Fab or flub: Will Bobbi Brown’s Brightening Bricks shine?

In this week’s edition of Fab or Flub, we’re taking a look at the new selection of Brightening Bricks ($46 at Nordstrom) from Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

For those who read Fab or Flub weekly, you might recall that, back in December, I reviewed another Bobbi Brown product called the Shimmer Brick. You might find yourself confused, as I was, about the difference between a Shimmer Brick and a Brightening Brick. Turns out that while Shimmer Bricks are bronzers, Brightening Bricks are more of blush/bronzer hybrids that are formulated to give users a lit-from-within glow.

Combining blush and bronzer into one product? It certainly sounded like a convenient and easy way to wear both products.

While I use blush and bronzer, I often find myself wearing them separately, instead of together. When I have layered the products on top of each other, I’ve felt like it was just too much and that if I’m not careful to apply with a light hand, I can be left with a muddy look.

A 2-in-1 product like the Brightening Brick seemed like a potentially great way to avoid the headaches created by applying the products separately.

First impression

Like most of the brand’s powder products, Bobbi Brown’s Brightening Bricks come in a black compact with the white Bobbi Brown logo stamped across the front. Just like the Shimmer Brick I tried in December, the Brightening Brick has a beautiful mosaic design.

Resembling a checkerboard, the fine-pressed powder is divided into six sections, or squares, of blush and bronzer. Swirled together with a brush, all six sections combine to create a color that produces a radiant glow on the face.

There are four shades of Brightening Bricks (pink, pastel pink, coral and cranberry). I tried the coral and cranberry bricks, which seem to be more suited to medium to dark complexions.

In the compact, both shades are exquisite looking. The squares that makeup the cranberry shade are a mixture of deep blushes and golden bronzers. In contrast, coral’s squares are made up of bright, peach-like blushes and champagne-esque bronzers.

Swiping my fingers across both, I found both to be very pigmented and soft to the touch.

Fab or flub?

Fab! Another high-quality product from the Bobbi Brown brand, the Brightening Brick perfectly combines blush, bronzer and illuminator into one little package. The highly-pigmented product applied smoothly to the face.

Unlike the Shimmer Bricks, which are extremely sparkly and great for nighttime/party settings, the Brightening Brick is more subtle in shine. This makes it great for everyday use and for individuals who work in an office setting that requires more subdued makeup.

Against my olive complexion, both the cranberry and coral shades looked nice. Coral gave my skin more of a flushed, sun-kissed look, while cranberry gave more of a bold look.

For those who have fairer skin, I will say that I have some concern that the cranberry shade might be a tad too dark and dramatic. I would, however, definitely recommend coral and possibly even the pink shade. I did not try this color, but from what I saw on the Bobbi Brown website, it appears to be a very nice bubble-gum color.

In addition to being used on the apple of the cheeks, I read, Brightening Bricks could be used as an all-over face powder to give your complexion an added glow. Because I felt like both shades were so pigmented, I decided not to use them this way but this is still a good tidbit to know, in case you wish to give it a try.

This story was originally published March 16, 2015 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Fab or flub: Will Bobbi Brown’s Brightening Bricks shine?."