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Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve & Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Colors Reviews, Photos, Swatches

Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color ($35.00 for 0.12 oz.) is described as a “light pinky mauve.” It’s a light-medium pink with neutral-to-warm undertones and a natural sheen. The consistency was creamy, light-medium in weight, and glided on without tugging, but it wasn’t fully opaque and tended to accentuate lip lines. The color settled into lip lines over time, and the lipstick lasted for four hours on me with light hydration. This shade is a VIB Rouge exclusive. MAC Naked Dream (LE, $19.00) is warmer, less glossy (95% similar). Make Up For Ever C105 (DC, $22.00) is warmer (95% similar). ColourPop Fame (LE, $7.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar). MAC Boca (LE, $19.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar). Cle de Peau Bamboo (P, $65.00) is darker, glossier (90% similar). Marc Jacobs Beauty Sonic Truth (244) (P, $30.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar). MAC Soft Savour (LE, $19.00) is cooler (90% similar). MAC Pretty Natural (LE, $19.00) is warmer, less glossy (90% similar). MAC Pleasure's All Mine (LE, $20.00) is cooler (90% similar). MAC Love Happens (LE, $19.00) is warmer, less glossy (90% similar). Bobbi Brown Blush (P, $28.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar). Charlotte Tilbury Kim K.W. (P, $37.00) is lighter (90% similar). Estee Lauder Desirable (P, $32.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar). ColourPop Ace (LE, $7.00) is lighter, brighter (85% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Mustique (LE, $55.00) is lighter, cooler, glossier (85% similar). Shiseido Hushed Tones (RD713) (DC, $28.00) is darker (85% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Addison (P, $36.00) is darker (85% similar). NARS Anita (P, $34.00) is darker (85% similar). Givenchy Street Rose (04) (P, $34.00) is lighter, cooler (80% similar). MAC Cybernaut (LE, $25.00) is lighter (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color ($35.00 for 0.12 oz.) is described as a “neutral brown berry.” It’s a muted, medium-dark plummy brown with warm undertones and a soft shine. It was richly pigmented with a really smooth, creamy consistency that applied beautifully to lips–even, lush color. The color wore well for almost six hours and was moisturizing while worn. ColourPop Calypso (P, $7.00) is lighter, cooler (95% similar). Make Up For Ever C108 (DC, $22.00) is warmer (90% similar). ColourPop Mosh Pit (LE, $7.00) is lighter, cooler, less glossy (95% similar). Bite Beauty Brioche (P, $24.00) is cooler, less glossy (90% similar). Tarte Praise (LE, $24.00) is lighter (90% similar). Smashbox Cognac (P, $21.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). MAC Over the Taupe (P, $26.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). Bite Beauty Chai (DC, $26.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). ColourPop Grunge (P, $7.00) is darker (85% similar). Hourglass Achiever (P, $32.00) is more muted, cooler (90% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Daniel (DC, $36.00) is more shimmery, brighter, cooler (85% similar). Tarte Glaze (LE, $24.00) is lighter, glossier (85% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Temptation Waits (LE, $52.00) is more shimmery, warmer, glossier (85% similar). Bobbi Brown Bahama Brown (DC, $37.00) is lighter, cooler (85% similar). Urban Decay Tampered (DC, $18.00) is lighter, cooler (85% similar). Estee Lauder Unshakable (P, $32.00) is darker, cooler (80% similar). Tarte TBT (P, $20.00) is lighter (80% similar). NARS Tanganyka (P, $26.00) is more shimmery, darker, less pigmented (80% similar). Tom Ford Beauty So Vain (50) (P, $57.00) is more shimmery, lighter (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

FORMULA SUMMARY | Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Color ($35.00 for 0.12 oz.) is supposed to have one-stroke color coverage with a hydrating, smoothing formula, and “nourishing shine.” I was impressed with the formula as a whole, as the majority of the shades were very pigmented in one pass with a creamy consistency that glided on easily. There’s a richness to the texture that does feel more “luxe” in a way. The natural-to-luminous shine level gives lips a smoother, plumper look, while the formula itself is hydrating and many shades are longer-wearing. I noticed that the lighter shades tended to perform more poorly relative to more light-medium to medium-dark-hued shades. There was a faint floral scent (that was a surprise, I wish they had gone the unscented!), but I didn’t have issues with taste and found it very subtle on (it’s no Dior/Chanel-level scent!). In general, I like Bobbi Brown’s lipstick formulas, and this one feels creamier and more hydrating than others, but for pigmentation, you can’t go wrong with this or the Rich Lip Color formula.

Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Pale Mauve Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color

Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color
Bobbi Brown Downtown Plum Luxe Lip Color

Makeup Look
On face:
  • Make Up For Ever HD
  • Guerlain Les Voilettes Loose Powder
On eyes:
  • Stila Sending My Love Makeup Set
  • Sephora Love Affair Eyeliner
On cheeks:
  • Laura Mercier 01 Matte Radiance
  • Chanel Jersey Blush

28 Comments

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Nicole Avatar

I’m so happy you reviewed Pale Mauve! I have been so curious about that one. It’s been sold out on Sephora’s site for a while. But, their are quite a few negative reviews thrown in. I had to get Downtown Plum…like just now. It’s perfect for me.

Wednesday Avatar

Is Pale Mauve a new shade? I cannot find it on Nordies or Bbrown Canada website. I’m avoiding Sephora like the plague. I really truly passionately hate them at this point. This is the second time this year they have screwed up their inventory and subsequently cancelled my ENTIRE order. Figures it would be for the big VIB Rouge sale and virtually everything I wanted was sold out by the time they notified me of the screw up. Horrendous policy in my view from a customer service perspective. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. This isn’t the way you treat valued customers. Not even close.

Christine Avatar

VIB Rouge exclusive! 🙁

I’m so sorry to hear that they canceled everything in your order 🙁 I have learned to place more orders but smaller ones, because too often they will hold or cancel an entire order due to one item being out of stock. I have heard they are honoring the Rouge discount this weekend if you call and tell them the items went OOS, if that helps at all.

Nancy T Avatar

I’m just going to leave Pale Mauve alone. If it didn’t work for you, I then know for a fact it wouldn’t work on me at all.
But Downtown Plum is anther story! It is just PERFECT. Seems like I have quite a few similar shades in my possession: Too Faced Pink Chocolate, Maybelline Touch Of Spice, and now another “possible dupe” coming my way….?

Eleni Partain Avatar

Is Downtown Plum similar the Guerlain Kiss Kiss Air Kiss 304… Maybe slightly darker? I just ordered Air Kiss and don’t want to duplicate the color but I am really loving the BB luxe formula. I own Soft Berry and wear it all of the time. I like that these are hydrating but you really don’t feel them on. They last forever as well.

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