Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

All About Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

Years ago, Bobbi Brown added to her collection of already genius products and introduced the Shimmer Brick. Originally offered as part of the holiday collection in 2002, the product hit shelves in late '01 to much fanfare. At the time, it was available in one relatively diverse shade, bronze. Many rave reviews and years later, the product is now a staple in the lineup and is available in seven different shades!

In order to really understand Shimmer Brick, consider that this product really is a little brick of five colors. Each is positioned horizontally, one on top of the other, in a sleek black compact that also includes a mirror. Dusted on with a voluminous powder or blush brush, this shimmering powder instantly enhances all skin tones and offers a radiant glow that's virtually unmatched by anything else out there.

Even better, the product can be used as an all-over face highlighter and as eye shadow! The five colors in each compact are perfect partners for each other; worn on the eyelids, they add shimmer, color and a soft glow.

My Experience

I've always loved shimmer and glimmer. From my childhood obsession with sparkly lip gloss to my grownup infatuation with gleaming eye shadows, I've always had a thing for the glittering stuff.

It's no surprise that it was love at first sight almost as soon as I laid eyes on Shimmer Brick! Though I've never been a huge fan of bronzers, I was compelled to try the product anyway, not least because the buzz surrounding it was so strong and the reviews so positive that I was convinced it would be foolish not to!

Neutrals

It's the one that started it all. The original bronze Shimmer Brick may have planted some seeds of doubt in my mind (after all, I was foreign to bronzers and had never been interested in getting to know them), but I gave it a shot. The difference between this and other bronzers is, first and foremost, in the color variation. A Shimmer Brick compact offers five coordinating shades, while a bronzer typically offers me one rather muddy shade.

There's no muddiness here, though. The colors are less on the orange side of the spectrum and more brownish-beige, with hints of gold and champagne to soften them up. I wear this often throughout the summer on the apples of my cheeks. If I want to achieve a homemade glow without the sun's help, I use a light hand and dust some on my temples, nose and chin. The result is a soft, sunlit glow with a hint of shimmer.

If the idea of bronze is too much for you, consider the lovely beige. Much more neutral than the bronze, it offers very little pigment but still stands out from a highlighting standpoint. In fact, I use this most often to play up my brow bones. Another fun trick that I love is adding a dash of beige shimmer over dark eyeliner. The sparkling effect is cute and eye catching, yet still somewhat understated thanks to the diminutive beige tone.

One look at the brownie shade might turn some people off; it's quite dark to the naked eye. Grab a brush and dust it on, though, and you'll see a different side to this enigmatic shade.

The rosy-brown color that appears is perfect for the coolest months of the year, when that sort of glow looks so fresh and appealing. The two darkest shades in brownie are stellar eye shadows – use the darkest in the crease and dust the other all over the lid for a gorgeous holiday look.

Pinks

The pink variations of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick collection really caught my eye. Being a true girly-girl, I couldn't resist the beauty of peony. Exceptionally bright just to look at, it gave me pause. I was fairly sure I wouldn't be able to wear it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could – with a little effort.

In order to pull it off as a blush, I needed to dust this rosy-pink powder on with a very light hand. Just the slightest bit of pressure made the color build up too much for my liking, and since I prefer not to walk around looking like a clown I tried my best to keep it light. Easily my favorite of the entire collection, peony is surprisingly also great to wear on the eyelids (again, with a light touch).

If there is a dud in the bunch, it's the pink Shimmer Brick. So frosty it reminds me of the '80s, this offers very little pigment and far too much shimmer to be practical. While I appreciate the shimmer that the others provide, this provides just that and nothing else. Since pink is my favorite color, I was quite disappointed.

Other Shimmer Bricks

Other colors in the group include:

• Apricot: Rely on this to provide a sheer, natural flush. It's perfect for all skin tones.

• Sandstone: Neutral but also rather dull, this shade doesn't commit to a particular skin tone and is on the sallow side.

• Gold: Talk about glitzy! If you love the gilded stuff, you'll love this intensely golden color. I prefer it for the eyelids.

• Rose: Trumping pink in the color department but not quite topping peony, rose is a delightful shade that works well all over the face.