I first heard of Be a Bombshell through Ipsy (referral link), and the two items I had received seemed pretty good (a finishing powder and a cream eyeshadow). So, when I saw this eyeshadow quad at a super low price online, I jumped on it.
The packaging is sleek and reminiscent of MAC (or NYX, I suppose!). I am not entirely enamored of the wave-shaped pans, but it is a more distinctive look. The case is lightweight and the clasp is secure and easy to operate.
Bora Bora is a great color palette for warm-toned skin, and I think it lends itself especially well to the summer months, as the shades are so beachy and bronzed and the colors will all show up well against medium/tanned skin. The four shades in it are:
- Starlet (midtone taupe-brown shimmer with a touch of aqua shimmer)
- Bora Bora (midtone teal shimmer)
- Rock Bottom (midtone copper shimmer)
- Risky Business (midtone golden bronze shimmer)
As a quad, the four shadows are probably a bit too similar in depth and shimmer for my liking, but individually, the colors are very nice. The colors all show up pretty close to pan on my skin, except for Starlet, which showed up less taupe and more golden brown on me—disappointing, as I love taupes! That pretty aqua shimmer in Starlet’s pan also didn’t really show up. It’s still pretty and wearable, just not as exciting as I thought it might have been.
The shadows are all fairly well pigmented and reasonably easy to apply and blend. Staying power was just average, which is a bit unusual for me since I have dry skin and I find I generally don’t need to use primer. I would definitely recommend a primer for these shadows.
Overall, I think this eyeshadow is quite decent and I will certainly use it. However, I am not convinced that it’s worth the full price, as I think there are a few drugstore brand eyeshadows that are as good or better than this. The main advantage over the drugstore brands is that Be a Bombshell’s packaging is nicer (I can never get those Wet ‘n Wild pans to open without wrecking my nail polish).
I snagged this quad on Amazon.ca when it was severely marked down to CA$4.61, but normally this item is US$16.
Buy: Be a Bombshell Eye Shadow Quad in Bora Bora at Amazon.com
Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow Quads retail for US$16 and are 0.17 oz / 4.8 g. They are made in China.
Be a Bombshell Cosmetics is a privately owned company based in Jonesboro, AR, USA.
I’ve heard a lot of raves about this brand but never got around to trying them, mainly due to shipping charges.
The wave design of the pans is making my eye twitch a little…
Too bad the “taupe” isn’t what you wanted, as one taupe fiend to another!
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Haha, yes, the wave design is very…interesting. I feel the brand is a bit overpriced. So far I find the quality is only just above drugstore average! Certainly with S&H, it’s not a great deal.
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