Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Plum Rose
I like to think of Bobbi Brown’s newest spring release as the lipstick equivalent of a DVF wrap dress and a pair of Jimmy Choos. A combination of opaque color and subtle shine, the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12 Lipsticks ($22 each) create a dressed-up lip look that’s neither too formal nor too stuffy — like business casual for your lips (with just a smidgen of sex appeal for flava).
The 12 Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color shades
Lightweight and smooth, these unscented, unflavored lipsticks provide the kind of full color coverage more common of creams and mattes with thicker textures, and they do it at a pretty good price (for a department store line).
Today I tried four of the 12 shades in Bikini Pink (a cool pink), Sweet Nectar (a pinkish coral), Plum Rose (a plummy rose) and Old Hollywood (an orangey red), and judging by these, Bobbi wasn’t messing around in the pigment department. These are intense!
Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colors from the left: Old Hollywood, Sweet Nectar, Plum Rose and Bikini Pink
Swatches with the flash from the left: Bikini Pink, Sweet Nectar, Plum Rose and Old Hollywood
Swatches without the flash
Bikini Pink
Sweet Nectar
Plum Rose
Old Hollywood
Bikini Pink
Sweet Nectar
Old Hollywood
I like that I get about five hours of wear time with these, but truth be told they aren’t the easiest lipsticks to apply. With color-dense shades like these, there’s little room for error, and they emphasize the appearance of any flakes or cracked lips. I find that exfoliating my lips the night before I wear these and then applying a layer of moisturizing lip balm or gloss before bed helps. That, and applying them slowly with a lip brush.
PRICE: $22 each
AVAILABILITY: Available now Bobbi Brown counters and online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A-
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. How was the rest of your Monday? I’m just now settling in for a late dinner (a veggie frozen burrito with a few lazy girl hacks) and getting ready to watch old episodes of The O.C.. California, here we come; right back where we started from… 🙂
Have a great night!
Amber says
Loving Plum Rose!!
Karen says
I have a major crush on that color too!
Elle says
I like Sweet Nectar. Have fun with the OC 😉
Karen says
GURL, you know I will. 😉 I’m about halfway through the first season. Ben’s cute, but that choker he wears has got to GO!
Kinda off topic, but did you sign up for your boxing lessons?
AnieJ says
I was going to say that just Bikini Pink was calling to me, but now that I’ve seen all of these…I want every single one. For some reason I’m leaning towards Sweet Nectar. I’ve been bugging my Nordstrom SA about this since I heard they were coming out!
Karen says
That color is my fave, Anie. 🙂
Evelyn says
3 of those are calling my name – anything with rose and raspberry in it! lol
Karen says
I’m the same way, LOL!
Tracy says
Plum Rose looks absolutely perfect! That colour is drop dead gorgeous on you Karen!
I am sooooo ready for bed right now…zzzzzz
Karen says
G’night, Tracy! Sweet dreams. 🙂
Arianne says
Sweet Nectar looks beautiful on you. What a great Spring shade! That Old Hollywood is just va-va-VOOM though! I’d definitely check these out at my BB counter.
Karen says
Sweet Nectar is my fave color out the bunch. 🙂
Hyzenthlay says
Old Hollywood looks STUNNING on you! I think I’d prefer Sweet Nectar on me, though they’re probably all too opaque for me . . . I’m a weenie when it comes to strong lip colors.
Karen says
Girl, you could do the strong lip! The contrast of the color would look fabulous against your skin.
How are you doing? It’s been a while since I’ve “seen” you here!
Hyzenthlay says
Thanks Karen 🙂 I’m surviving. My students are really difficult this year, and there’s almost no support at my school with the administration and within my department. On top of that, I don’t have any support at home . . . Just me and my dog (who adores me, at least, and is snoring at the other end of the couch). I’ve been reading all of your posts, just not commenting 🙂 I’ll be in the city for four days next month (teacher’s conference at the Moscone), staying at a fancy-schmancy hotel on Union Square. I’m REALLY looking forward to that!
Crystal says
Wow, they’re fabulous! I’ve always thought of Bobbi Brown as a brand that makes beautiful lipsticks for enhancing naturally, but these pack a lot of punch pigment wise. I can’t wait to check them out next time I stop by Nordstrom!
Karen says
She’s been doing a lot of edgier, more colorful launches lately. Woo hoo, Bobbi!
Makeup Morsels says
Old Hollywood and Sweet Nectar are popping out at me! I love looking at lipsticks 🙂
Karen says
Me too. They’re one of my makeup weak spots. 😉
dani@callitbeauty says
plum rose is gooorgeous! and old hollywood is such a fitting name for that lovely red 🙂
Karen says
Yes it is. It’s a color worthy of a red carpet gown and some jewels. 🙂
JJ says
Your makeup in these pics are utterly amazing. Please make a tutorial or list the products you used!
I definitely love Sweet Nectar and Old Hollywood… though, how does Old Hollywood compare with MAC’s Russian Red?
Karen says
Hi JJ,
See the comment below to Annie for the full break down.
Old Hollywood’s just a touch less blue than Russian Red and has a shinier finish. Here’s a comparison swatch with Russian Red on the left and Old Hollywood on the right:
Linda says
ometimes I find the MAC and Bobbi lipsticks to be a little drying- were these? BTW, Karen, you look gorgeous, as always!
Kate & Zena says
Bikini Pink looks like a pretty pink for someone like me.
My Monday was spent at the neurologist getting shots in my head for my migraine (no, I don’t get Botox shots people. Different kind of shot). I started crying when he got to my temple because it crackled. He looked alarmed at my mom and said, “Is she laughing or is she crying?” and my mom replies while trying not to laugh (and failing miserably), “She’s laughing.” He couldn’t actually believe the quiet Autistic was laughing hysterically. He’s basically seen the “I won’t talk or laugh” Katie (very normal when I meet new people in new places) and there I was laughing on the doctor’s table. I, personally, couldn’t figure out whether I was laughing because it hurt so much (there’s cartilage there and when it crackles I guess it means the cartilage was pierced or something) or if I were laughing because the sound was so freaky! I would start laughing every time my head even slightly crackled.
Oh, did you see the Darth Vader kid commercial? I just got to watching the Super Bowl commercials and that one is my absolute favorite….aside from the Puppy Bowl Subaru commercials. The dogs driving the Subarus….those are just too cute.
Hatel says
The Old Hollywood & Sweet Nectar shades look gorgeous! I can’t wait to get mine!
gio says
Sweet Nectar is gorgeous!
Advah says
The colours are a bit too opaque for me but that Sweet Nector is pret-ty. And Old Hollywood suits you like a fitted satin glove!
Andreea says
Yay for Old Hollywood, looks great on you!
Tukta says
I bought this when it out in Bangkok, first one I got is Heather Pink and
BAM!
Love it a lot
stay-true color, like we see on the tube
so I had to buy another one for smokey look so I bought Bare Pink
and then I wanted Crimson but they did not have that at the counter – too bad
but I gotta buy it someway somehow!
Annie says
you look stunning! what other cheek/eye products are you using?
Karen says
Hi Annie!
Here’s a list of the additional products:
EYES:
NARS Pro Prime Eyeshadow Base (lids)
Becca Creme Eye Colour in Patina (lids)
Cargo Eye Pencil in Khaki from the Voyages Safari Collection (waterlines and upper lash line)
NARS Soft Touch Pencil in Hollywoodland (lower lash lines, brow bones and inner corners)
Benefit Brows-a-go-go (on brows)
Becca the Ultimate Mascara in Black (upper and lower lashes)
CHEEKS:
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy
FACE:
MAC Strobe Cream
MAC ProLongwear concealer atop Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener
Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation
Smashbox Photo Set Finishing Powder SPF 15
Tiffany says
sweet nectar looks awesome!!!!
I made tacos last night and watched the last ep of being human plus some jersey shore, lol. how do you like the OC? I’ve never seen it
Karen says
Yum! Are you a crunchy or a soft shell taco girl? I’m crunchy all the way…
Crap, you just reminded me I need to catch up on Being Human!
I never watched The OC when it was on TV, so this is my first time with the series. I’ve heard that the first season is great and then afterwards it gets kind of lame. I’m about halfway through the first season and am enjoying it so far. It feels a lot like an updated version of the ’90s Beverly Hills, 90210. I could see how it could easily venture into cheesy soap opera territory, so we’ll see how far I get.
Speaking of Jersey Shore, I find Ronnie and Sam exhausting.
Tiffany says
I like soft shells with chicken but crunchy shells with beef (which is what we had last night). LOL, I guess that’s weird!
I might have to check out the first season, too. I miss the hills terribly, isn’t that sad?
seriously – the whole episode was them fighting! ughh
Karen says
Haha, I like soft shells with fish and crunchy with beans/veg tacos.
You’re so funny — I miss Laguna Beach (but the first and second season only).
I kinda miss The Hills only because I was strangely fascinated by the trainwreck that is Speidi!
Jessica P says
Wow!! The lipsticks look so smoothe!! P.S Seth and Summer <3333
Karen says
I just started watching (halfway through the first season)! They have interesting chemistry. 🙂
Jessica P says
Also, what do you exfoliate your lips with if you don’t mind me asking?
Karen says
I’ve been using one from Lush — I Would Shake My Bon Bons for this Lush Lip Scrub. You can also make a homemade one: How to: A Simple Sugar Scrub for Luscious Lips.
Sexy Sadie says
Love old Hollywood.
Karen says
Love that color, too!
Kim says
Look at you, all glam in the Old Hollywood! 🙂 Plum Rose and maybe Cosmic Raspberry would be better choices for me. They remind me of my go-to Clinique Gorgeous (sadly discontinued but I wear lipstick so infrequently that my tube will probably last until I’m 80)!
Karen says
Plum Rose is soooo beautiful. Why don’t you wear lipstick often? Is it a texture thing?
Kim says
This will sound weird, which won’t surprise you. 🙂 I actually like the feel of lip products but I have a very bad habit of smooshing my lips together constantly when I’m wearing them. I also tend to subconsciously bite my lips when I’m thinking, etc. So, my lipstick either smudges everywhere or ends up on my teeth. I’m super lazy, too, so I never reapply. I tried one of the long-wear versions 100 years ago when they came out and my poor lips were dried out and chapped for a week afterward. I pretty much stick to lip balm in the winter (and constantly remind myself to “stop smooshing, stop smooshing”). I know, I’m a crazy person sometimes. 🙂
Nina says
so apparently, the hubs likes seeing me in lipstick. i dont wear it often enough but now i realize i should. i am loving plum rose and old hollywood. 🙂
Karen says
That’s so sweet. Maybe he should gift you with a few tubes of Bobbi for Valentines, hint hint!
Nina says
hahahah he remains firm in saying he will not feed my makeup addiction. ill probly surprise him by wearing red lipstick when we go out for dinner on saturday. 😉
Mary says
Hi Karen,
Damn! JUST when I thought I’ve bought enough lipstick this month, I visit your page and see Old Hollywood and Sweet Nectar!
XO
Mary
Karen says
Those are both great colors! You should give them a try.
Mary says
K, I’m giving in. Gonna stop by the Bobbi Brown counter today and give these babies a test drive. Yowza!
Tiffany H. says
I am loving sweet nectar. Very nice for spring/summer!
Karen says
Heck yah! Pair it with a coral blush… nom!
Jackers says
Bikini Pink has been calling my name! Thanks for the review, I was on the lookout for info about these. PS- Old Hollywood looks great on you.
Karen says
Thanks, Jackers. I hope you love Bikini Pink!
Silva says
I like sweet nectar!
Chris25 says
Plum Rose looks so pretty!
katie says
are these limited edition or permanent 🙂
Emma says
I really like Plum Rose, it may be close to the perfect plum that I’m looking to replace. By replace I mean that I had a Body Shop lippie 8 or so years ago when I worked there that they don’t make anymore and I loved it so I want to find a dupe. Needless to say the search is beginning to feel futile 🙁
Phyrra says
Guava and Cosmic Raspbery and Sweet Nectar have my attention.
Avi says
OMG I love these lipsticks! Cosmic Rasberry is my new favorite shade, even bought a back up 🙂 it’s the most beautiful, intense fuschia color. Second favorite is Guava. LOVES!
Meghan says
Oh my gosh these are BEAUTIFUL!
Chris says
Old Hollywood looks amazing on you!!!!!! I was really interested in these lipsticks but I didn’t notice they had SPF ingredients, which my lips are allergic to 🙁
Karen says
Oh bummer. If you like Old Hollywood maybe try MAC Russian Red. They both have a similar vibe.
hornsbysider says
Old Hollywood on you is just AMAZING!!! As for myself, Im going to check out Sweet Nectar and Plum Rose.
Karen says
Thank you!
You’ll love Sweet Nectar!
Paintthetownscarlet.wordpress.com says
Wow these are amazing! You really rock a bold lip Karen!
Karen says
Thanks, girl! You plan on trying this?