The collection includes one of Laura’s classic eye-and-cheek palettes (six shadows, two blushes — no lip products mixed in with the powders). The palette is $60, limited edition.

Buff Pearl is a beige-champagne-white satin. Tawny Apricot is a dusty rose satin. Rich Cocoa is a dark wood-/earth-brown matte. Pale Pink is a very whitened, very pale, ballet pink matte. African Violet is a shimmery violet-gold duochrome. Black Plum is a delightfully pigmented, dark, cool, dusty, muted, blackened blue-purple matte. Though these shades all feel really familiar, African Violet and Black Plum are the only two listed among Laura’s regular single eyeshadows.

Rose Desire and Fresh Peach are both new shades. Rose Desire is a blue (cool) rose pink; Fresh Peach is pinked peach with a few tiny sparkles (which give it a slight sheen).

The collection also features two Creme Cheek Colour blushes ($22). Oleander is actually a repromote from the permanent line. It’s a pigmented cool pink. Innocent Peach is a little more sheer. It’s a light peach-pink, and it’s limited edition.

There are three Sheer Lip Color lipsticks ($20). Baby Lips (repromote from the permanent line) is a warm rose. Kissed Lips (new, limited edition) is coral pink. Nude Lips (repromote from the permanent line) is a warm rose-beige-nude.

Naked Apricot and Tempting Coral are both “Lip Shines,” and I’m not exactly sure how to describe them. Potted glosses? Potted gloss-balms? They’re $22 each, both limited edition. Naked Apricot is very, very sheer peach. Tempting Coral is more pigmented, a red-berry-rose with gold sparkles.

The two cake eyeliners and two Eye Basics cream eyeshadow bases are repromotes (follow the links to revisit their original swatch posts).

Cake eyeliner is a dry “puck” of pressed powder, activated by water or a product like Laura’s Tightline Activator. You wet your brush, then muddle it on the cake until you achieve a paste the consistency of shoe polish. Apply your eyeliner and the cake will dry back to its regular state, ready for the next application. As you probably already know, a new cake eyeliner can be used with either water or Activator, but once you’ve used it with Activator, it won’t work with water again.

Mahogany Brown is dark brown.  Charcoal Grey (neither charcoal nor grey, really) is more like an industrial/nautical blue-grey. Cake eyeliners are $22 (and Tightline Activator is $20).

Eye Basics are $24 each. They are water-resistant, crease-proof, semi-matte eyeshadow bases containing vitamins and something called “Eyebright,” all meant to reduce inflammation. Flax is a manila-folder yellow-beige. Wheat is peach.

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.

The Professional palettes cost £4 each. For more Makeup Academy swatches, click here.

The eye quad features three shadows and a cream liner (fortunately, all the palettes zip shut, which should minimize dry-out). The eyeshadow shades are frosty, light, warm, blond-brown golden cocoa; frosty warm (slightly reddish) wood brown; and pearly, slightly iridescent, shimmery, sparkly golden white. The cream liner is dark, cool brown.

The lip quad includes a clear balm; a bright, cool fuchsia-rose (with super tiny, very subtle sparkles); a warm, happy (coral) pink with super tiny, subtle sparkles; and a sheerer peach-strawberry-pink with slightly more noticeable gold sparkle. Both quads are $46. Some sites refer to these as the “Backstage Expert” palettes. Sephora calls them “Celebration Collection” — they don’t really have official names.

The deluxe travel palette features a three-color powder, three shadows, a cream liner, a gloss (left), a lipstick (right), Creme de Rose lip balm (bottom left), little brushes, and DiorShow Iconic mascara.

I didn’t really know how to swatch the powder, having never used the full-size item (DiorSkin Nude Natural Glow Sculpting Powder Makeup SPF 10). I swatched each of the three shades separately with eyeshadow applicators. Then I thought maybe it was supposed to work like the Guerlain quad blushes, where you run your brush over the colors horizontally and apply to your cheek for instant contour.

I emailed my favorite Dior sales associate as soon as I got home. She said the shade in the palette is #020 (Beige Praline), and that in its full size, the stripes are wide enough to be used individually (“even out,” “sculpt,” “illuminate”) — plus the product comes with a thin, rectangular brush. In its mini travel edition, however, she said most people just blend the colors together and use it as powder foundation or bronzer (depending on your skintone).

The eyeshadows are gently shimmery pale pink, shimmery freesia grey-purple, and shimmery black violet. The cream liner is black-plum. The gloss is sheer pale pink, and the lipstick is a very pretty warm rose (red-pink). The travel palette is $77, and it’s up for sale in our BeautyBloggers.org charity auction.

The brush set is $62, and it’s also in the charity auction.

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.

There’s a new, limited edition eyeshadow quint, 554 Couture Golds ($59). The palette includes a shimmery white; a shimmery muted pumpkin/peach; a sparkly very pale gold; a sheer, dark, grey-brown-black matte; and a shimmery golden cocoa. This photo was taken on a partly cloudy day and I think that washed out the palette just a bit.

There are also four Rouge Dior lipsticks (each $32). I LOVE 841 Belle de Nuit. It’s a warm, hot red-orange-pink (hot coral) with gold shimmer. Winter makes me feel washed out (something about the angle of the light), and I love a pop of color on my lips to make me look alive/awake. Belle de Nuit is really perfect.

961 Nocturne is a lovely magenta-violet-pink with gold shimmers. 527 Versailles is visually confusing. It’s a berry-pink that reflects orange-gold shimmer… so the resulting swatch is warm. 217 Or Etoile is a sheer, shimmering, sparkling pale yellow (a topper for other lipsticks).

Because Dior’s display unit is modular, each counter had to fill some empty slots — and each counter I visited used something different. The Dillards counter decided to display the Shimmering Face Powder in Amber Diamond, which seems like an excellent choice for holiday (who can resist a highlighter at this time of year?).

Knowing how popular Amber Diamond is (and since I haven’t swatched it before), I included it with the collection — even though it’s a regular, permanent item.

DiorSkin Poudre Shimmer (Ultra Shimmering All Over Face Powder) comes in two shades: 001 Rose Diamond and 002 Amber Diamond (each $44). Amber Diamond is a peach-bronze-gold shimmer — and this is a heavy swatch.

The holiday nail polishes are $22, all limited edition. 651 Merveille is a warm, juicy, cherry red with subtle gold shimmer (counterpart to Belle de Nuit). 221 Or Divin is a frosty pale gold that reminds me of NARS Versailles. 871 Apparat is burgundy with gold shimmer. And 611 Exquis is fascinating: grey-green-brown with gold shimmer.

The Warm eyeshadow palette (on the left) is a nice assortment of browns. Winterscape is a classic Lustre, a slightly chunky, somewhat fallout-prone pale silvery white. (I just don’t understand the Lustre formula.)  Magical Mist (Lustre) is a shimmery brown taupe, and a repromote from Tartan Tale. Patina (Frost) is a permanent shade, an intriguing golden, ashy brown that reflects copper.

Buckwheat (Velvet) is a warm brown with small gold sparkles, a repromote from Naked Honey and Tartan Tale, though it’s always been a Frost formula before. Gaelic Gold (Veluxe Pearl) is a dirty-gold frost — also a repromote from Tartan Tale. Midnight Flurry (Matte) is a relatively dark, reasonably cool earth-brown.

The Sultry eyeshadow palette is particularly full of shades that are sheer, chalky, unpigmented, or likely to produce fallout. Lightfully (Lustre) is a very sheer silvery white. Trax (Velvet) is a permanent shade, a sheer lilac with tiny pink sparkles. Fun! (Lustre) is a sheer, fallout-prone rose-copper. Festive Delight (Lustre) is a sheer red-plum with tiny pink sparkles. Black Tied (Velvet) is a permanent shade, a sheer black with silver sparkles. Shadowy Lady (Matte) is also permanent (and repromoted in Rose Romance, Cult of Cherry), a very dark, blackened red-purple.

The Cool eyeshadow palette is — no pun intended — the coolest. Snowball (Frost) is a sheer white with tiny sea green shimmers. Illegal Cargo (Frost) is a periwinkle sheeny satin with a lilac reflect. Idol Eyes (Lustre) is a permanent shade, a frost-blue-grey shimmer with a dirty-gold reflect. I did a double-take at Warm & Smoky (Veluxe Pearl). How does a blue eyeshadow get named “Warm & Smoky”? It’s a duochrome deep blue-purple shimmer. Howzat (Satin) is a slate/charcoal blue-grey satin. Set to Dance (Matte) is actually a repromote from one of last year’s Tartan Tale palettes, but this incarnation looks quite different. It’s much more black/less blue this year. I’d call it a matte navy black with so-so pigment.

If you like blue eyeshadow, the cool palette offers a pretty nice assortment.

Love ‘em? Leave ‘em? What do you think?

Instead of diagrams and written instructions on how to wear these products, you get a card with QR codes. Scan these barcodes with your smartphone to play video tutorials. (The fold up lid of the palette even has a little paper sleeve to hold your phone, so you can apply while you watch.) And Urban Decay has included a tiny-but-powerful keychain speaker, which you can connect to your phone for listening to the tutorials — and then take with you as a highly portable boombox.

Book of Shadows IV is $64 and limited edition. All of these shadows are extremely pigmented and a pleasure to swatch.

Blue Bus is a very blue purple frost/shimmer. Gunmetal is a charcoal frost/shimmer. Cobra is a fabulous matte super-dark-brown (nearly black) with ultra fine gold and green shimmer. Baked is an extremely frosty orange copper. Bender is a shimmery gold-green (evergreen). Gravity is a slightly chunky royal plum (blue-purple). Lost is a shimmery/frosty warm wood brown. Hijack is a gorgeous shimmery/frosty muted alpine blue-teal (if it were gum, I think it would be called wintermint).

Midnight Cowgirl is a warm pale gold/beige-gold frost. Sin is a pink shimmer/frost. Midnight Rodeo is rose-brown shimmer/frost. Midnight Cowgirl, Sin, and Midnight Rodeo all have some bigger sparkle pieces.

Crystal is muted, ice-skater pale blue-grey with tiny blue sparkles (it’s sheerer on first swipe). Bust is a lovely satin/shimmer mink-colored, slightly purpled taupe. Missionary is a shimmery/frosty slightly purpled metallic pink.

Skimp is vanilla-colored satin, a pinked-beige that I think would make a fabulous face highlight. Zephyr is a shimmery, bright warm white.

Urban Decay’s new waterproof liquid liners have the most fabulously narrow brush applicator — maybe 10 fibers make up the “needlepoint” brush. I tried to capture that narrowness with my series of swipes. If you want the finest line possible, wipe the excess liquid on the mouth of the tube before you apply brush to eye. Also very important: shake the liquid liners WELL before applying.

Sparkle was limited edition, part of Sleek’s 2010 holiday collection. Nicole says, “as the name implies, all the shades are sparkly.”

Top row: Cranberry, Dream Maker, Galactic, Twinkle, Star Light, Noir
Bottom row: Illusion, Festive, Mistletoe, Glitz & Glamour, Gold Ribbon, Tinsel

Bad Girl and Good Girl are both permanently available. Nicole says Bad Girl was launched following the success of the Graphite palette, and offers a more balanced mix of colors. Noir is matte, but the other shades are all metallic or shimmery.

Top row: Innocence, Gullible, Blade, Gun Metal, Underground, Noir
Bottom row: Intoxicated, Envy, Obnoxious, Abyss, Twilight, Rebel

Nicole says, “many people have been using the Good Girl palette as a blush palette. The first two shades are unyielding and kind of crummy — it’s not just my bad swatching technique.”

Top row: Lychee, Meringue, Candy Floss, Lollipop, Pink Punch, Cupcake
Bottom row: Strawberry Sorbet, Pink Grapefruit, Peach Melba, Papaya, Raspberry Coulis, Morello

Monaco was limited edition, part of the Mediterranean collection, and Nicole says it’s a favorite of hers. “I feel like the shades are unusual and the pigmentation is fantastic,” she says.

Top row: Bamboo, Aquamarine, Midnight Garden, Sunset, Washed Ashore, Magenta Madness
Bottom row: Summer Breeze, Sand Walker, Kiwi Zest, Lotus Flower, Hummingbird, Moors Treasure

And finally, the Au Naturel palette. Nicole says, “The palette is great! All wearable shades, mostly matte but with a few shimmers that aren’t over the top. They all have amazing texture. And this palette is permanent, so no need to despair.”

Top row: Nougat, Nubuck, Capuccino, Honeycomb, Toast, Taupe
Bottom row: Conker, Moss, Bark, Mineral Earth, Regal, Noir

Dior’s limited edition Mitzah collection (named for Christian Dior’s friend-and-muse, Mitzah Bricard) is ONLY available at Sephora.com, and while I thought the promotional photos looked pretty (you know how I love my neutrals), I don’t think it was a full-on must-have for me until I saw Disneytwinmom’s photos.

One note: Sephora.com is calling these “Panther” palettes, and that’s a mistake. Panthers are all black. This collection is about leopard.

Here are Disneytwinmom’s thoughts on the quint:

Earlier this summer, news of the Dior Mitzah collection surfaced — with scant details and few photos of items in the collection. Focus was mostly on the leopard-print eyeshadow trio, though there was mention of an eyeshadow quint as well.

Lack of details and photos of this mystery quint intrigued me, and when I happened upon it on the Sephora website last week I pounced! The Sephora website describes the quint as a “fashion-forward palette featuring five eye shadows in brown and beige tones, embossed with Dior’s jungle print.”

The quint is indeed luxurious, the embossing is beautifully done, and the shades have wonderful pigmentation (without being frosty). The shades include chocolate brown satin, golden tan satin, camel satin, ivory-beige shimmer/satin, and deep steel-gray satin.

When I swatched the palette, four of the shades had immediate color payoff. The ivory beige has a very delicate sheen.  If you do not have these particular shades in your beauty arsenal or are a collector of limited edition/ unusual palettes then I recommend picking up this quint.

In the swatch pic, the shades are (left to right) Tan, Ivory, Gray, Camel, Chocolate.

For more information on the items in this collection, please revisit this post.