Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss

Meet Bare Sparkle

This has been a great couple of weeks for new products. On Wednesday, I wrote about an easy-to-use spray that gave me beachy waves. Today, the star is Bobbi Brown's High Shimmer Lip Gloss, which I received in my July Topbox.

My deluxe-size sample was in Bare Sparkle, which is described as being "a champagne with pearl" coloured product. Personally I found the shade to be closer to an sheer, even clear, gloss that is packed with shine and even sparkle. A look at the overall product description tells me that my description isn't completely wrong. Bobbi Brown describes this line as being, "a high-shine gloss with a special mix of pearls in a clear base (for a super reflective effect)." But whatever words you want to use, there is no disputing the visual results: The product brings a ton of shine that essentially blings out lips.

That's not to say that this a product is so flashy that you'd only wear at say, a club or party. While it is super glossy, and even sparkly, it's not over the top and you can get away with it during the daytime.

Bobbi Brown also says that this line contains a, "vitamin-enriched formula (that) conditions lips while providing non-sticky, but long-lasting colour." Based on my experiences with this gloss, I agree with some of this statement. Despite being super glossy, this is not a sticky or goopy product. Instead, its texture is downright silky-feeling and it reminded me of a high-end lip balm. While I'm not sure it this gloss actually conditioned my lips or not, it certainly felt like it.

Unfortunately, while this product did leave my lips feeling great, it only left them looking great for a limited time. If I didn't eat, drink or do anything with my lips besides talk, the gloss stayed in place for about an hour before noticeably fading away. But if I say, dared to have a glass of milk, that was game over any pretty shine.

To maintain this gloss, I found that I had to regularly re-apply it throughout the day. While this was sort of annoying, the attractive results were worth. Plus, it helps a lot that this product is a breeze to apply, due in part to the simple but user-friendly sponge-tipped wand applicator. The shade's sheerness also means that any slip-ups are easily concealed and that you don't even need a mirror to put it on.

This gloss is designed to be worn on its own or as a top coat over a lip colour that maybe needs a pick-me-up. I wore it both ways and while it certainly looked great on a bare lip, it also worked nicely as a topcoat and didn't caused any smudging or bleeding. Unfortunately, wearing it over another lipstick did nothing to extend its presence on my lips.

Bobbi Brown offers this product in 13 different shades, most of which are some version of pink or a neutral. All of the shades are packaged in a simple but effective plastic rectangle and run $26. So no, it's not a cheap product but it sure is pretty!

Would I buy this product: Yes!

Should you buy this product: Yes but only if you're okay with having to regularly re-apply it.