"I bought two tubes of Shimmer Gloss on a whim, and have fallen in love! I have Rose Gold and Rose Sugar, which are universally-flattering shimmery pinks (one more gold, one more pink), and they've quickly become staples. I was initially wary of the brush applicators - I *hate* brush lipgloss applicators and much prefer the doe-foot wand - but the brush in these tubes is shorter and stiffer, so while it's not as good as the doe-foot, it's still a very good applicator, and very precise. The colors are very shimmery and shiny, so by necessity they're going to be slightly sticky, but I didn't feel like these were the stickiest glosses ever. They're pretty long-wearing, though not enough to withstand a meal (they'll hold through tea and coffee though). One star off for the tiny, tiny tubes costing $20 a pop, though! I have a feeling these will end up costing me masses of money over time! "

"The Earth Metals palette is very much a change from almost everything Bobbi has put out in the past - her palettes and sets tend to focus on neutrals, or soft shades, subtle things... but this is bold, and dark, and, simply put, different! And I love it. The shadows go together very well; they're nicely pigmented and apply smoothly (the brown Earth Metal shadow is a bit less smooth than the rest, but not to the point of being chalky); they blend well and coordinate wonderfully with each other - there's a clearly unified look in this palette (one which goes beyond "natural"). The lip shades are lovely, but considerably less exciting than the shadows: Rose Bud is an opaque, creamy brown-pink, while the other three are all sheer shimmery pinks; very pretty, but they don't have a great amount of pigment and just give a glossy/shimmery finish. In short - I simply adore this palette, although I must take one star off for the mostly uninspiring lip colors (I feel like if they had a bit more pigment, it would be completely perfect) and the small size/big price combo. Even with those flaws, I think this is a great palette for fall/winter (and beyond!), and it's certainly a must-have for Bobbi fans!"

"The Nars lip-stain gloss is a really nice stain, in my book. It's got nothing to do with lipgloss though, other than being packaged in the same form as Nars glosses. It comes with a doe-foot applicator, but I would suggest not using that because the formula is very thick and extremely pigmented, so a few dabs do a much better job of achieving the "stained" look than straight-from-the-tube application, which will give you a super-opaque lipstick look. (This is especially inadvisable with the dark plum brown shade I own, called Victoire. It gives insta-vamp lips!) However, once you've mastered the application techique (a few dabs on the lips, and then blending/smudging out with a lip brush or a finger), the stain itself lasts ages, through some drinking (I don't know about eating, haven't tried yet), without wearing off or fading. It's not drying like MAC Pro-Longwears, but it's not terribly moisturizing, so a lip balm of some sort is advisable as a top layer. Definitely recommended, although I wish there were more shades!"

"I own three shades of Full-Finish Lipstick, and I love them all. The colors are highly pigmented and truly opaque, although they're not exactly "matte" (even if they're not shiny or shimmery) - it's more of a cream texture, with a slight shine to it. The formula itself is very thick and heavy - it spreads easily but that can be a disadvantage if you're applying straight from the tube. (I prefer to apply it with a lip brush for a more matte look, and to keep it from getting outside my lip lines.) It's not a longwear lipstick, so touch-ups are inevitably necessary unless you're one of those magical people who doesn't eat or drink or chew their lips during the course of the day! And although I don't really have problems with bleeding or feathering lipstick, I can imagine that Full-Finish would probably bleed pretty easily without the aid of a liner or a lip brush. The formula is also, as far as I can tell, fragrance-free, which should be a boon to those with scent issues. Overall, it's a very nice lipstick, and a lot of the colors are just the right tone and coverage for the professional world - Lady's Choice is a great neutral nude. My personal favorite, though, is the utterly wearable red shade called Wild Card, which is just far enough from "bright scarlet" to be safe!"

"I have this in the new-ish English Rose shade, and I must concur with what other reviewers have said: this isn't a lip stain. It's not a bad product, but it's not a lip stain. It's more akin to lipstick in pot form - the texture is slightly more dry than your typical high-end lipstick, but perhaps that's the stain-y part? I'd recommend wearing this over a layer of lip balm because it's not terribly hydrating, either. It's not long-wearing, which is problematic for those who don't like sticking their fingers in gloss pots; I'd suggest having a lip brush handy for reapplying during the day. But the color is lovely - English Rose is a sort of opaque gold-inflected rosy pink that really lives up to its name, and the formula is unique enough that I feel like I can get a lot of mileage out of it. "

"I love the pinky shade this turns my lips, and I love that it's a true stain so it lasts for ages, even through food and drink and lots of activity. It definitely brightens the face, and is the perfect complement to a fresh/sheer daytime look. I don't use it on my cheeks, but I'd imagine it's similarly flattering as a blush, although in all cases it's important to make sure you don't overapply (the result is a hot pink fucsia which looks good on very few people). Which brings me to the packaging, the reason why I've knocked a star off. The tube is gorgeous, yes. But the clicky mechanism doesn't really deliver product very well (I always end up with way too much, or just barely enough), and the brush isn't a great applicator, and it's impossible to tell when you're getting close to running out. But most of all I hate the clicky-pen! "

"The name, the picture, the color, the backstory, and some rave reviews convinced me to buy it, but when I did, it was love at first try! Since Medieval is ostensibly a lipstain, it's quite sheer, but still very red - a confounding combination that I simply adore, as I can get away with wearing red *and* looking completely natural at the same time, which I never thought would be possible! It's actually much more balm-y than stain-y: it doesn't really properly stain, but it moisturizes the lips very nicely, and doesn't dry out too fast. A single coat is my preferred way of wearing it (it's a more matte and natural look), but multiple layers add a bit of gloss if you prefer. All in all, super versatile and awesome. I keep mine in my pencil case for whenever (lectures!), wherever (libraries!) touchups."

"I love Bobbi Brown. Really, I do. And I love eyeshadow, especially brightly-colored ones. So I snapped up this palette as soon as it was released. The upsides: there's a lot of colors in this thing. They're richly pigmented, smoothly textured, easy to blend, and fantastic for experimenting or just playing. The downsides: it's tiny. Really tiny. Each shadow is probably half the size of a dime. It's expensive, for what it is. You can get something just as pigmented and smooth and brightly colored for much, much less than what this teensy (it's about 3"x5") palette costs. So it's nice to have, but by no means a must for anyone but the most devoted Bobbi fans. "

"I picked up a tube of this in Wild Honey a few weeks back, and I have been slathering it on regularly ever since! First off, the color is a gorgeous pinky-peachy-gold shimmer (sort of like MAC's Nymphette, but warmer), and there's a pretty good range of other shades in both warm and cool tones. It's really quite moisturizing, as glosses go, and it fades nicely (I have yet to get that gross white line on the inner lip, too, which is awesome!). It's also not very sticky: my lips don't stick together, but my hair still sticks a bit in it (though not with the superglue strength of Lipglass, it must be said!). The vanilla smell is nice, but fortunately it doesn't stick around after application. My only real complaint is the brush applicator - I much prefer the doe-foot wand, but I'll deal with a brush for the awesomeness of this gloss! On the eco-conscious side, I love that this gloss is free of petro-chemicals - it's quite difficult to find a brand (or even just a single product) that eschews them completely, but BE is determined to change that single-handedly, it seems! It's an excellent (and beautiful!) way to make your makeup more environmentally friendly. "

"I first tried Vitamin Enriched Face Base from a sample packette. I was dubious, because I have super-oily skin, and putting extra (non-oil-control) moisturizer on my skin before makeup just seemed like a recipe for disaster. I was, to say the least, pleasantly surprised. Not only did my makeup go on smoothly and with the best application I've ever had (in 10 years of wearing makeup!), my face stayed put all day in some pretty hot weather with only minimal oiliness towards the end of the day, and no smudging or sliding or anything! I immediately ordered a full-sized jar and concentrated on making the sample last until the box arrived. Fortunately, a teeny little bit goes a long way with this stuff (I use less than a pea-sized amount for my entire face), so I expect the jar will last me quite a while! This was an instant and highly unexpected Holy Grail product for me, highly recommended! The only downside is that it doesn't have any SPF (but not terribly problematic as the layers that come after generally DO have sun protection), and if you have problems with scented products, it smells vaguely citrusy when you're applying it; it's not a strong scent at all, and not unpleasant, but I know that can be an issue for some. "