The Ultra Nude Eye Palette felt perfectly within Bobbi’s comfort zone.  (And we already know I have an infinite tolerance for neutral eyeshadow palettes.)

The palette is $45 and includes six shadows (plus a double-ended brush). Chino eyeshadow is a matte, soft fawn-taupe, a light sandpiper brown. Praline shimmerwash eyeshadow is a softly shimmery golden caramel brown. Pink Chandelier metallic eyeshadow is a shimmery/sparkly peach-pink-gold. Stone eyeshadow is a matte wood-brown-taupe, the darker, warmer complement to Chino. Champagne Truffle shimmerwash eyeshadow is a shimmery peach-gold, slightly deeper than Pink Chandelier. And Cocoa Berry shimmerwash is a very dark black-brown satin.

If I had one (trivial) complaint of this palette, it would be that many of the shades are quite similar in tone. I guess Pink Chandelier and Champagne Truffle are my lid options; Chino, Praline, and Stone are my crease colors; Cocoa Berry is my liner.

There are also two eyeshadow singles ($21). Bluebell eyeshadow (0F) is a sheer periwinkle/hyacinth (dreamy purple) blue. Ultra Violet shimmerwash eyeshadow (49) is a sheer heliotrope pink-purple with a medium number of tiny purple sparkles.

Though bright lips or bold eyes shouldn’t compete with your blush, you don’t have to go without it. Bobbi has two new shades to tempt you: Nude Peach (28) and Nude Pink (29).

I loooooove Nude Peach. It’s a warm guava-ish rosy peach with tiny silver sparkles for an allover satin finish. Nude Pink is a matte cool pink. The blushes are $24 each.

There are three Lip Color lipsticks in this collection ($23). Atomic Orange (0T) is aptly named. It’s blinding. I tried it on, and I both loved it and was scared of it. It struck me as a very “New York” color choice. It was also a little bit drying, so you may want to pair it with a gloss. Neon Pink (0R) is a bright, cool, electric-flamingo pink. Uber Beige (52) is actually a limited edition repromote, a peachy, rosy warm nude.

The three lipglosses ($23) are extremely sheer.

This collection also includes a limited edition felt-tipped eyeliner pen, the Ink Liner ($24). It seems absolutely identical to MAC’s Penultimate liner.

And there’s a Neons & Nudes satin makeup bag (6″ x 4″ x 2.5″). It’s $30.

That’s the collection, but I also have a few shopping tips:

• NeimanMarcus.com is offering free shipping at any price with code SHOPNM, plus you’ll get a free sample tube of Bobbi’s Protective Face Lotion SPF 15 with any $50 purchase (no code required for the freebie)
• Nordstrom.com (always free shipping) is offering a free deluxe size Everything Mascara and Crystal lipgloss with any $75 purchase (online only, one per person, no code necessary).
• BobbiBrownCosmetics.com (free shipping at $65) is offering a free “Bobbi to Go” set (4-color mini lip palette plus mini Crystal lipgloss) with your order of $100 or more. The code is NEON12, and it’s valid through January 6th. Or use code PLUM11 to get a free Treatment Lip Shine SPF 15 in Plumberry with your order of $65. Or use code GLOSS12 for a free lipgloss in Nougat with your order of $65 or more. The Plum and Gloss codes are valid until April 13. All codes can be used once per customer.

Makeup remover is, to some extent, a matter of preference. What are you used to, what format do you prefer, how much makeup do you wear? When I’m swatching, my goal is to get my arm completely clean of often-stubborn products (like heavy-duty foundation, bright lipsticks, and long-wear eyeliners) as quickly as possible, with a minimum of scrubbing, no residue, and without drying my skin. Hands-down, the most effective category is oil cleansers. I prefer them to foams, lotions, cold creams, other liquids, and soaps.

You apply oil cleanser to dry skin, massage it around, add water (to emulsify), massage again, and rinse clean.

Cleansing oil doesn’t leave your skin feeling oily, and it won’t clog your pores or cause acne (the molecules are too large to penetrate). I’m probably going to horrify some aestheticians by saying this, but I don’t use a second product after washing my face with oil cleanser. Once the makeup/sunscreen is off, I’m done.

Anyway, having tried a number of oil cleansers, I wanted to share with you my personal rank list, from best to worst.

1. Shiseido Ultimate Cleansing Oil ($25, 5 oz)
This is, unequivocally, the best cleanser on the market. Designed to remove Shiseido’s notoriously protective sunscreens, it’s the most effective, gentlest, least obtrusive, no-residue, non-drying, best-thing-I’ve-tried. It’s my #1 choice at home and “in the field.” I never need a second product to get my arm “all the way clean.”

Oil cleansers turn cloudy/white when you get them wet (somehow this makes me feel that they’re working), and Shiseido’s does this best.  If you plunge an oiled hand into a bowl of water, it makes a satisfying “poof” of white as the oil dissipates into the water.

2. Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil ($39, 6.7 oz)
If Shiseido’s Cleansing Oil is, for some reason, unavailable, my second choice is Bobbi Brown’s. It gets almost everything off (though if I’m swatching something particularly tenacious, I might have to follow it with a chaser of Chanel Gentle Biphase Eye Makeup Remover).

With repeated use, I feel like it builds up a bit of residue. But you’re probably not going to feel that in a single face-washing.

3. Shu Uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O Advanced Formula ($75, 15 oz)
Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils come in several “flavors” — Pore Clarifying (pink) for oily/acne-prone skin, White Recovery Brightening (purple), Classic (yellow), Premium for dry/sensitive skin (this used to be called “Rich” and it was orange… they’ve reformulated and now the bottle is yellow).

Anyway, my favorite is “Green,” which is supposed to address aging concerns, yet still feels light. I think it has the best scent, and it seemed to me to be the most effective of Shu’s oils. (Green is also their #1 seller.)

Shu has a sterling reputation for cleanse off oils (and many people feel they basically invented the category), but in a head-to-head (or should I say arm-to-arm?) test, Shu would sometimes leave behind “ghosts” that another cleanser (Shiseido, Laura Mercier’s old Light formula) would remove completely.

Honestly, Bobbi Brown’s Cleanse Off Oil and Shu Uemura’s Premium A/O are probably a tie for me, but since Shu no longer has a physical presence in the U.S., it’s a little harder to get. (You have to order from their website. Though, on the plus side, free shipping and no tax.)

4. Laura Mercier Purifying Cleansing Oil ($40, 6.8 oz)
Laura Mercier used to make two formulas of cleansing oil (Light and Rich) — and Light formerly held my #2-favorite spot.

“Rich” oils, oils intended for dry or mature skin, often don’t rinse clean. They seem like leave-in conditioner for the skin… they feel sort of oily even after you’ve washed them away.

Maybe a year ago, Laura Mercier reformulated their oil cleanser, and the new edition feels like a combination of the old Light and Rich. I’m not a fan.

5. MAC Cleanse Off Oil ($26, 5 oz)
MAC’s Cleanse Off Oil just isn’t my favorite. It simply doesn’t seem as effective as the others when it comes to removing makeup.

6. Lumene Lift Touch Revitalizing Cleansing Oil ($10, 6.8 oz)
Lumene is just about the cheapest cleanse off oil you can buy, and a while ago I bought some for home use (both face and arm). It was even on sale at CVS when I bought it, so I only paid $5 a bottle.

Now this sounds absolutely crazy, but I stopped using Lumene on my face because it was drying my skin. How can a cleanse off oil (which even mentions dry/mature skin on the bottle) be drying? Well, the bottle also mentions “toning,” so maybe that ingredient is the culprit. Has anyone else had this experience? I did buy this about a year ago, so it’s possible the product has been reformulated since then.

What’s your favorite makeup remover, readers? Are you on the oil bandwagon? Do you have a favorite that I haven’t tried yet?

I NEED to tell you about the Ultimate Party Palette, though. The combination of shadows is one of Bobbi’s best: not a dud among them.

Navajo (Metallic) is a frosty silver-pink white. Chrome Patina (new shade, Shimmer Wash) is a shimmery warm gunmetal. Pewter (Chrome) is a repromote from The Chrome Collection, Holiday 2009. It’s a shimmery mix of silver and gold — one of makeup’s prettiest colors. This swatch does seem less golden than the 2009 edition.

Plum Steel (new shade, Metallic) is a shimmery blue-purple. Plum Navy (new shade, regular eyeshadow formula) is a matte, muted blue-purple plum — not as blue as Plum Steel, obviously. Crushed Granite (new shade, Sparkle) is a shimmery, sparkly pale, faded freesia with silver sparkles. Antique Gold (Metallic) is a shimmery dulled copper-gold. Black Topaz (new shade, Metallic) is a shimmery near-black with dense tiny orange, green, and gold shimmers.

Honestly, I could do without the potted glitter lipglosses in the slide-out drawer. (If only they were Pot Rouge lip-and-cheek cremes!) Rave is a sheer wine-red-plum with gold sparkles. Soiree Pink is a very sheer pale pink with pink and blue sparkles. Iced Lilac is a very sheer grey/silver-purple with really tiny silver sparkles. Tinsel (a new shade) is sheer pink with gold and silver sparkles.

There was a brief kerfuffle over the Ultimate Party Palette — some counters temporarily took it down. The root of the issue was the inclusion of “Navajo” eyeshadow. In the wake of the Urban Outfitters/Forever 21 scandal, it was unclear whether the eyeshadow was in violation of the trademarks held by the Navajo Nation. Once the brand’s legal team confirmed that it was not, the palette (and eyeshadow singles) were restored to their counters.

The Ultimate Party Palette is $65, and if you use code SUEDE9 at BobbiBrownCosmetics.com, you can get a free Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Suede, too. GLACIER9 gets you a free shimmer lipgloss in Glacier. (Both valid through January 3rd of next year.) Bobbi’s website offers free shipping at $65.

What we do know:

The model is wearing Desert Lily Rich Color Eyeshadow, Violet Ink Long Wear Gel Liner, and Lash Glamour Mascara (my favorite!) in black.

She also has on Sheer Pink Sheer Color Cheek Tint, and Desert Rose Rich Lip Color (SPF 12).

Will you be trying this at home?

*THIS JUST IN: I’ve heard that the model is wearing Bobbi’s Foundation Stick in Beige (3).

The collection includes a few repromotes, and several new items. Most importantly, I think, are the new Rich Color Eyeshadow (the name may remind you of the Rich Lip Color lipsticks, but there’s not much the two products have in common).

The Rich Color Eyeshadows look quite pigmented in my swatch photo, but I applied them heavily, with sponge-tipped applicators. Bobbi calls them “powder-to-cream” hybrid eyeshadows. Applied on the eyes (with a brush), they’re meant to give more of a sheer wash of color. They’re all satin-finish, and they’re $24 each.

The display indicates that these shadows are limited edition, but I was very surprised that Bobbi would create a new eyeshadow formula and then make it limited. I think that (at least some of these) will be made permanent later.

Sand Dune is a silvery-sand moonlight taupe. Rich Kashmir is cool brown. Coffee Bean felt slightly dry (an abused tester?). It’s an earthy, warm, red-brown, and almost matte. Rich Slate also felt slightly dry, it’s a steely greyed blue. Pink Silk is opalescent pink. Wine is a little more sheer than the others. It’s a dusty, muted red-plum. Desert Lily is opalescent lavender. Royale is grape/royal purple/amethyst.

There are a number of new lipsticks in this collection (and one repromote, which may vary by counter). Desert Plum is a regular Lip Color lipstick. It’s a plummy rose. I really thought Violet Glaze (sheer orchid/purple-pink, with tiny blue and pink sparkles) would be limited edition, but the display says it’s not. This is doubly surprising since several of the Metallic Lip Color formula shades have been discontinued. (Violet Glaze brings the number of colors up to 10.) Desert Rose is a new Rich Lip Color, a mauvey, dusty rose.

Pale Plum and Pink Blossom are both Creamy Lip Colors. I liked warm rose-pink Pale Plum best. Pink Blossom is a bright blue-pink (cool). My counter also had Blue Raspberry Creamy Lip Color in the display. This is a permanent shade, a sheer, muted mauve rose. All of Bobbi’s lipstick formulas are $23.

There are also four Sheer Color Cheek Tints on the display, but I didn’t reswatch them.

If you decide to order online, use code BUFF11 to get a free full-size Glitter Lipgloss in Buff. Or code GLOSS11 to get a free deluxe Crystal (clear) lipgloss. The website offers free shipping at $65.

There are 15 shades of High Shimmer Lipgloss. Star is whitish-clear with silver and pink sparkles. Bellini is a warm blush-pink with less dense pink and gold sparkles. Naked Plum is mauve pink with pink and gold sparkles. Pastel is blue-pink with pink and gold sparkles. Pink Sequin is a very, very sheer pink gloss with very dense pink sparkles. Pink Tulle is sheer muted beige-pink with silver sparkles. Hot is hot pink (violet-pink) with dense pink sparkles. Electric Violet is more sheer, slightly more violet, and has less dense, smaller pink and blue sparkles. Canary is clear with dense yellow gold sparkles. Beach is pink-brown (a warm neutral, like a pinked-sand) with pink and gold sparkles. Plum Gold is berry-crimson with gold sparkles. Midnight Violet is deep dark purpled brown with violet multicolored sparkles. Black Ruby is russet-wine (a deeper violet-red) with pink and gold sparkles.

The two missing shades are 4 Citrus and 15 Bare Sparkle. Luckily, Citrus, Bare Sparkle, and Beach were all promoted “early,” released with the Tortoiseshell collection (click here for swatches).

The High Shimmer glosses are already available online.

If you choose to order from BobbiBrownCosmetics.com, use code SUPER8 to get deluxe samples of Everything Mascara, Crystal Lipgloss, and Hydrating Eye Cream, plus free shipping at $50 — but this offer expires at midnight on 7/20.

Otherwise, shipping is always free at $65, and you can use code BUFF11 to get a free Glitter Lip Gloss in Buff, code GLOSS11 to get a free Crystal lipgloss, or code TEA11 to get a free Tea Rose lipstick.

The collection includes two tortoiseshell eyeshadow palettes (each $60, with 8 shadows). The compact opens to reveal the top four shades, and a drawer slides forward to reveal the second four.

There are also two new limited edition Rich Lip Color SPF 12 lipsticks (my new favorite formula) — $22 each. The third lipstick you see in the display is Bare Pink. And there are three High Shimmer Lipglosses (also $22 each).

Finally, the collection includes an adorable cigarette-case-style mini brush set ($55).

The display also holds Lash Glamour mascara (repromote) and Caviar gel eyeliner (repromote).

My sales associates said they’d recommend the Sand eyeshadow palette for folks who wear Bobbi foundations in shade 3.5 or lighter. The shades are Ivory (matte, soft bright white), Hot Stone (matte chocolate milk taupe), Terracotta (new for this palette; matte peach), Desert Sand (new for this palette; a Metallic shadow; shimmery beige pink), Antique Rose (new for this palette; a sweet, matte, muted warm pink), Black Chocolate (a matte near-black), Sandy Rose (new for this palette; a Metallic shadow; shimmery mauve), and Gold Bar (a Sparkle shadow; sparkly/shimmery warm white-gold).

My sales associates recommended the Bronze palette for folks who are foundation shades 4 and darker. Bronze contains Banana (matte, muted manila-mustard yellow), Gold Nugget (new for this palette; a Sparkle shadow; sheerish, sparkly shimmer, very yellow gold), Olive (new for this palette; a Sparkle shadow; olive-brown sparkly shimmer), Bronze (new for this palette; a Metallic shadow; warm, frosty, light cocoa), Tiger Eye (new for this palette; a Metallic shadow; more “tiger” than “tiger eye,” a orangey, gingery shimmery copper), Espresso (a matte near-black), Copper Cocoa (a Shimmer Wash shadow; deep, warm, brown shimmer), and Amber (new for this palette; a Shimmer Wash shadow; apricot with sparkly gold shimmer).

Soft Nude is a mauvey rose. Twig is warm red brown. Bare Sparkle is a clear/sheer beige pink with yellow and silver sparkles. Beach is beige rose brown with pink and yellow sparkles. Citrus is bright warm pink with tons of pink and yellow sparkles (it’s the sparkliest of three sparkly glosses).

The brush set is a very slim leatherette case containing a mini blush brush, a mini eye sweep brush, a mini angled eye brush, and a mini ultra fine eyeliner brush.

And then, like a miracle, Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color was on counters. Rich Lip is a new lipstick formula from Bobbi. It’s medium-to-full coverage with a slight amount of shine — I might call it “soft matte.” It’s also lightweight and extremely comfortable to wear. Best of all, it has excellent staying power for a non-stain product. I applied Mod Pink and still had some color on my lips by the end of the day (without the dreaded “lipstick ring”). Glorious.

Bare Pink is a nude, beigey pink. Heather Pink is a deeper neutral, a muted, slightly mauvey rose. Bikini Pink is bubblegum pink. Mod Pink is warm flamingo pink. Rose Blossom is (blue) rose-pink. Plum Rose is mauvier. Crimson is wine red.

I couldn’t quite fit all 12 shades on one arm. Soft Coral is a bright, soft orange. Sweet Nectar is coral pink. Guava is a more vibrant coral pink. Old Hollywood is dead sexy — I love the color — but it IS a pink-red, and while it looks red on me, it is more pink on darker (African American) skin. Cosmic Raspberry is fuchsia pink.

My favorites? Err… Mod Pink, Soft Coral, Sweet Nectar, Guava, and Old Hollywood, to start off.  As you might have deduced, I’m a big fan.

But wait, there’s a bonus photo! Nicole, the counter manager for Bobbi Brown at Neiman Marcus (who is devastatingly adorable anyway) happened to be wearing Bikini Pink, and it looked so amazingly perfect I asked her if I could take a picture. Nicole wears Bobbi’s Foundation Stick in 3 Beige.

Rich Lip Colors are $22 each. And if you’re looking for Lilac, that shade is limited edition, part of the Peony & Python collection (swatched here).

The Peony & Python palette is $50 and includes six shadows (and two little brushes). Opal is a very sheer, silvery grey-white. Lavender (Metallic) is a shimmery lavender. Cool Ivory is a very sheer smoke-grey-with-a-touch-of-purple. Cobra (Shimmerwash) is a shimmery grey silver. Plum Orchid is a matte, blackened blue-violet (somewhat chalky). Eclipse is matte black (also somewhat chalky). The case zips closed, and is covered in the peony-print fabric designed by Amy Smilovic (of Tibi).

Other limited edition P&P items include Pale Peony Rich Color Gloss and Lilac Rich Lip Color (each $22). Though Lilac is a bit mauvey/blue for my tastes, I’m crazy about the new Rich Lip Color formula. I’ll have the 12 permanent shades swatched for you very soon.

And then! Bobbi has a new mascara formula out. Its full name is Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara, and it’s $24. The black formula is joining the permanent line, but there’s a limited edition Peony & Python shade in Plum. Given how red-purple Plum looked on my arm, I was surprised and impressed by how natural the color looked on my lashes.

I was also surprised to be so keen on a lengthening mascara. All this time, I thought I was a volume girl.

But wait, there’s more: Neiman Marcus’s exclusive Peony & Python set.

For $95 you get the Peony & Python makeup bag (also sold individually for $40), Pink Peony Illuminating Bronzing Powder (totally a blush, but sold in that big round compact), Black Mauve Shimmer Ink, Pink Lilac Brightening Lipgloss, a short-handled Face Blender brush and an Ultra Fine Eyeliner brush.

The Pink Peony bronzing powder does have gold sparkles.

And a bonus photo: A close up of the new mascara brush.

Let’s start with the swatchable goods. Choose Your Glam includes three eyeshadow quads, each containing two “regular” eyeshadows, a metallic eyeshadow, and a baked mineral shadow called a “Long Wear Eye Paint.”  The LWEPs can be used wet or dry, so I swatched them both ways. Each of these palettes is $45.

First up: the warm and cool palettes (officially named “Sultry” and “Smokey”). Sultry’s Long Wear Eye Paint, Brandy, performed almost the same dry and wet. It’s quite pigmented. Onyx, by contrast, is much inkier and more sparkly when wet.

The third palette is Smoldering (a.k.a. purple). Port was quite satisfactory dry, but I think it’s just a little more purple when wet (wasn’t that a Bon Jovi song?).

There are also two Glitter Liquid Eyeliners ($20). Packaging-wise, these are identical to the Superslick Liquid Liners of MAC’s Feline collection: the top unscrews to let you pull out a wand with a super-fine conical sponge applicator. The formula is more sparkly than MAC’s gold Pure Show (click for swatches) or silver Nocturnal (click for swatches). These are really glitter liners. They’re festive, and they don’t wash off that easily.

Then the lips! I felt funny with seven nearly identical red stripes on my arm. Apparently red lips are THE holiday look! In the “lip colors” (lipsticks), Hollywood Red is cool; Vintage Red (my favorite) is warm. Vixen Red is also cool, but it’s deeper.  Jewel Red is a Metallic Lip Color, meaning it contains red sparkles.

In the glosses, Hollywood Red is the brighter shade.  It’s also a warmer red than its lipstick counterpart. Scarlet is a deeper cherry.

The lip liner and glosses are $20; the lipsticks are $22.

As for the brush sets, the Deluxe Mini Brush Set ($125) includes the Face Blender, Eye Sweep, Angled Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, dual-ended Concealer/Blender, and Lip brush — all minis/short-handled. (unrelated: I am wearing Zoya Burke on my nails.)


There’s a second brush set, the Essential Brush Collection. This one costs $250, and the brushes have full-size handles. It may not be available at all retailers though; I spotted it at Neiman Marcus. The Essential Brush Collection includes: the Eye Blender, Blush brush, Bronzer brush, Eye Definer, Angled Eyeshadow, Ultra Fine eyeliner, Eye Sweep brush, and Cream Shadow brush.


There are also two traincases. The first is a soft case, and it’s $115. The top unzips to reveal a pocket for brushes and a detachable bag.


Under that bag is a zippered mesh compartment.


There’s a second traincase, available only at Neiman Marcus. This one is a hard case, and it’s $350.