Bobbi Brown's Party Eye Palette ($45) is a gorgeous limited edition eye shadow palette of champagne-golds that is a part of her 2011 holiday collection. It is one of two eye shadow only palettes in the collection. The other palette (Cool Party Eye Palette) is (you guessed it) a palette of cooler eye shadow shades. As a neutral fiend, I couldn't pass on this palette, especially since I have been dying to try Bobbi Brown's eye shadows in their various finishes. The recent 20% discount from Sephora's Friends and Family sale sealed the deal.
The palette contains two Shimmer Wash Eye Shadows in Bone and Copper Sand, two Metallic Eye Shadows in Champagne Quartz and Pebble, a Sparkle Eye Shadow in Pink Blaze, an Eye Shadow in Black Chocolate, and a dual ended mini eye brush enclosed in sleek black, sturdy packaging with Bobbi Brown written in silver letters on the cover.
The brush that is included is rather cute and functional. The eye shadow side (the fluffy brown side) of the brush is actually very nice. It's soft and applies the shadows just fine. The liner side, however, is very rough. It feels like the brush is scratching your lids when you use it. I tried wetting it, flexing it, and all sorts to try to soften it, but nothing seemed to work. I don't know if it's just the brush in my palette. I advise testing the brush on the back of your hand before going to town on your eye lids.
Below are swatches in various lighting in my apartment. The shades from left to right are Bone, Champagne Quartz, Pebble, Pink Blaze, Copper Sand, and Black Chocolate.
Direct sunlight from window
Natural light
Natural light close to window
Natural light away from window
All the shadows are soft, smooth, and easy to blend except for Pink Blaze which is the Sparkle Eye Shadow. Pink Blaze was slightly chalky and powdery, but this may be expected with an eye shadow that is supposed to give a more glittery finish. Despite its less finely milled texture, Pink Blaze performed just as well as the other shades and did not leave much fall out. The pigmentation on these shadows is not great yet not poor either. They leave a sophisticated balance of shimmer and pigment on your eyelids. The looks I've been able to create with this palette are subdued but classy and still pretty.
Overall, I recommend this palette. I have several shadows that are similar in shade to the ones in this palette, but this is a keeper for me because I am in love with the finish of Bobbi Brown's shadows. They seem to just make your eyes glow.
The palette is available at sephora.com, bobbibrowncosmetics.com, and at your local Bobbi Brown counters.
