Beauty, High End Brands, Makeup, Skin

This has probably been the busiest month of my life but I can’t complain because I’ve experienced so much! Recently, I flew to Chicago with my counter manager to meet up with a few other beautiful gals for Bobbi’s Basic Training. It was a lot of fun, the food was really good (really healthy, too), and I learned so much about Bobbi’s brand and artistry techniques. I’m not gonna lie. It was a lot of hardwork and non-stop action but I wouldn’t trade my experience for the world!

I learned how to apply makeup through watching YouTube tutorials and practice so it was interesting to see things through the perspective of a professional artist. Basic training made me fall in love with the brand all over again because Bobbi built it from the ground up not only through hardwork — but also by remaining true to herself and what she believed in. Can’t get any more inspiring than that!

Since I love to share things with you guys, you know I’ll be giving you lots of Bobbi tips and tricks to try at home for yourself. It’s only right! However, we’re gonna shift to some makeup porn for a second because I received a ton of gratis that I’d like to share too!

Bobbi Brown isn’t just about makeup. She’s about healthy skin too. So in true Bobbi fashion, she loaded us up with a few skincare goodies to help keep our skin clean, moisturized and smooth for a flawless makeup application every time. I received:

Instant Long-Wear Makeup Remover: This dual phase formula gently removes long-wearing and waterproof makeup as it conditions and refreshes. It’s become a staple in my routine ever since my coworker gave me a mini a little while ago. I love that it doesn’t irritate my skin or leave it feeling dry. It’s exactly what I need after a long day of cake face!

Extra Repair Moisture Cream: Loaded with hydrating and skin plumping ingredients like glycerin, sodium hyaluronate and sunflower oil, this cream offers intense hydration with a lightweight texture. I haven’t used this cream just yet but I’m a huge fan of the Extra Repair Eye Cream and Balm Rinse so I have a feeling this could be a good one too.

Extra Bright Advanced Moisture Cream: Designed to brighten and even your skin tone, Bobbi formulated this moisturizer with nourishing ingredients like glycerin, sodium hyaluronate and cucumber extract to hydrate and condition skin for a gentle solution that leaves skin looking fresh, healthy and glowing. The description for Advanced Moisture Cream sounds amazing but I can’t help but be nervous after sampling the Advanced Foaming Cleanser and noticing major red irritated bumps the morning after using it. I loved the way it felt but I never used it again and the bumps seemed to clear up so I’m leery to try this. I just may take one for the team and do a patch test somewhere.

Extra Repair Eye Cream: Made for when your eyes need something a little extra, this rich, concentrated cream visibly revives eyes so you look well rested. I think you probably know by know that I love this stuff lol. It’s super rich and hydrating and helps my concealer go on a lot smoother and look better through my long days. I had no idea how thirsty my under eye area was until I started using this stuff!

Soothing Cleansing Oil: This lightweight oil cleanser practically melts away makeup and impurities thanks to it’s moisturizing blend of organic oils including Sunflower, Olive and Jojoba. I’ve been using this stuff for about a month and it’s very gentle, soothing and does a really great job of removing my makeup.

Hydrating Eye Cream: This lightweight eye cream hydrates and balances the skin with a blend of aloe vera, witch hazel and more for a smooth, seamless appearance perfect for concealer. I’ve been so obsessed with the Extra Repair Eye Cream that I haven’t managed to personally try this one just yet but it’s a fave at my counter. I love using it to help find a concealer match as it gently removes swatches while hydrating and conditioning the eyes for the correct shade. Win, win!

Then, of course, we all received a crap ton of makeup! There were a few things that I received from participating throughout class — like the 2 glosses and eyeshadow palette. The rest was all a rather generous gift from Bobbi that I greatly appreciate! It’s one thing to start getting a hang of the products you’re applying to clients but it’s another ballpark when you experience it for yourself.

Naturally, I had to keep my butt from noticeably bouncing in my seat when I received my package but I had to remember that this was still homework! I really want to get to know the textures, colors and overall feel of the brand as if I’ve been a Bobbi gal for years because it’s what my clients expect and deserve. And I wanna make sure I deliver! Here’s a rundown on the makeup goods I received:

Smokey Eye Mascara: Bobbi’s iconic mascara delivers high drama by creating extremely black, stretched out lashes in an instant. I’ve never paid too much attention to Bobbi’s mascaras until I tried a mini sample last month and got hooked. The formula isn’t too bad! I’m still a falsies fanatic so I only use it on my bottom lashes but I like the length, volume and curl it offers. Plus the non-waterproof formula holds up surprisingly well against my watery eyes.

Conceal & Set Brush: This limited edition mini wonder features 2 brushes in one — Concealer Blending Brush and Eye Blender Brush. Bobbi’s concealers and correctors are essentially the bread and butter of her brand so these brushes are an essential part of every shift and a must have for concealing and correcting the Bobbi Way.

Pitch Black Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner: Bobbi is all about standout eyes so eyeliner is essential! We all received her intense black retractable gel liner pencil in Pitch Black to draw attention to our eyes and really make them pop. I’m a sucker for a good black liner so I know this will be in heavy rotation as it’s smooth, pigmented and pretty creamy too.

All Over Bronzing Gel: I know you’re probably thinking, “What the hell are you gonna do with a bronzing gel, Fancie?” LOL! Believe it or not, this stuff does some pretty amazing things. Of course, it offers a natural tan look for lighter complexions but Bobbi also uses it to help color correct redness and add warmth. I was a little skeptical about how it would work for me but after doing a quick demo on my hand I think I’m going to get good use out of it!

Cool Nudes Eye Palette: This limited edition eyeshadow palette was previously released in a Bloomingdale’s exclusive set and features 6 cool neutral shades in a variety of finishes from matte to shimmer. I received this for answering a question during class and couldn’t contain myself once I finally opened it and saw how gorgeous the shadows were. It’s a sample palette so I have no idea what the shadow names are but I cannot stop drooling over the two sparkly ones!

Burnt Sugar Metallic Eye Shadow: There’s nothing like receiving one of the products on your list for free! I’m all about shimmering earth toned neutrals so I was drawn to Burnt Sugar from the moment I saw it at the counter. It’s a deep golden brown with a soft wash of fine golden shimmer that’s easy to wear and complements any eye color.

Medium Bronzing Powder: As you probably guessed, this mini bronzer is a bit too light for me to use as a bronzer but it has a very slight hint of pink that could possibly work as a natural blush on me. I won’t completely write it off until I try it but I am giving Bobbi a little side eye.

Desert Pink Blush: Bobbi is all about pink blush so it was only right that we all received a neutral pink blush to go with our poppin’ Pale Pink blush. Although I love me some pink, I’m not the biggest fan of bright pink blush on me so I was relieved to receive this more muted, everyday friendly shade that I know I can pop on and go without too much fuss. You can check out a swatch of Desert Pink here.

Pink Sheer Lip Color: This bright electric pink lipstick surprised me because it isn’t all that sheer. It offers medium coverage in a single swipe that shows up pretty well on my pigmented lips. With just a few layers, Pink can be built up to full intensity as if it was a full coverage lipstick. I like it! Check out a swatch of Pink here.

Sailor Lip Gloss: Yet another limited edition piece, this sheer lip gloss offers a sheer pop of fuchsia pink to help brighten your look. I don’t usually do sheer glosses but I can definitely appreciate this one because 1) it’s really cute to look at and 2) sheer glosses make great lipstick toppers when your lips get dry. It’ll be a cute work companion so I’ve already tossed it into my workbag.

Almost Nude Lip Gloss: This nude gloss is hella pale but thank goodness it’s so sheer because it really just works as a brightening lippie. Whenever I want to brighten a color or make it look a little more juicy I just pop a little Almost Nude on top. Easy peasy! As you probably guessed, it works pretty well over nude lipsticks too.

And that is finally the end of my Intro to Bobbi training gratis! Please stay tuned as I keep you up how I use these products, what I think about them and of course share some of the tips I’ve learned. It’s going to be quite the journey! ?