Bobbi Brown Ivy League Collection – review

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There are names in makeup and beauty and then there is the biggest name, Bobbi Brownicon. Make up mavens surely are already fans of this high quality and highly coveted line and novices will fall in love with the totally wearable, flattering shades. We heart this got to take a look at Bobbi’s latest and one of the most talked about collections of fall 09, the Ivy League Collectionicon and immediately understood all the hype!

The Ivy League is full of Bobbi’s signature style – contemporary yet classic, with rich, deep colors still subtle enough for any make up wearer. It’s not a coincidence that my true obsession with makeup began in the early 90’s soon after I discovered this goof proof but still dramatic line of makeup. It was my first experience with fashion magazine worthy makeup that was completely wearable for the average woman.

After establishing herself as one of the most sought after and successful professional make up artists in the business (working with iconic names such as Bruce Weber, Francesco Scavullo and Patrick Demarchelier), Bobbi decided to fill a hole in the make up industry. She noticed (even with her access to every line in the business) most products were too artificial to create a beautiful, no-makeup look. Starting with just 10 shades of pinkish/brown-based lipsticks under the name Bobbi Brown Essentials at one counter in Bergdorf Goodman, the line soon exploded onto the market worldwide as woman clamored for the (at the time) revolutionary, highly stylish yet so wearable shades.

Today a visit to the Bobbi Brown counter still offers of-the-moment colors and modern consistency in flattering shades that will last well beyond the season. A Bobbi Brown product will never be the one you dig out of your collection in six months, looking out of fashion already, and wonder why you ever bought it in the first place.

Nope, the much buzzed about Ivy League Collectionicon will be a staple in your make up arsenal this fall and many seasons beyond. True confession time: I still have one, almost empty pan of Bobbi Brown eye shadow in the most perfect eye highlighting ivory shade (Bobbi Brown Essentials White 1) that is over 15 years old! I just can’t bear to throw it out and I’ve never been able to replace it.

Maybe one of our lucky we heart this review team members will have such a long and happy relationship with one of the items from the Ivy League! Check the comments for the reviews on these soon to be classic Bobbi Brown fall 2009 products:

Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Forest Shimmer Inkicon – this wonder of an eyeliner that has all the drama of liquid eyeliner with a (much easier to apply) gel based formula. The Ivy League collection adds a shimmering, deep green hue to this award winning collection (Elle, InStyle, Allure, etc) of potted eyeliner gels.

Creamy Eye Pencil in Midnighticon – Not ready for or can’t be bothered with an eyeliner brush? Reach for one of Bobbi’s very creamy (but never runny) eye pencils for flawless application. Use the smudge brush on the opposite side of this duel-ended pencil for that smokey effect.

Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Golden Leaficon – A classy, modern update on shimmer eye shadows, these soft and subtle shades are so wearable – as well as layerable, blendable and long-lasting. The collection just got better with the addition of Golden Leaf – a gorgeous neutral green hue with a fine golden shimmer that flatters all ages.

Metallic Eye Shadow in Bashicon – A customer favorite now part of the permanent collection, the Metallic Shadows are a step up in intensity from the washes. More pigment and more shimmer for a more dramatic style. Bash is a bright and lovely emerald green hue that will be on the eyelids of those in the know this fall.

Lip Crayon in Dusty Nude icon you’ll see the true genius behind the brand in these super creamy, chubby lip pencils with the feel of a lipstick. Use as a liner (or all over lips) and feel free to add gloss for extra shine!

Make up scholars – Is Bobbi Brown once again at the head of the class with the Ivy League Collectionicon?

Author

  • A pink heart in a circle on a white background.

    Tyna is a former editor of we heart this that worries about becoming a crazy cat lady, reads at least a book a week, checks in at a Flyers fan forum every morning and is forever organizing her closets and drawers. skin tone: NW 20/25 skin type: combination favorite beauty product: eye shadows and lip balms

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10 Comments

  1. I chose to test the Forest Shimmer gel eye ink. I’m a fan of pot eyeliners, love ’em! But somehow, this is my first Bobbi Brown one. Let me just say, it’s the best one I’ve ever tried and now my favorite. Why so much better than the others? It’s really easy to work with. My current gel liners (a drugstore brand that I thought was good enough till now) dries really quickly. So in turn, you’ve got to work quick. Being that this isn’t the quickest of applications, that’s sometimes tricky. By the time you want to go back and touch up a certain spot, it’s dry and the liner gets crumbly. Not a good look. Also not the case with Bobbi Brown! This stays wet for a long time (but not wet enough to smudge) so you can really work with the application. Layer for a more intense color, thicken your line. It’s awesome. A 5 star, hands down.

    And the color? It’s my dream green, a deep, almost black army/emerald with just a touch of shimmer. So pretty!

    I just have to give a shout out to Bobbi’s Forest Metallic palette I got in Fall 07 (it’s gone, so I shouldn’t even be talking about it, I’m sorry!) It’s so pretty, I swear I gasp every time I open it. Bash reminds me a lot of one of the shades in this trio. Check out the pics from over at Makeupbag.net Gorgeous, no?

    .-= stef´s last blog ..Dr. Hauschka Body products – review =-.

  2. I feel ashamed to say I had never tried a Bobbi Brown product before. I know! The reason is twofold:(1) It wasn’t sold anywhere that wasn’t a 30 minute drive (NOT including traffic) and (2)I couldn’t buy it with my discount.

    Oh, but I am singing from the choir risers of the converted! I got the Lip Crayon in Dusty Nude. First of all, “nude” is such a relative word. Some “nudes” are really just Brown, while some are really just “mauve” but Bobbi’s nude matches the color of my lips perfectly. It’s really pretty alone or as the base to a shiny gloss! Staying power medium, but that’s ok she wasn’t really promising any more than that.

    I think I need that “Bash” shadow too…good thing they put a Bobbi counter in the Dillard’s way out in Lubbock, Texas…

  3. Bobbi can do no wrong in my eyes, and this is coming from a drugstore diva who rarely, if ever, spends more than ten bucks on a makeup product. For Bobbi Brown, I make that exception. Always. There’s just something about not only the quality of her products, but the COLORS. I mean seriously, pick a color, any color, and it will look fabulous on you. I’ve never met a Bobbi Brown color that didn’t completely work for me (and this applies to eyeshadows, lipsticks, liners, glosses, highlighters and blushes).

    Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’d like to say that I’ve been on the hunt for a non-garish blue eyeliner for, well, a long time now. Every blue liner I’ve tried in recent history has looked cheap and tacky on my hazel eyes. So when I received Bobbi Brown Creamy Eye Pencil in “Midnight” to review, I just couldn’t believe my luck.

    This is a duel-end pencil (eyeliner on one end, smudge tip on the other) PLUS, you get a separate eye pencil sharpener to boot. Awesome.

    The color “Midnight” is the perfect blue for women who don’t wear blue. The best way I can describe it is that it’s a deep, midnight grayish-blueish-black that’s got just enough blue to give you a subtle pop of color without making your eyes say, “Hey, look at me! I’m wearing blue today!”. Also, I should say that the danger in some gray-blue-black liners is that sometimes you’re left with a dolphin gray-blue that just looks…weird. But not so with this liner. No dolphin gray-blue here, just deep, midnight blue goodness.

    The performance of this liner lives up to Bobbi’s high standards, no doubt. It stays all day, and it looks beautiful worn in a clean line or smudged. (I should also add that the sponge smudger is of the utmost quality on this pencil and you can really get close to the lashline to blend the line out perfectly).

    Seriously, this is the blue for those of us who usually avoid blue. Five very enthusiastic stars from me.

  4. I like the Metallic Eye Shadows, they are shimmery and they give a nice glow. Btw it will be nice if you can set to open in a new page every time we click on a word with inserted link inside, because if I decide to browse in that link, it will be harder to come back to your article again.

  5. I was the lucky girl who got to test the Metallic Eye Shadow in Bash, which is a deep metallic green. I know that some of you are thinking “I am too old for metallic shadows.” You would be wrong. This is not overwhelmingly metallic and it is not overwhelmingly green, either, so fear not color-phobes. This shows up as a smoky black emerald. It went on silky and instantly did darkly dramatic things to my peepers. It really pulled out the green in my hazel eyes. I layered this on top of some long-wear cream shadow in Galaxy (a deep silver that won’t budge) and the Bash shadow really stayed put. Before this, I had pretty much stuck to Bobbi Brown’s pot rouges because I am a self-professed blush whore and I have to say that these are a must-have. If you are just starting out with them, I’d recommend you start with their Pink Truffle shade because it would work on any skin tone and looks great on lips, too. I always keep one in my purse for touch ups. I heart Bobbi Brown!

  6. Katie, the biggest makeup junkie I know (hmm, all right tied with our own Stef) – I can’t believe you have never owned a Bobbi Brown item! You will flip out when you get to a BB counter!

    Nouveaucheap – I so hear you on the Bblove – never purchased a Bb product that was a “miss” – she always produces a winner.

    I have an obsession for eye shadows, so I was thrilled to test the Shimmer Eye Wash in Golden Leaf from the Ivy Collection. I love the simple, square pan, the easy (and sturdy) clasp and large layer of shadow. The wash shadows go on in a sheer layer that can be built on for more depth. The powder is super soft and fine, stays out of my fine lines and stays on my eyelids (no sliding color that ends up under eyes by the end of the day). I love the Golden Leaf shade! It’s a very flattering, natural shade with a bit of oomph – it’s a soft brown based green with a nice subtle gold sheen. It really brings out my blue eyes and I think it would do the same for all eyeshades, especially those with hazel eyes. Oh and don’t be scared off by the word “Shimmer” – there’s a total glow to the shadow, but in no way is it garish or overdone. I’m excited to have a new go-to color for when things get chilly! You can wear this at anytime of day with any colored clothes and look great. As the wht reviewers mentioned no one does wearable, flattering make up like Bobbi Brown. I found the Ivy League collection to be right in line with all of her items – long lasting, high quality and filled with fabulous colors – 5 stars!
    .-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..Raffle for the Rescues – over $4000 in prizes! =-.

  7. Hi Tavia,

    Thanks for your comment, the metallic shadows are indeed fab!

    As for links opening in new windows, some people like them, and a lot of people find them intrusive (“if I want a new window, I’ll open it myself”) I personally agree with you…

  8. I’m so glad to see a review of these products!
    Especially with products in this price range, you really need to see how they work before you decide to splurge!
    Thanks so much ladies!
    .-= iCandy´s last blog ..Bronzer Part "Too" =-.

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