiciously, these Bobbi Brown matte cream lip crayons are not that crazy, at least over lips that are naturally dark. In its pencil form and even swatched on skin Hot Berry is more of a shocking pink color, but on my lips there's a raspberry tone that's a lot more wearable than I feared. The Hot Orange is even better. Since my natural color is on the cool side it balances the orange bomb and makes it more of a tomato red. I also tried mixing and blending the two colors and applying with a brush (a good idea in any case), but the jury is still out there. As you can see in the swatches above, the colors are so bright they make my skin appear horribly washed out. A blush is an absolute must here, and probably also a strong brow.
Bright Electric colors aside, my real issue with Bobbi Brown's Art Sticks is the dry matte feeling they give me unless my lips are practically swimming in a balm, which renders the longevity rather moot. These are intensely pigmented matte lipsticks, and thus one should follow the classic rules of exfoliate, moisturize, and apply with care-- just as you would with any bright lipstick. A good companion to the Art Sticks are the other Hot Collection items: Bobbi's Sheer Lip Color lipsticks in corresponding colors (review next week). Of course, all these products can be used on their own, but the sheer lipsticks are helpful in the fight against dry lips (I'd still avoid the crayons if your lips show any signs of being parched or flaky).
Bottom Line: Why not?
Bobbi Brown Hot Collection Art Stick ($26 each) are available at the counter and online. The pencils come with their own jumbo sharpeners.
Sometimes you just need more colour in your life!
ReplyDeleteI amazed myself when I got my first bright orange red lipstick and was even more amazed when I got a pink(ish red) one, but I have worn them a lot and they never fail to cheer me up. In my case it might have (at least partly) something to do with my whitening hair - bright lippies are more becoming now than they were when my hair was still brown (I favoured muted shades back then).
Besides the basic names, I think these are so good. I wear them sheer over lip balm during the day, and these colors will be stunning this summer. Sunset Orange is a little more toned down than Hot Orange.
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