Brand Spotlight 2014 - Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara

We are going back to the Brand Spotlight today and I have been enjoying testing out all kinds of new products for this series.  Today we are looking at the Smokey Eye Mascara from Bobbi Brown, everyone knows that I love to try new mascaras.  I am sure that I will trying new versions from all different brands in the coming months and will be adding quite a few new formulas to my list of favorites.  I have always seen Bobbi Brown mascara formulas recommended in Allure magazine and I have been wanting to try one for quite a few months now.  I decided to visit the Bobbi Brown counter for my mascara purchase in order to make sure that I could see and choose from every single formula.  I have found that my Sephora doesn't have all of the products in the Bobbi Brown brand and I have to visit the counter for the best selection.

Bobbi Brown is well known for having a mascara to suit every single need and makeup look.  The company's website has a "Mascara Finder" and I took this quiz before visiting the counter.  I have always preferred volumizing mascara formulas and the quiz decided that I should try the best-selling Smokey Eye Mascara.  This is actually one of the formulas that I was the most interested in from the beginning so I was more than happy to head to the counter and pick up a tube of this.  The makeup artist working at the counter assured me that I had made a great choice and this Smokey Eye is a favorite formula of hers.

"The perfect complement to a smokey eye look, this kohl-pigmented mascara delivers high drama by creating extremely black, stretched-out lashes in an instant.  Plus, the long-wearing formula holds its own against flaking, smudging, sweat, and humidity.  Builds volume lash by lash as opposed to traditional volumizing formulas that create the appearance of volume by clumping lashes together.  Plus, a thicker brush base evenly combs through eyelashes from roots to ends, while a tapered tip grabs those small, hard-to-reach lashes.", states the Bobbi Brown website.

This mascara is only available in a black shade and this is one of the most pigmented black shades that I have used.  I prefer volumizing formulas over lengthening formulas and my mascara formulas tend to be wetter and then cause clumpy lashes.  I am used to this type of formula so I was a bit disappointed when I first worked with this formula and it didn't instantly volumize my lashes.  I had to get used to building this formula up a bit more than I would with the Too Faced Better Than Sex formula but the extra effort turned out to be worth it.  Many traditional volumizing mascara formulas tend to work in one coat but then the second coat will then start clumping up (until the formula begins to dry out with usage).  The first coat of this formula will provide natural-looking volume and definition and then the second coat is needed to build up the volume.  The second coat doesn't clump up like many other formulas do but it takes slightly longer to apply and perfect.

I feel that Smokey Lash Mascara is one of the "updated" volumizing mascara formulas.  Brands have been alternating traditional volumizing formulas with ones that can be used to create natural-looking volume but can be built up to create much more volume.  One coat of this product works very well for work but then a second coat can be applied to build up the look for going out at night.  I have also found that this is one of the few volumizing formulas that can be used successfully over a primer.

This is my first Bobbi Brown mascara and I am very impressed with this formula, I will be purchasing more tubes of this product and then trying even more formulas from this brand.  I think my next Bobbi Brown product to review will be another eye makeup product before I start moving onto other categories.

photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown