Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Brick

There was a time when Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Brick sent beauty addicts into total hysteria.  When the Shimmer Brick was first released back in 2001, no one had ever seen anything like it.  If you recall, body glitter was a ridiculously huge (and ridiculous) trend around that time.  If you wanted to wear any sort of sparkle, this was pretty much your only option:

Your only option, that is, until the bronze Shimmer Brick was released for Bobbi Brown's 2001 holiday collection for a limited time only.  Here was a product that offered subtle shimmer rather than chunks of actual glitter and women went completely nuts for it, bidding exorbitant sums of cash on eBay for this elusive, exclusive product after the "limited time only" had passed.  Bobbi Brown took heed and Shimmer Bricks are now for sale today in six different shades of pinks, neutrals, and bronzes, plus a giant Shimmer Brick for Body.

What else is so special about this powder shimmer compact to incite such demand?  It has amazing versatility.  For one thing, it looks good no matter where you apply it.  You can use a large fluffy powder brush to blend all five shades together as a blush, bronzer, or all over highlighter.  You can use small applicators to select one or two of the colors and wear them as eyeshadow.  The Shimmer Brick has that rare quality of being just obvious enough to make a visible difference, but still subtle enough that it's not overpowering.

While Shimmer Bricks are here to stay for sale in stores and online, Bobbi Brown does occasionally continue in the limited edition tradition and release special exclusive shades with less availability, usually around the holidays.