Quick Review: Bobbi Brown Smokey Eyeshadow Palette

Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Palette ($45.00 for 0.15 oz.) includes three eyeshadows and one long-wear eye paint. It features: White (pure white), Tin (steel icy blue), Storm (dark grey), and Onyx (rich black). The packaging is sleek and compact, and I love that they have an actual brush applicator included, rather than sponge-tipped ones!

The Long-Wear Eye Paints are new and featured in the three palettes from Bobbi Brown’s Smoky, Sultry, Smoldering Collection. According to Bobbi Brown, they are “high-pigment metallic eyeshadow that can be worn wet or dry.” She recommends “[applying] them with a damp Cream Shadow Brush for a strong, luminous and long-lasting pop of shimmering color that won’t crease.”

• White is a pure, cool-toned white. This is a matte eyeshadow.
• Tin is a semi-sheer, pale silvery gray with a purple cast. This is a metallic eyeshadow.
• Storm is a charcoal gray. This is a matte eyeshadow. I know it looks a lil’ sheer in the swatches, but being a matte, you won’t find any trouble getting the pigmentation to pop on the lid.
• Onyx is a dark black with a soft sheen and silver and green shimmer-glitter. This is a long-wear eye paint. It really needs to be used wet in order to get rich, opaque color. When used dry, it’s sheer and a soft black instead.

Each of the eyeshadows is 0.04 oz. (full-sized are 0.08 oz. for $20.00; 0.10 oz. for $20.00 for metallic eyeshadow), while the Long-Wear Eye Paint is 0.03 oz. (not currently available on its lonesome; but for valuation purposes, we’ll assume 0.08 oz. for $20.00). In this palette, you receive $20.00 worth of regular Eyeshadow, $8 worth of Metallic Eyeshadow, and $7.50 worth of Long-Wear Eye Paint. This totals to $35.50 worth of product. You do also receive a double-ended brush in the palette, which is usable (and one of the better brushes included in palettes)– we’ll say it’s $7 worth–bringing us to $42.50. It’s not a value-packed palette, but I don’t think you’re losing out.

You can check out my full review of the Smoldering Palette, too!

Welcome to Swatch-all-idays! To start 2011 off on the right foot (or post, as it may be!), Temptalia is going through a backlog of products we have photographed, swatched, and often tested but in a slightly different manner. Quick reviews may be partially incomplete, such as a blush may only be swatched on the arm rather than shown on the face. It is our hope that what we are able to provide is still helpful!

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• Product: 26/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

FINAL THOUGHTS: I don’t think this is a must-have palette; the shades are dupe-able enough that you may already have a great selection of smokey-eyed hues in your stash. I’m not impressed with the pigmentation of Tin, and White isn’t going to work as a highlighter for more skin tones (too stark!). It’s a decent palette, but with as many holiday palettes out there, I’d opt for something else.  (By the by, products don’t lose points for being dupe-able.)

WHERE TO BUY: Bobbi Brown

See more photos & swatches!

Bobbi Brown Smokey Eyeshadow Palette

Bobbi Brown Smokey Eyeshadow Palette

Bobbi Brown Smokey Eyeshadow Palette

White, Tin, Storm, Onyx (dry/wet)

White, Tin, Storm

Storm, Onyx (dry/wet)