Makeup that is long wearing, no-budge, sweat-proof is not a matter of preference when it comes to important events. It is a MUST. For weddings and proms and special events that take hours and hours, you must have in mind that your makeup has to be also on point. Pictures will be taken, you will kiss and touch other faces, your skin natural oils will start to peak through the makeup after some time. You have to have in mind that everything has to work with you and not against you.Â
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The eyes are the first feature anyone will gravitate towards when they come in contact with you. If you opt for a natural, soft or very dramatic look, you still have to consider the longevity of the products you are using. The best way to secure a long wearing makeup is to first use a cream product that you will seal with a powder product or to use a primer and on top of it to have a waterproof cream product that will dry down. For this effect, I have in my kit and I trust in my Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Sticks.Â
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The long-wear cream shadow sticks have been on the market for years, they stood the test of time and trends because of the quality and versatility through the number of shades and finishes. They come in matte and shimmery/metallic finishes, from nudes to colorful, they are easy to work with as you have a minute there to blend until they set.
Application
The process couldn’t be more simpler. Remove the cap, twist the bullet so you will expose the cream stick just enough to be able to “draw” on your lid. Don’t twist until the end because it will break the moment you apply pressure on the lid. The application doesn’t need to be precise as you will blend it with a fluffy brush, preferable synthetic. I don’t recommend finger application if you are a professional makeup artist.
 Now that we are here, let’s talk about the hygiene issue and how we can work directly from the bullet without passing germs from one client to the other. You can either spray after use a 99% alcohol solution and let it dry or slowly pass a dry soft tissue over or scrap the first layer with the tissue. I personally prefer the second method. It’s a waste of product, but safety comes first. Beside that, the sticks are so creamy and pigmented that you don’t need that much product to begin with.
One great way way to use the cream sticks is as an eyeshadow base for your next eyeshadows, that can be creamy or powdery. Because of the longevity power they can be used as an eyeshadow primer.
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Swatches
At the time I am writing this article, there are currently 36 shades in the Cream Shadow Stick range. Wow. You will find your favorite for sure. There are matte and shimmery shades. The range goes from very light colors to very bright and dark.
Their best sellers at this moment are: Vanilla, Taupe, Golden Pink, Sunset Rose, Golden Fern, Opal, Bronze, Ruby Shimmer, Golden Light, Truffle, Cinnamon.Â
I will start with the most popular ones, I don’t own all the shades as you will see, but what I have are definitely my favorites that I chose after swatching them in the store.
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Vanilla. Warm cream. I use this shade mostly as an eyeshadow primer all over the lid and under the eye. I also use it as a matte highlighter for the inner corner or as a regular eyeshadow for the inner 3rd of the eye in a Smokey look.
Taupe. Warm mid-tone taupe, pretty explanatory the name of the shade. I like to use the shade in the crease to define it and for hooded eyes, a little bit above the line of the crease. It is matte, so it is great for this task. This is one of the shades I would really recommend to have in the full size, as it so useful.
GOLDEN LIGHT. This next shade is a must for that pop of something when you want to transform your look for more of an evening, event look. Perfect for the Smokey eye look, on the middle of the lid or inner corner, it is that bright gold you are looking for.
SAND DUNE. This shade is one of my personal favorites again. I use this the most I might say and you wouldn’t believe it if you just look at the shade. Plain matte, medium beige tan. It can be used as an all over lid color and you are good to go or in the crease, outer corner and undereye for light skin tones contour.
ESPRESSO. For me, this shade is described as “Most likely to be used in a Smokey eye look”. Instead of the classic black eyeliner gel that can look very scary to work with, I would recommend using this shade. Apply it on the outer corner area, smoke out the edges , create the outer v shape and blend it seamlessly into the transition shade. The classic technique requires for the cream product to be enforced with a similar powder eyeshadow, so look for a shimmery medium-dark brown with golden flecks.
BELLINI. Time to rise and shine. We went from the matte sticks to the glam, shiny ones. This specific shade is not so easy to find, I didn’t see it one the page of the brand and it only appears in some places on-line. Such a shame because it is the perfect golden champagne shade that can be sheered out depending on the intensity you want to achieve. Can be used on the lid as part of the Smokey look or on the whole lid to bring it forward or in the inner corner of the eye to give luminosity. And I am not exaggerating when I say that if you sheer it out it gives you that wet look effect the “Space Cowboy” from UD has. The link here provides the existing shades, it is not clear if Bellini is a limited edition shade or it is currently out of stock.
Performance
Described by the brand as a swipe-and-go cream eyeshadow product, it does what it says. Just apply directly from the bullet, give the product the shape you need on the lid and around the eye and you are good to go basically. The product dries down in 1-2 minutes and doesn’t move or crease for the next hours. The company claims it’s for 24 hours, but I never had to reach to this amount of time. For a 16 hours wear it was fine for me, as I do have oily lids and it didn’t move nowhere. For dry lids, moisturize before with a cream or primer suitable for the issue as it might crease because the area is not hydrated enough.
The product is water-proof, it’s smooth and blendable on the application, it is creamy and doesn’t tug. The color doesn’t fade throughout the day if you choose to wear it on it’s own, without nothing on top. Most of the times I will use the stick as base primers for other powder eyeshadows to emphasize the shade that is on top.
Ingredients
Feel free and also recommended to look for the meaning of the main ingredients on websites like Incidecoder.
FREE OF:Â Parabens, Phthalates, Sulfates, Gluten, Sulfites, Mineral Oil, Triclosan, Formaldehyde
Ingredients:Â Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polyethylene, Lauroyl Lysine, Ozokerite, Octyldodecanol, Synthetic Beeswax, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Citric Acid, Silica, Tin Oxide, [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Manganese Violet (Ci 77742), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Chromium Oxide Greens (Ci 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (Ci 77289), Carmine (Ci 75470), Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (Ci 77510), Aluminum Powder (Ci 77000), Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Ferric Ferrocyanide (Ci 77510)]Â <ILN39316>
Please be aware that ingredient lists may change or vary from time to time. Please refer to the ingredient list on the product package you receive for the most up to date list of ingredients.
Pros
The Bobbi Brown Long-wear Cream Eyeshadow Stick is a product that will STICK 🙂 for a long time in my makeup kit. It’s versatile, so it can be used both as an all over lid or undereye color or as a shadow primer for powder shadows that go on top. It is water-proof, easy to apply , blendable, non fading, non creasing. The color selection is quite complex and covers mattes, shimmers, nudes and colorful shades.Â
Cons
Being a high-end product, the sticks don’t come at a low price, so it can get quite expensive to own the basic shades. The good news is that they because they are pigmented and creamy, you don’t need much product each time you are working with them.
Another thing consumers complained was the fact that the drying time is very short, leaving patches because they didn’t manage to blend it fast enough. My solution for this issue is to work one eye at a time, apply the color and blend it on the spot, as when it dries, it doesn’t move nowhere. Try to put less product and build the intensity little by little. As long as you blend it fast, there will be no patchiness.
This cream stick is amazing. I use the vanilla it all the time
I have been a fan of Bobbi Brown products for years, and these Long-wear Cream Shadow Sticks are no exception! The convenience of a cream shadow in a stick form is a game-changer for busy mornings or on-the-go touch-ups. The swatches look so smooth and pigmented, and the range of colors is stunning!
Thank you so much for writing reviews! your blog is a true inspiration!
Love bobbi brown ! Thanks for yet another great review