Photo Credit: images.blastro.com

How many times have we all flipped through magazines and lusted after that seemingly unattainable glow-y look that radiates on faces like Jennifer Lopez and Gisele Bundchen? Don’t worry, cosmetics companies have you covered. With Summer drawing near, shimmer powders that made their debut in the winter will be disappearing off shelves, and we’ll be flooded with new lotions and liquid highlighters promising to help our face gleam, shine, all of the above. However, don’t put away your winter shimmer powders just yet, Spring is the best time to use them – they add a little glow to your face that’s safe for the crossover of the seasons and are not overwhelming to those around you. Even though it’s April, it’s still cold outside. Arriving to work, a party or class with your face dripping with “dew” like it’s the middle of July is just not okay (trust me I’ve been there). It’s best to keep it low key and stick to the winter products for just a little bit longer.

So what exactly is the deal with the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick? We’ve all had our eye on it, but we just can’t decide whether or not to go ahead and buy it. There are just too many conflicting reviews and at almost $40 a pop, we don’t want to invest in something that won’t work, or that we just won’t know how to apply. Here’s the honest truth: Some people are lucky and don’t have to do much with it to look good. However, if you’re in the other 95% of people who try it on and aren’t too impressed, you’ll have to experiment a lot until it looks amazing. Trust me though, once you get your own routine down, it really will be worth the $40.

There are 5 permanent colors in the range plus two limited editions that are currently available. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Photo Credit: designmom.com

Beige: Looks pretty in the pan, but has two brown-ish strips that I thought made my complexion seem slightly muddy. The overall effect was somewhat a streak of pasty shimmer on my face. Definitely not the subtle glow I wanted. Better for lighter skin tones.

Pink: The shimmer base is silver, which does not look good on brown skin – gold complements our skin tone and brings out the warmth, while silver just makes the skin look dull. Unless you are very fair or have cool skin tones, I would suggest staying away from this one.

Apricot: Gives medium skin tones a great glow. Definitely look “candlelit” with this one. The peach tones in this will warm your skin if you have a sallow skin tone.

Rose: Is pigmented enough to use without a blush underneath. Looks great on all skin tones, but is more of a shimmery blush than a highlighter.

Bronze: (pictured above) Recommended for our skin tone. I personally feel it is too dark copper for my skin. However, it looks breathtaking on a friend of mine. In the same category as the Apricot – can give the perfect glimmer, just match to your skin tone.

Finally the two limited editions: my personal favorite is the Copper Diamond, which I have used in the picture to the right. It’s not actually copper but a true golden glow. It’s still available in some stores and online so go check it out. The new Platinum Pink Shimmer Brick is a big waste of money and time – no gleam, no color, just slight sparkles.

Things to remember when picking out your Shimmer Brick or any other shimmer powder:

- Most of the bricks have to be used on top of a blush or they won’t show up. On areas of your face that you don’t apply blush, the shimmer will gleam when the light hits your face at that spot. However, the brick will last longer and look better on your cheeks if they have a base to adhere to and be held in contrast to.

- Despite what magazines say, shimmer powders don’t hide by reflecting, but actually tend to accentuate flaws! If you have dry skin, you MUST moisturize or your skin will look flakey. Also, try not to apply any where near wrinkles.

- The flecks in the Shimmer brick like most other highlighters settle into pores. So if you have large or very visible pores, only apply to the tops of the cheekbones, stay away from the rest of your cheeks.

- If you are going to be photographed under bright lights, the rule of thumb is to try not to use highlighters – when the camera hits your face, the light will reflect off your highlighter and you will look GREASY, not glow-y.

- The strips in the Shimmer Brick can also be used as eye shadows.

How and where to apply:

- Every cosmetics brand will tell you to use a different brush – powder, skunk, or blender. Just use something similar to the one below and you should be good to go. At almost $40, you don’t need to be spending money on an additional brush. Yes, the brush does matter in application and I prefer to use a light fluffy brush, but at the end of the day, $$$ are more important. You can buy a nicer brush later.

Photo Credit: Neiman Marcus

- Apply blush first. Then swirl your brush in the Shimmer Brick pan, and apply on your cheekbones starting near your hairline and slanting down towards the apples of your cheeks.

-  Dust some on the center of your forehead, down the center of your nose (don’t do this if your nose is oily!), and on the temples of your forehead. Basically, form a sideways V (<- ->) from your cheekbones out to your hairline and up towards your temples. Apply the highlighter wherever the light hits your face naturally. You can even apply some on your chin if you wish, but I prefer not to.

- You might feel the inclination to over apply because the color is so sheer. Trust me, we can see it even if you can’t – don’t make yourself look like a disco ball, less is more!

- Lastly, blend blend blend. Highlighters are supposed to be natural; we shouldn’t see the line between the highlighter and your cheek/blush.

My personal favorite user of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick is pictured here (full face covered for privacy, of course). She uses the Bronze Shimmer Brick on top of Orgasm blush (reviewed here). The results are phenomenal and look stunning in person, too. However, she has a very creamy complexion so she can get away with the double shimmer. If you have a similar skin type, then try it out. If not, stick to a more neutral blush under your bronze brick.

If you’ve debated this one for a while like I did, go for it. Just make sure that you find the color that suits you and remember you must pair it up with a blush that complements the one you choose. If you don’t have the right blush underneath, applying the Shimmer Brick is pointless. Also, the Brick lasts forever; even after using it daily for the last 6 months I haven’t even made a dent in it. I’m just praying Bobbi makes the Copper Diamond a part of the permanent collection, or I’ll be spending the next few years of my life making desperate bids on EBay.